More than 250 collector cars and motorcycles from 14 countries are showcased along California’s Monterey Coast each year in what is known as the finest and most exclusive automotive event on the planet – the Concours d’Elegance. This is an event that highlights the art of the automobile, and each year one car is crowned ‘Best of Show.’

This year, a 1933 Delage D8S De Villars Roadster, owned by The Patterson Collection in Louisville, Kentucky, was named the Best of Show at the 60th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Competitors from 33 US states and 14 countries brought their prized automotive possessions to California’s Monterey Peninsula for judging in 29 classes.

In the end, the white, streamlined 1933 Delage with coachwork from De Villars was adjudged the best. This 1933 Delage has a short wheelbase, which makes it look extremely stylish, while still maintaining a long and elegant look. If you can believe it, the car was able to touch 175km/h in its day – making it the embodiment of style, speed and comfort. And the 4,050cc overhead valve, inline eight cylinder engine, mated to a four speed gearbox, is just as beautiful as the car.

Delage added a sports version to the D8 range in 1930. To make the S more aerodynamic than its predecessors, a new radiator shell was used, which required a special hood and firewall that made the D8S even more visually distinctive. Patterson’s D8S graced the 1933 Salon de Paris at the Grand Palace. It was owned during the 1950’s by the Grand Hotel Velasquez in Madrid, Spain, and was used as transportation for its more discerning guests.

The D8 badge was Louis Delage’s ultimate statement in luxury, sophistication and refinement of the marque that bore his name. Delage racing cars were also among the most successful in Europe. With innovative and streamlined designs, they challenged the best from Mercedes-Benz, Bugatti, Maserati and Alfa Romeo.