The 1935 Duesenberg Model SJ-582 and 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider won the Best In Show honors on Saturday at the 22nd annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. In spite of a schedule change due to inclement weather, the event, which typically occurs on a Sunday, still drew a large crowd throughout the weekend.

The competition drew more than 300 cars and motorcycles into 41 classes from 11 different countries to the 10th and 18th Fairways of the Golf Club of Amelia Island.

The Best in Show Concours d’Elegance Trophy was presented to Terry Adderley for his 1935 Duesenberg Model SJ-582. The Model J was produced in Indianapolis from 1929 until 1937 and each of the chassis sold received custom coachwork built to the whims of the owner. Five Torpedo Phaetons were built to Gordon Buehrig’s design, with this car being one of the last two Torpedo Phaetons, which were built by the A. J. Walker Company to the Gordon Buehrig design specifications.

The 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider from the Dano Davis Collection took home the Best in Show Concours de Sport Trophy. Approximately 32 of the 2.9 chassis were made and it is believed only 12 are Touring Spiders, seven of which are the long chassis like this car. This car’s known history starts in February 1949, when it was raced in Sao Paulo by amateur driver Mario Tavares Leite who had the car imported from Italy to Brazil. Mario won races with the car in 1949 and 1950, after which the car disappeared. Later, it had a Corvette engine installed and the chassis was modified. It is believed that the car traveled to Brazil from Argentina in the mid to late 1950s without the touring body and with the Corvette V-8 only to be reunited with the original Touring coachwork some four decades later.

Additional highlights on the field included the “Movie Cars” class with nine of the most famed vehicles to cross the big screen. The class included James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 from “Goldfinger,” Elvis Presley’s Corvette Stingray showcased in “Clambake,” the 1958 Chevrolet Impala from “American Graffiti,” the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow two-door sedan and Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Alloy Nart Spyder from “Thomas Crown Affair” and the 1949 Buick Roadmaster convertible from “Rain Man,” among others.

Chevrolet celebrated the Camaro’s Golden Anniversary with some of the most notable vehicles throughout the model’s 50-year history. The Camaro class was led by Camaro Number One, the gold 1967 coupe VIN number 10001, which was joined by the 1968 and 1969 Yenko Camaros, a 1969 Indy 500 RS/SS Pace Car, a 1973 Baldwin Motion Camaro and a COPO Camaro.

Taking center stage at this year’s Concours was King Edward VIII’s unique Cadillac limousine, also known as the “Duchess.” Bringing with it a rich history, the “Duchess” was known for betraying royal tradition, as King Edward VIII forewent driving the customary Daimler and instead drove this Cadillac, all for the love an American girl.

Another historical gem, Elvis Presley’s 507 Roadster, was the highlight of the “BMW 501-507” class. The car was delivered to him in 1958 during his service in the U.S. Army while stationed in Germany. Along the way, female fans from across the country kissed the white Roadster and wrote amorous messages in scarlet lipstick, leading Presley to have the 507 painted lipstick red.

Headlining the “Jaguar D-Type” class were two surviving Le Mans-winning Jaguar D-Types, marking the 60th anniversary of its third consecutive and final victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

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On Nov. 21, RM Auctions‘ and Sotheby’s Art of the Automobile sale in New York City will feature this special European-influenced Cadillac built for British royalty and delivered to his highness at the Waldorf. It is expected to bring a king’s ransom, too: pre-sale estimates place the car at $500,000-800,000. By comparison, production 1941 Cadillacs, which are already sought after, rarely fetch more than $100,000.

RM Auctions has done its homework on the car, and it’s worth sharing:

One of the most famous and iconic cars of both American and English society, a 1941 Cadillac Custom Limousine that was designed for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, will be offered at RM Auctions and Sotheby’s exclusive Art of the Automobile sale…. Affectionately known as “The Duchess,” the Cadillac was a bespoke order to provide the Duke and Duchess of Windsor with luxury transportation during their periods of residence in New York, and it is a car that became a regular feature in press images and newsreels of the time.

This stunning automobile is one of the most famous Cadillacs ever produced, and it exudes an air of luxury and exclusivity, befitting of its original owners and their tastes. The Cadillac is understated and decidedly European in its elegance, from the limited use of chrome to the Windsor “W.E.” monogram and crown on the door. This streamlined styling by the designers at General Motors, then under the purview of the legendary Harley Earl and on a direct order from GM Chairman and CEO Alfred P. Sloan, would foreshadow American and English designs of years to come.

The story of King Edward Vlll and his abdication from the British throne is one of the most fascinating and enduring of all love stories, and it was an episode that rocked the British constitution and society at the time. The King publicly announced, “You must believe me when I tell you, that I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility, and to discharge my duties as King, as I would wish to do, without the help and support of the woman I love.” The King’s love for American socialite Wallis Simpson would become one of the most famous romances of all time, and the abdication heralded the beginning of what was to become nearly a 40 year international jet-set existence for the newly named Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

The couple spent much of their time in New York, living in a suite at the Waldorf Towers on Park Avenue, and for 11 years, their beloved Cadillac, “The Duchess,” was with them. According to records, the Duke of Windsor paid an astonishing $14,000 for the masterwork of Art Deco design, an extravagant sum in 1941.

No single body panel on the Windsors’ car matched any other 1941 Cadillac. The hood, trunk, fenders, fender skirts, roof, and doors were all crafted by hand, and all of the interior appointments were hand-fitted. Inside, the car was upholstered entirely in rose-colored custom broadcloth, extending even to the headlining and sun visors. The floors were covered in Wilton wool carpet, custom-dyed to match and set against custom walnut finishes for the doors, cabinetry, and divider window. It was one of the first two Cadillacs to be equipped with power windows (the other being Alfred P. Sloan’s personal car). They were fitted with satin privacy curtains that would roll away when not in use.

Additional special fixtures included four brushed stainless-steel jewelry cases, each lined in velvet, to carry the Duchess’ famous jewelry purchases and, for the Duke, no fewer than three cigar lighters and two ashtrays, along with a humidor and custom rack for his favored Sasieni pipes. As the Duke was a well-known enthusiast of automobiles, it was expected that he would take the wheel of the car on occasion. As a result, unusually for a limousine at the time, the front compartment was detailed to be as elegant and opulent as the rear, including its own radio, with a manually controlled roof-mounted antennae and buttons preset to New York City AM stations of the era.

Alain Squindo, Vice President, RM Auctions, says, “This Cadillac is an exceptionally important part of both automotive and social history, and it is particularly appropriate that the car should be offered for sale in New York, the city to which it was delivered new and in which it has not been seen in many years. From front to back and throughout the entire interior, it is a design statement unlike any other to come from Detroit in those years.”

Leslie Keno, Senior International Specialist from Sotheby’s, adds, “Much like the record-setting emerald-eyed panther bracelet sold at the final Sotheby’s auction of the Duke and Duchess’ collections, this Cadillac is the pinnacle of design. It is emblematic not only of the grace and elegance that characterized the couple, but it is a truly bespoke piece, befitting its regal owners.”

“The Duchess” comes to auction in outstanding, restored condition, and it is accompanied by copies of original historic photography from General Motors, press clippings, and newsreels of the era featuring the Windsors’ with their beloved Cadillac. Further confirming the car’s royal provenance is a copy of the 1952 New York State title, bearing the Duke’s signature, address at the Waldorf, and the car’s serial number.

Some 30 automobiles will go under the gavel at the Nov. 21 auction. As a prelude to the sale, an extraordinary exhibition that showcases the vehicles on offer will be held from Nov. 18–20 on the 10th floor galleries at Sotheby’s New York—a setting customarily reserved for the display of world-class works of art offered at Sotheby’s.

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