A 1935 Duesenberg SSJ Special Speedster originally owned by Clark Gable won Best of Show at the 75th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Collector Harry Yeaggy of Cincinnati presented the car.
The SSJ is one of only two Special Speedsters built in this form. Its short-wheelbase chassis and supercharged engine already made it an extreme Duesenberg when new, while the Hollywood provenance of this particular example adds another layer to its significance.
The 2026 concours brought together 218 cars. Organizers said 33 international entries represented 14 countries, while 185 U.S. entries came from 30 states. Best of Show is selected from the class winners and remains the event's single highest award.
The SSJ's victory also provides a useful counterpoint to the rest of Monterey Car Week. New hypercars, prototypes and record auction results competed for attention across the peninsula, but Pebble Beach's top prize went to a prewar American car judged on its quality, authenticity, history and presentation rather than on a sale price.
For Duesenberg, the win reinforces a position the marque has long held at the top end of the collector-car world. An SSJ was exceptionally rare from the beginning, and combining one of the two surviving examples with Gable's ownership gives this car an unusually strong concours story.