On August 19, the 62nd Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance was held at Pebble Beach of the United States, and Gran Turismo Series Producer Kazunori Yamauchi awarded the 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Pininfarina Coupe (Chassis number 0422MD) the prestigious Gran Turismo Trophy.

There are a few different versions of the Ferrari 500 Mondial, but the car that received the GT Trophy award is a Pininfarina Berlinetta (coupe), built specially for the 1954 Tour de France race and the only one of two that was ever made.

Under the curved engine hood is a 2 liter DOHC engine, for which they chose a 4 cylinder configuration to minimize weight. The engine with its ties to the F2 Grand Prix which started in 1952, was designed by the famous engineer Aurelio Lampredi and produces an impressive 170ps at 7000rpm. The body is a steel tube space frame, and the suspension utilizes the De Dion Axle for superior road holding characteristics. The sleek form of this car carries with it all the leading edge technologies of its era.

Though the 500 Mondial did not win at the Tour de France, it was left in pristine condition for us to enjoy today. 2 years after the race in 1956, the car passed to its second owner, and rested within a French château for 46 years. In 2002, ownership was transferred to Mr. and Mrs. Shirley who found out about this car which had survived in miraculous condition, and they brought it to Pebble Beach where it received this award.

The Ferrari 500 Mondial Pininfarina Coupe will be included in a future version of Gran Turismo. We can look forward to the day when we can all try driving the masterpiece created in the golden era of sportscars.

The grand "Best of Show" award of this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance went to the 1928 Mercedes Benz 680S Saoutchik Cabriolet.