And many other sporty cars, too, including race cars from Laguna Seca.
In addition to the usual fabulous celebration of sports and racing cars that make up The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, there was a sense that the whole fest had added a car show vibe to it this year, with 19—count 'em, 19!—press conferences from all your favorite marques including everything from Rimac and Koenigsegg to Lamborghini, Bugatti, and Lexus.
Nonetheless, at its heart the Friday show before Pebble is still a Gathering of great cars. To the usual classes of “Pre-War Sports and Racing Cars” and “The Great Ferraris” were classes dedicated to the “50Anniversary of the BMW M Division,” “All Things Mini,” and “70 Years of Jaguar and Their Wins at Le Mans.”Indeed, it was from “70 Years of Jaguar at Le Mans” that entrants chose William Pope’s magnificent 1956 Jaguar D-Type for the top honor as the Rolex Best of Show.
“Owned by William Pope, the 1956 Jaguar D-Type, was selected for the highest honor due to its superb construction, design, attention to detail, workmanship, and extensive restoration process,” read an official Quail statement. “Jaguar took victory at Le Mans three years in a row from 1955 to 1957 with the D-Type, and it is rumored that only 75 examples were built.”
When the winner was announced, the Jag’s owner was nowhere to be found, so a driver who could operate a D-Type was hastily sourced, and a friend of Pope’s was called upon to graciously accept the large, Q-shaped trophy from The Honorable Sir Michael Kadoorie, at whose resort hotel The Quail is held. All part of the fun.
One class was dedicated to the “50th Anniversary of the BMW M Division.” Next to that was this trio of Z8s.Other favorites from among the Quail’s sprawling greens included a large contingent of BMW Ms that included some very nice original M3s and a trio of Z8s. The Ms were represented by class winner Benjamin Clymer’s 1980 M1. The Honorable Sir Michael Kadoorie took the Pre-War Sports and Racing Class with his 1929 Rolls-Royce.