1964 Ferrari 250 LM named the best of the best

The 1964 Ferrari 250 LM has become the winner of The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award 2024. The award was presented to its owner at a ceremony held at The Peninsula Paris. Selected from among nine vehicles that won awards at major concours events last year, the Ferrari qualified for this competition by winning the Best in Show award at the Cavallino Classic in January 2024.

First introduced in Paris in November 1963, the Ferrari 250 LM was produced as the Grand Touring version of the mid-engine Ferrari 250 P. Designed by Pininfarina and produced by Scaglietti, the model was developed to replace the 250 GTO, one of Ferrari's most successful race cars. Although it did not receive LM homologation in the Ferrari GT class, the 250 LM achieved significant success by winning the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 1965 International Trophy for GT Prototypes. Only 32 units of the model were produced; it competed in races between 1965 and 1967 and secured victories at Brands Hatch, Snetterton, and Silverstone in 1966. The car also participated in the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona and the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Purchased by its current owner in 2018, the 1964 Ferrari 250 LM is among the significant models in Ferrari history. The vehicle was exhibited in 2022 as part of the "Ferrari Forever" 75th-anniversary exhibition at the Enzo Ferrari Museum. It was also displayed at the 2022 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and at Casa Ferrari in Pebble Beach in 2024.

The other eight classic cars competing for The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award included the 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Spider, 1957 Ferrari 335 S, 1937/1946 Delahaye 145 Cabriolet, 1947 Delahaye 135MS Narval Cabriolet, 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports, 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Roadster, 1928 Bugatti Type 35C Grand Prix, and the 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Convertible. The jury for The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award 2024 consisted of automotive designers, collectors, and industry experts. Jury members included names such as Peter Brock, Fabio Filippini, Ed Welburn, Henry Ford III, Prince Michael of Kent, Rana Manvendra Singh, Peter Marino, Ralph Lauren, and Jay Leno.

The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award was launched in 2015 by Sir Michael Kadoorie, Chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited and a co-founder of the award. The award aims to encourage the preservation and restoration of high-quality automobiles. Supported by The Peninsula Hotels, the award ceremony sheds light on automotive history by bringing together vehicles that have won Best of Show awards at concours events around the world.