Bentley Motors Website: Extraordinary Journeys: Sandra Button

CHAIRMAN

Since 2002, Sandra has been the Chairman of the Concours and its Executive Director for decades prior. What started 70 years ago as a picnic of sorts for hobbyists, has turned into an international event and big business. Sandra and her dedicated team have to coordinate an army of volunteers and judges during the event, but much of the work requires years of planning and diligence. At the center of it all – it’s the cars. Starting with over 1000 applicants, Sandra takes great pride in hand picking the final 200 entrees for Sunday event.

As Chairman, Sandra is a central figure in the charitable support the Pebble Beach Company Foundation provides for the local communities. Proceeds from the Concours benefit over 90 of the region’s greatest youth-focused nonprofit educational programs.

COLLECTOR

Sandra and her husband Martin Button have acquired and have preserved or restored an eclectic collection of automobiles ranging from a 1904 Oldsmobile to a 1972 Ferrari 365 GTC/4 – in addition to two magnificent Bentleys.

While Sandra has a deep appreciation for fine art and scultpure, her cars aren't meant merely to be admired but enjoyed. In many cases, Sandra is matching cars in her collection with events she and Martin will be participating in.

AMBASSADOR

For 15 year-old Sandra, the automobile represented freedom. Fast forward to today, and the automobile represents so much more to her. It’s about how the engine sounds, how it smells and how the car make you feel. But it’s also about the comradery, and spending time with friends. The hobby is like a big family, and the cars are what bonds people together.

Sandra travels the world to support the hobby. She is a regular at International driving events like the 1000 Millas Sport Argentina or the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. While awards and provenance are important, it’s just an important to Sandra that people drive and enjoy their collector cars.

1927 BENTLEY 3 LITRE RED LABEL SPEED

This Vanden Plas 4 seater sporting body and Weymann fabric open tourer has all it's original chassis, engine, and body. Its' likely one of the most original 3-Litres in the world. The car was originally delivered in March 1927, to a G.F. Carrington. It’s lived in both the UK and Europe, and was fully restored in the UK between 1999 and 2001. The previous owner took it back to the US in 2004.

This Bentley 3 liter has the same basic specifications as the 1927 Le Mans 24 Hours winning car, being the second 3 liter to win outright, the first being in 1924. Bentleys have won Le Mans outright 6 times.