Inside the World's Greatest Classic Car Collections – Part 9: Fritz Burkard

Within the landscape of international automotive collecting, Fritz Burkard has made his mark through an approach that does not chase quantity, but rather selects motor cars that are unrepeatable in history, authenticity and character. The Swiss entrepreneur, founder of the Pearl Collection, has assembled in just a few years a series of examples capable of spanning more than a century of automotive history: from the 1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP to the great Bugattis — classic and contemporary alike, such as the Centodieci — all while remaining faithful to a very precise philosophy: continuing to let them live on the road, on the track and at the most important international events.

A passion he shares with his two beloved daughters, who are seen ever more frequently at his side between international Concours and major events. Among his cars — all of them extraordinary — there is one that deserves particular attention: the 1934 Bugatti Type 59, raced in Grand Prix events by René Dreyfus, which even came to belong to the select collection of King Leopold III of Belgium. The car, having remained perfectly original — almost as though it had completed its last Grand Prix only yesterday — had barely entered Burkard's collection when, alongside its victory at Villa d'Este, in 2024 it was presented at the renowned and prestigious Pebble Beach Concours in California. And there, the unimaginable happened: not only did it win the Preservation Class for its originality, but it also took home Best of Show — something never before achieved, and indeed unthinkable, for a preserved, non-restored car, as is otherwise the rule.