The 16th Annual Palm Beach Cavallino Classic was presented in Palm Beach, Florida at The Breakers Hotel, on January 23-28, 2007.
This meeting was a six day convention for Ferrari owners and enthusiasts, with over 700 participants and over 400 Ferraris attending from the U.S., the Americas, Europe and Japan.
Benefiting from the Palm Beach Cavallino Classic were two important charities, the Childrens Wish Foundation, and the American Council of the Blind.
The first major event of the convention was “Ferraris at Speed,” a two day track meet at Moroso Motorsports Park on Thursday and Friday, January 25 & 26. Over 100 competition and GT Ferraris revived memories of days gone by, as their owners let them loose again in a race course setting. 40 of these Ferraris were competing for the Florida Trophies, part of the Ferrari Maserati Historic Challenge, a series of actual competitions for older Ferraris and Maseratis. The winner of the Drum Brake Race for the older cars was Peter Giddings in his Maserati 250 F from 1957. The winner of the Disc Brake Race for the newer cars was Todd Morici in his 512 BBLM.
The second major event was the Tour of Palm Beach, on Thursday, January 25. Up to 80 vintage and classic Ferraris toured through Palm Beach and along the Atlantic coastal roads. They left from The Breakers and made stops at The Ritz-Carlton, Mar-a-Lago, and The Chesterfield Hotel, with a destination at Jet Aviation for a reception.
The highpoint of the week was the Concorso d’Eleganza on the front lawn of The Breakers, on Saturday, January 27. 150 pristine Ferrari automobiles were judged by leading experts, and Class Awards and Major Cups were presented, along with The Cavallino Cups for Best in Show. Winner of the Scuderia Ferrari Cup for Best of Show Competition Ferrari was the 1949 166 MM Touring Barchetta, s/n 0006 M, brought by Brian Ross of Cortland, Ohio. The winner of the Gran Turismo Ferrari Cup for Best of Show GT Ferrari was the 1960 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, s/n 2033 GT, brought by Tex & Tambi Otto of West Los Angeles, California.
The week was capped with a special Sunday program at Mar-a-Lago, the legendary Marjorie Meriwether Post mansion in Palm Beach. 80 Ferraris graced the back lawn where the guests voted for their favorite Ferrari. The Palm Beach Cup was presented at the charity brunch for the most deserving Ferrari as chosen by Peoples Choice at Mar-a-Lago and was awarded to a 2001 550 Barchetta, s/n 124246, Richard Cappadona, Boca Raton, FL.
The evenings were host to several receptions, including the Artists’ Reception on Wednesday, the Private Jet Reception on Thursday, and the Awards Dinners on Friday and Saturday at The Breakers. The largest social gathering was at Jet Aviation at Palm Beach International Airport, where 100 Ferraris were parked on the tarmac along with 10 private jet aircraft. The guests were asked to vote for their favorite Ferrari, and the winner of the Jet Aviation Cup was the 1962 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, s/n 3409 GT, brought by Kim and Dana Watkins of Alpharetta, Georgia.
The stature of the Palm Beach Cavallino Classic is recognized by the fact that it is the first ever automotive event at The Breakers Resort Hotel, at Mar-a-Lago, and in Palm Beach. In addition, the Classic has hosted the U.S. presentation of every new Ferrari automobile for the past 16 years.
The Palm Beach Cavallino Classic is also regarded as one of the top five automotive events in the world, along with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza, the Amelia Island Concours and the Concorso Italiano. The Palm Beach Cavallino Classic XVI was hosted by Cavallino Magazine, The Journal of Ferrari History.