1928 Mercedes 680S wins Best of Show at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

A 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S Saoutchik Torpedo finished in German Chassis gray has taken top honors at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The car is owned by Paul Andrews of Fort Worth, Texas, and was restored by Paul Russell and Co. Andrews acquired the car in 2010 with the assistance of Gooding and Co. owner David Gooding. It is a well-known car, having been auctioned and shown several times over the years. Though the car was in running and driving condition when Andrews bought it, it would undergo an incredibly thorough restoration.

The Mercedes spent most of its life finished in a light yellow, but after six months of agonizing, the decision was made to return the car to its original gray. When restoration began, the 680S was in mostly original condition and much care was taken to bring the car to exact as-built specifications. Russell's team made use of other Saoutchik bodied 680S cars from the era to ensure that each fastener, wire and staple was as close to the original as possible. In fact, Andrews claims that the original position of each upholstery staple was maintained when the car was rebuilt.

Of thirteen Saoutchik bodied 280S cars, only three were constructed in sport configuration with a low windshield, the car owned by Andrews is believed to be the last one extant. On the Pebble Beach stage, Andrews praised the beauty of his Mercedes and its driving manners. After a brief stopover at Paul Russell's shop, Andrews plans to tour the car in Europe with his wife and he's hoping to show it at Villa d'Este.

Andrews has entered Packard's and Duesenburgs at Pebble Beach before but this is his first win. When asked about entering another car at Pebble Beach next year, he grinned, “To win once in a lifetime is…well to win twice may be asking too much. “

Click your way through the gallery above for more stunning cars from this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Monterey car week is packed with car shows, vintage racing and auctions. Autoweek will be there providing streaming photo galleries and live coverage of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, historic racing at Laguna Seca, the Monterey car auctions and plenty more. Go to Autoweek's Pebble Beach home page for complete coverage and live updates.

By Rory Carroll