1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom II from India wins ‘Best Motor Cars of the Raj’ trophy at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2018

Pebble Beach, California: The 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom II from the personal collection of Maharaja Gaj Singh of Jodhpur, India, won the ‘Best Motor Cars of the Raj’ at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2018.

Car collectors from around the world showcased their cars and automobile enthusiasts crowded the famed 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links, California on 26 August 2018, for Monterey Car Week’s premiere event.

The 1927 Rolls- Royce Phantom II with coachwork by Windovers of London was specially ordered by Maharaja Umaid Singh for the carriage of the ladies of the royal family. It is in polished aluminium with special features like blue purdah glass and fly screen in each door, roof ventilators, and inlaid marquetry. This particular vehicle was also displayed recently at the exhibition; Peacock in the Desert : Royal Arts of Jodhpur at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Started in 1950. the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is the top-ranking collector car competition in the world. Initially modelled on the early European concours that showcased new cars, the Pebble Beach Concours shifted its focus to collector cars in 1955. It has taken the lead by including racing greats and offering featured marques and special classes as early as 1953, introducing displays of dream cars and concepts in the 1980s, and instituting driving events and emphasising the importance of preservation in the 1990s.

As the name suggests, it is a contest of elegance. Automobiles are judged for their style and technical merit, as well as their history, their originality and the accuracy of their preservation or restoration. Where only the very best garner reward and recognition.