Joseph Cassini bagged the 2013 Best In Show title at Sunday's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance for a 1934 Packard convertible. This is his second win in the competition; he had earlier won in 2004.
Winning the 'Best In Show' title at the world's most prestigious classic car show is a dream come true for any car enthusiast but to bag it twice is indeed an honor. Joseph Cassini custom built a 1934 Packard 1108 Twelve Dietrich Convertible Victoria that was declared the 'Best Car of the Show' during Sunday's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
The 1934 Packard convertible was a Puerto Rican taxi for many years. The victory was a result of three years of long hard work in rebuilding the car from scratch. Owned by Joseph and Margie Cassini of New Jersey, the car had changed four owners before the Cassini's restored it to its former glory.
Cassini was looking out for a Packard convertible since the 1990s but was unsure if anyone would sell it. But after finally finding the car in a condition, which he described as "ready to fall apart," he used some extra help from RM Restorations. "It took more than 10,000 man-hours," Cassini said. "But now it is perfect. Everything works. The radio, the lights, the windshield wipers - it runs perfectly - and it easily completed the whole Tour d'Élégance, probably 100 miles, on Thursday."
The custom bodywork was done by famous coachbuilder Raymond Dietrich. The car uses a pristine, L-head V12 engine. Sunday's victory also marks the first for an American car to be honored with this title after a Duesenberg won in 2007. The Cassini's do not plan on selling the car anytime soon. "I think I'm going to put it on a trailer and give it a rest. Yes, it can go back to being a trailer queen for awhile. It has earned it," Cassini said.
