1939 Horch 855 Special Roadster by Gläser Wins Best of Show at Concours of Elegance Germany 2026

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• Concours of Elegance Germany 2026 concludes after a weekend of automotive action at Gut Kaltenbrunn
• Event is set in the heart of Bavaria, above the waters of Lake Tegernsee
• Best of Show awarded to the 1939 Horch 855 Special Roadster by Gläser – the sole surviving original production example
• Maserati’s centenary celebration also a defining thread
• Decade winners included the 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Spyder, 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona and 1985 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
• Concours of Elegance Germany is operated by Thorough Events, the organisers of the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace
• Full selection of images: here

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Tegernsee, Germany – 6^th July 2026: The Concours of Elegance Germany closed its doors yesterday after another memorable event, taking place over two days in the Bavarian Alps. Held at the glorious Gut Kaltenbrunn on the shores of Lake Tegernsee, record crowds gathered to enjoy a jaw-dropping display of exquisite privately owned road and competition motor cars. The assembled machinery spanned nine decades of automotive history, all parked up above the glinting waters of the lake.

The Best of Show prize – uniquely chosen by the Concours car owners themselves – went to the magnificent 1939 Horch 855 Special Roadster by Gläser. Regarded as one of the most significant pre-war German luxury automobiles, it represents the pinnacle of the marque’s engineering and design. It is thought that only five to seven were ever produced, and chassis 855007 is the sole known surviving production example.

Originally delivered to the Netherlands, the car was acquired in Germany shortly after the Second World War and brought to the United States, where it passed through some of the most celebrated automotive collections in the world. It featured in Road & Track in 1954, was driven by Rock Hudson in The World Is Ours.

From 1992, following a restoration in Germany, it spent years on display at Audi’s museum in Ingolstadt, and was acquired at RM Sotheby’s in 2024. Today it resides in a private collection. Its Gläser coachwork – an exceptionally long bonnet, sweeping pontoon-style wings and a low, dramatic silhouette – is among the 1930s most elegant and arresting designs.

Elsewhere, the Chairman’s Award went to the 1933 Armstrong Siddeley Special Six, while the Patron’s Award – selected by Prince Leopold Prinz von Bayern – was presented to the 1955 Maserati 150S/200S Prototype.

A celebration of the Maserati centenary was at the centre of 2026’s event – marking a hundred years since the famed Trident insignia first appearance. The assembled Maseratis proved among the most decorated cars of the weekend, claiming wins in the 1950s and 1960s decade awards. The ‘50s award went to the works sports racing 1957 300S raced by Stirling Moss in period, while the ‘60s award went to a very rare, and very special 1960 5000GT.

There was also a dedicated Maserati award, won by the 1959 Maserati 3500 GT Convertible Prototype by Michelotti for Vignale – with the car, and its owner, travelling all the way from Texas for the occasion.

The full list of winners was as follows:

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DECADE AWARDS

1920s: 1928 Bentley 4½ Litre Open Tourer by VDP

The winner in the 1920s category was a British icon: the Bentley 4½ Litre. Developed by WO Bentley as a powerful successor to the ageing 3 Litre, the 4,398cc OHC engine – four valves per cylinder, twin SU carburettors, exceptionally robust and torque-rich – the model secured overall victory at the 1928 24 Hours of Le Mans. The example on show at Tegernsee was presented in Open Tourer form, with coachwork by Van den Plas.

1930s: 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Spyder

One of around five factory-prepared cars for the 1931 Mille Miglia, in which it finished fifth overall. Delivered new with a lightweight Zagato Spider body, it was later rebodied by Carrozzeria Touring with a unique one-off Sperimentale design featuring rotating bonnet air ducts and a fully retractable hood. Remarkably, ownership is documented continuously from 1931, and the car survives in largely unrestored condition, retaining its original headlamp lenses, mirrors and dashboard instruments.

1940s: 1947 Delahaye 135 MS Roadster

The winner in the 1940s category was chassis 800484, one of the rarest post-war Delahaye interpretations and one of France’s most important grand-touring designs. Its flowing roadster bodywork – likely by Letourneur & Marchand, though long attributed to Figoni – is among the most beautiful of the immediate post-war era. Based on a 135 MS chassis with Cotal pre-selector gearbox, it has passed through a distinguished series of collections and presents in glorious condition today.

1950s: 1955 Maserati 300 S

The winner in the 1950s category was one of the most celebrated sports-racing cars of the post-war era: the Maserati 300 S chassis 3051. Completed with Fantuzzi short-nose coachwork, the 300 S carries the pure, compact proportions of the early cars. Beneath the curvaceous Fantuzzi bodywork lies a 3.0-litre inline-six – developed directly from Maserati’s legendary 250F Formula 1 powerplant – enlarged and optimised for endurance competition.

In period, chassis 3051 was a competitive presence in American sports-car racing through the mid-1950s. Its most celebrated result came at the Nassau Trophy in December 1956, where Stirling Moss took overall victory at the wheel. A full restoration later reinstated the correct short-nose configuration, reversing a long-nose conversion carried out in 1957; a conservation-minded approach subsequently saw the original engine and transaxle removed and preserved, with service units installed for running use – protecting its matching-numbers integrity while allowing the car to be enjoyed today.

1960s: 1962 Maserati 5000 GT Allemano

The winner in the 1960s category was one of the most exclusive and technically advanced grand tourers ever produced: the 1962 Maserati 5000 GT by Allemano. Conceived at the personal request of the Shah of Iran, the 5000 GT combined motorsport-derived engineering, individually commissioned coachwork and huge-power. Only 30 were built in total, of which just 22 were bodied by Carrozzeria Allemano.

The car’s refined grand tourer looks bely fire-breathing performance; it was a true hypercar of its day. 5.0-litre four-cam V8 is derived from the engine type used in the Maserati 450S sports-racing car – a machine campaigned as a works entry by Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss during Maserati’s 1957 programme. It was the most technically formidable road car money could buy. It was owned by rock ‘n’ roll singer Little Tony and later by Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh – inspiring his famous lyric ‘My Maserati does 185’ – a remarkable top speed for 1962.

1970s: 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona

The winner in the 1970s category was a European-specification Daytona, delivered through Jacques Swaters’ Garage Francorchamps for the Belgian market, retaining its matching-numbers chassis, engine and gearbox as confirmed by the Ferrari Classiche Red Book. Acquired in early 2025, it underwent a comprehensive factory-correct restoration in Modena under Ferrari Classiche supervision – carried out over twelve months by Bacchelli & Villa, Giuseppe Garuti and Tappezzeria Luppi – appearing at Tegernsee freshly restored, its only deviation from factory specification a Giallo Fly exterior finish.

1980s: 1985 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

The winner in the 1980s category was an Aston Martin V8 Vantage with a particularly compelling provenance: ordered new by Sir Elton John as part of his personal Aston Martin fleet, several examples of which were later offered at the 2001 Christie’s Elton John Collection sale. Delivered in Royal Cherry over Magnolia and originally registered C194 BYW, it is a notably low-mileage example that has preserved its original configuration through sympathetic long-term care – one of the most compelling celebrity-owned Aston Martins of its generation.

Future Classics: 1995 Lamborghini Diablo SE30

The winner in the Future Classics category was the 93rd of 150 examples of the Diablo SE30, built to mark Lamborghini’s 30th anniversary. Among the rarest and most driver-focused Diablos – featuring an uprated 5.7-litre V12 with around 525 hp and extensive lightweight components – it is the most purist specification available before the Jota package. Finished in the seldom-chosen SE Titanium and Polo Storico certified in 2025, the car was first registered in Germany in 1995 and returned to its current owners in 2024 after roughly twenty-five years away.

Away from the main concours, another highlight was the RM Sotheby’s Tegernsee auction, with 20 world-class lots going under the hammer. The headline result was the 2015 Koenigsegg One:1 – one of only six customer examples ever produced and the world’s first road-legal car to achieve a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio. A 2009 Ferrari 599XX Evo was among the other notable results, alongside a Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet and a Ferrari 458 Speciale Spider, both of which performed strongly.

The event also featured the Club Trophy, Emerging Collectors Concours, Ladies Concours and a new for 2026 free to enter area, The Gallery. In addition to this, there was a wide range of luxury lifestyle experiences and premium shopping opportunities.

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THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS

BEST OF SHOW

1939 Horch 855 Special Roadster by Gläser

DECADE AWARDS

1920s
Winner: 1928 Bentley 4½ Litre Open Tourer by VDP
Runner-up: 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Open Tourer by Barker

1930s
Winner: 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C-1750 Gran Sport Spyder
Runner-up: 1930 Aston Martin International 1.5L

1940s
Winner: 1947 Delahaye 135 MS Roadster

1950s
Winner: 1955 Maserati 300 S
Runner-up: 1959 Maserati 3500 GT Convertible Prototype by Michelotti for Vignale

1960s
Winner: 1962 Maserati 5000 GT by Allemano
Runner-up: 1967 Lamborghini 400 GT

1970s
Winner: 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona
Runner-up: 1972 Monteverdi 375 S Berlinetta

1980s
Winner: 1985 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Runner-up: 1989 Ferrari Testarossa

Future Classics
Winner: 1995 Lamborghini Diablo SE30
Runner-up: 1998 Ferrari 550 Maranello

SPECIAL AWARDS

Maserati Award 
Winner: 1959 Maserati 3500 GT Convertible Prototype by Michelotti for Vignale
Runner-up: 1955 Maserati 300 S

Patron’s Award
1955 Maserati 150S/200S Prototype

Chairman’s Award
1933 Armstrong Siddeley Special Six

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