On the subject of the crème de la crème of basic automotive excellence, it doesn’t get higher than this. A surprising 1964 Ferrari 250 LM has been named winner of the tenth annual The Peninsula Classics ‘Better of the Finest’ Award 2024.
The Ferrari, chosen from a choose group of 9 autos that gained awards on the previous 12 months’s main concours occasions, turned eligible for consideration after successful the Finest in Present honor on the Cavallino Traditional at Palm Seaside in January 2024. Offered throughout an awards ceremony at The Peninsula Paris, the excellence acknowledges the head of basic automotive design and engineering.
A panel of 24 esteemed judges, comprising cultural icons and main automotive consultants—together with Henry Ford III, Charles March, the Duke of Richmond, Ralph Lauren, Jay Leno, Nick Mason, Shiro Nakamura, and Jean Todt—acknowledged the Ferrari 250 LM’s historic, aesthetic, and sporting significance. This mannequin famously secured Ferrari’s final general victory on the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1965, a milestone that stood till Maranello’s triumphant return to the highest in 2023 and 2024.
“We take immense pleasure in celebrating this outstanding achievement of a automotive that triumphed at our Concorso Palm Seaside Cavallino Traditional,” stated Luigi Orlandini, Chairman and CEO of Cavallino Inc. and Canossa Occasions. “Our heartfelt congratulations go to Chris and Ann Cox, the homeowners of this magnificent Ferrari. This accolade is a testomony to the distinctive high quality of vehicles showcased on the Cavallino Traditional and in our journal—this Ferrari was even the quilt star of problem 264. Our over forty-year dedication to preserving Ferrari’s heritage is additional validated by this honor, following the good success of our 2025 version simply ten days in the past in Palm Seaside, Florida.”
Initially unveiled in Paris in November 1963, the Ferrari 250 LM (quick for ‘Le Mans’) was designed as a Grand Touring evolution of the mid-engined Ferrari 250 P. That includes a physique styled by Pininfarina and constructed by Scaglietti, it was supposed because the successor to the legendary 250 GTO. Although Ferrari was unable to safe GT-class homologation for the mannequin, the 250 LM nonetheless loved outstanding success, together with its landmark victory at Le Mans in 1965 and the Worldwide Trophy for GT Prototypes the identical 12 months.
One in all solely 32 examples ever produced, this explicit 250 LM had a distinguished racing profession between 1965 and 1967, with notable wins at Manufacturers Hatch, Snetterton, and Silverstone in 1966. It additionally competed in two of endurance racing’s most iconic occasions—the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1966 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1968.
“I’m really honored to obtain this prestigious award,” stated Chris Cox, proprietor of the 1964 Ferrari 250 LM. “It brings me immense pleasure to showcase a car with such a wealthy historical past on the world’s foremost concours occasions. Being chosen for The Peninsula Classics Better of the Finest Award is the best recognition a automotive collector can obtain.”
Since its acquisition in 2018, the 1964 Ferrari 250 LM has been celebrated as a centerpiece of Ferrari historical past. In 2022, it was exhibited on the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena, Italy, as a part of the ‘Ferrari Without end’ Seventy fifth-anniversary showcase. It has additionally graced the lawns of premier concours occasions, together with the 2022 Pebble Seaside Concours d’Class and, most just lately, Casa Ferrari at Pebble Seaside in 2024, commemorating Ferrari’s seventieth anniversary in the US.
“The successful 1964 Ferrari 250 LM is greater than only a gorgeous car,” stated Christian Philippsen, co-founder of The Peninsula Classics Better of the Finest Award. “It represents one in every of Ferrari’s most revolutionary fashions, boasting an unparalleled aggressive legacy and impeccable provenance. We’re thrilled to honor a motorsport legend of this caliber as this 12 months’s Better of the Finest.”
Competing alongside the Ferrari for the award had been eight different distinctive basic vehicles: a 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Spider, a 1957 Ferrari 335 S, a 1937/1946 Delahaye 145 Cabriolet, a 1947 Delahaye 135MS Narval Cabriolet, a 1934 Bugatti Kind 59 Sports activities, a 1937 Bugatti Kind 57S Roadster, a 1928 Bugatti Kind 35C Grand Prix, and a 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Convertible.
