1935 Duesenberg SSJ Wins 2026 Pebble Best of ShowMotorTrendAs it always does, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance brought the 2026 Monterey Car Week festivities to a close Sunday, and taking home the famed event's Best of Show honors was a 1935 Duesenberg SSJ Special Speedster owned by Harry Yeaggy of Cincinnati, Ohio. As per tradition, the prewar icon was showered with confetti as it rolled onto the stage overlooking the 18th hole of Pebble Beach Golf Links.This year marked the 75th edition of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, which has been held on California's Monterey Peninsula since 1950 and is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious classic car events in the world.The winning Duesenberg SSJ is one of just two Special Speedsters designed by Herb Newport and built on a shortened 125-inch chassis. One was famously associated with actor Gary Cooper, while the other—the car that won at Pebble Beach—was owned by movie star Clark Gable, himself a well-known Duesenberg enthusiast.MotorTrendBoth Special Speedsters were fitted with supercharged straight-eight engines and dual carburetors, producing close to 400 hp—an extraordinary figure for the era. Their combination of power and rarity has made them among the most celebrated American automobiles ever built.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Pebble Beach winner was owned by the Ferrara family for more than six decades before eventually passing to Yeaggy. The car was recently restored and returned to its original black lacquer finish over light saddle leather, a presentation that impressed judges for how faithfully it recreated the Duesenberg's period appearance.Former General Motors designer and legendary automotive critic Robert Cumberford, who wrote for MotorTrend sister publication Automobile, once had the opportunity to drive a 1935 Duesenberg SSJ roadster. He came away impressed by the car's surprisingly modern performance and ride quality, though considerably less so by its three-speed nonsynchromesh gearbox."The twin-cam, four-valve engine was ahead of its time in 1928, but the car was an anachronism by the end," Cumberford wrote.Duesenberg had ambitious plans for the Model J, reportedly hoping to sell roughly 500 cars per year. In reality, however, production fell far short of that target during the model's 1928–1937 run. The SSJ, with just the two produced, was the rarest of the breed.AdvertisementAdvertisement"Acceleration from rest would have been hampered by the car's great weight and clumsy gearbox, but there was plenty of shove available in top gear," Cumberford wrote after driving one. "Some observers estimated a 160-mph top speed for this model, although the poor aerodynamics of clamshell fenders make that unlikely."Nearly nine decades later, the SSJ is now enshrined with 74 other Pebble Beach Best of Show legends.Photo credit: MotortrendPhoto credit: MotortrendPhoto credit: MotortrendPhoto credit: MotortrendAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: MotortrendPhoto credit: Motortrend
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