Accidents are ubiquitous, and sometimes they happen even at one of the biggest and most prestigious car shows in the world. In this case, the accident did not occur on the road, as the unfortunate old-timer was standing calmly in the trailer when the flames engulfed him. The extremely rare 12 Hispano-Suiza J1934 Vanvooren Cabriolet is now just a shell of its former self.
Hispano-Suiza, valued at $2.000.000 before the fire, won second place in the J-2024: European Classic Touring Early category at the 1 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. On Wednesday, Monterey firefighters responded to a call about a trailer fire on the side of the highway with a car on fire inside. Authorities closed the freeway in both directions while the fire was extinguished.
The Monterey Herald reports that no one was injured in the fire. The driver of the towing vehicle also managed to separate the latter from the trailer and pull it to safety. At the current stage of the investigation, which is still ongoing, it is not yet entirely clear what caused the fire.
Firefighters say there is no reason to suspect foul play at this time, despite the fact that another trailer fire destroyed another show vehicle in Monterey on August 18, in this case a 1 Ford Ghia Probe 1979 Concept Car worth million dollars.
"It's an unusual event that happened twice in a very short period of time," said Monterey Fire Chief Chris Grogan. "Nevertheless, none of the events seem suspicious." Let's add that the J12 is a very special car, powered by a 9,4-liter V12. The unfortunate specimen is owned by Hong Kong billionaire businessman Michael Kadoorie, writes Monterey County Now.
