1933 Chrysler Custom Imperial Phaeton wins Best of Show

The top honor at Sunday's Hilton Head Island, S.C., Concours d’Elegance, Best of Show, was awarded to a 1933 Chrysler Custom Imperial Phaeton owned by Joseph and Margie Cassini, III of West Orange, New Jersey. This Chrysler was the personal car of renowned automotive designer Ralph Roberts, equipped to his order as a gift to his wife, and was awarded Best in Class, Pebble Beach 2014.

Attendees at the event chose a 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster as their People’s Choice winner. The car is owned by Dr. Richard Workman of Rare Wheels Collection of Windermere, Florida.

Another top honor presented to close the annual event was the Paul Doerring Founders Award, established to honor Paul Doerring, one of the key contributing founders of the event. The award went to a 1957 Ghia Dual-Ghia Convertible owned by David and Doreen Salzman of Jupiter, Florida.

The Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance also served as the location for the final presentation of the Lee Iacocca Award. The award, given for dedication to excellence in perpetuating an American automotive tradition, was presented by Norma Saken from The Iacocca Family Foundation and Rick Schmidt of National Parts Depot, the award’s sponsor, on Saturday, Oct. 31 to William and Christine Snyder of Hudson, Ohio.

Another highlight of this year's Motoring Festival was Auctions America’s debut collector car sale, hosted at the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa on Saturday, Oct. 31. Presenting some 95 blue-chip automobiles and select memorabilia before a packed house, preliminary results from the auction exceed $5 million in sales.

Top honors went to a 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC, a well-sorted example of one of the marque’s classic 12-cylinder touring cars, which achieved a final $638,000. It led a superb roster of European sports cars, including a 1984 Ferrari 512 BBi, just 3,600 miles from new, which garnered $360,250, and an exceptionally original 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition for $343,750.

Official results from Auctions America’s debut Hilton Head Island sale will be published online at www.auctionsamerica.com in the coming days.

The 15th annual Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance is scheduled for Oct. 28 to ­ Nov. 6, 2016. For more information on the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance, visit the official website at www.HHIMotoringFestival.com.