Classic Cars Restorer
Rank 06
RM Auto Restoration
The record-holding Pebble Beach restorer, with nine Best of Show winners including the 2025 'Tulipwood' Hispano-Suiza.
Why it is here
MotorTrend reports RM's ninth Pebble Beach Best of Show, a record, with the 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C 'Tulipwood' Torpedo after more than 12,000 hours of work, using 100-year-old wood sourced for the body (2025-08-17). Magneto's 2023 interview with president Don McLellan details the restoration of the 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster that won Best of Show. Mercedes Classic sent staff to document hundreds of serial-numbered parts, and original rumble-seat leather was kept (2023-09-06). The Monterey Herald also credits RM with the 540K (2023-08-21). Score drivers: expertise 9.6 from the nine Best of Show results; provenance 9.4 from preservation-led choices and factory documentation; prestige 9.2; community 8.0 because this is a commissioning relationship, not a public event; experience 8.3. RM Auto Restoration and RM Sotheby's are in the same group, so one car can be sold and restored in-house; buyers should check for conflicts.
Who it is for
Owners of significant pre-war and coachbuilt cars targeting top concours results and documented, preservation-sensitive restorations.
Sources
- 1924 Hispano-Suiza Tulipwood Torpedo Wins Best of Show at 2025 Pebble Beach Concours d'EleganceRM restoration; nine Pebble Best of Show wins, a record; 12,000+ hours.
- Restoration story behind Pebble Beach-winning Mercedes 540KMercedes Classic documented the 540K during RM's restoration; original leather kept; up to 15 staff on the car.
- Concours d'Elegance's Best of Show: Made for a king, fit for a crown2023 Best of Show 540K Special Roadster restored by RM Auto Restoration.
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