A rare vehicle from a British marque never before seen in the Gran Turismo series has been selected by the game’s creator Kazunori Yamauchi to win this year’s Gran Turismo Trophy at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and with it a potential future appearance in the game.
The Invicta S Type is the latest recipient of the Gran Turismo Trophy, which is part of a partnership between Pebble Beach and Gran Turismo that stretches back some 17 years now. Along with the selection of a vehicle for this award, sponsored by Polyphony Digital, Yamauchi is also one of the honorary judges who peruse the entire field to select a car to win the prestigious Best in Show award — which this year went to the spectacular Hispano-Suiza H6C “Tulipwood” Torpedo from 1924.
Every car picked for the Gran Turismo Trophy becomes eligible for a digital recreation, and immortalization, in the Gran Turismo game series. However, with only half of the previous award winners having made that transition — and appearing as high-value vehicles in the “Legends Cars” dealership in GT7, fronted by fellow honorary judge McKeel Hagerty — it’s by no means a guarantee that it will appear.
Unlike a lot of previous winners, this year’s car is likely to be one not especially well-known. In its original incarnation, Invicta — somewhat ironically meaning “invincible” — was only operational for about a decade, though the company went through various forms before its most recent issues in 2012.
Backed by sugar magnate Oliver Lyle, Invicta was created by Captain Noel Macklin — who later also founded Railton — in 1925 with a goal to make cars as good as a Rolls-Royce but as quick as a Bentley. It’s hard to argue that he didn’t succeed, with the Meadows straight-six engined cars setting performance and endurance records around the world.
Invicta cars set lap records at Brooklands, Montlhery, and Monza, all in the hands of Violette Cordery — previously driving Macklin’s Silver Hawk cars to similar feats — who would go on to drive an Invicta Tourer around the world, some 10,266 miles.
The S Type was probably the company’s most famous machine. Debuting in 1930 with a chassis designed by Reid Railton, of Railton and Blue Bird fame, the car was exceptionally low-slung for its day and featured a rear axle that sat above the chassis legs. Donald Healey, who’d later found the Healey brand, won the 1931 Monte Carlo Rally in an Invicta S Type.
Most of the 75 low-body Invicta S Types built, most with the 2+2 sports tourer body from Carbodies still exist, and the car awarded by Kazunori Yamauchi is owned by Steve and Marilee Hamilton of Nevada. In fact they own at least one other, with their second car appearing on the cover of the program for this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
The Invicta is only the second British car to ever take the award, after the Aston Martin DB3S ’53 in 2013, and breaks a run of four successive Italian winners. It’s also the joint second-oldest, tied with the Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato and behind the Mercedes-Benz S Barker Tourer.
If and when we’ll see the car in Gran Turismo is its own question though. The above-mentioned Mercedes is the most recent addition, arriving in Gran Turismo 7 after a five year wait, and that’s from a brand that at least still exists. After the fourth collapse of Invicta, in 2012, the licensing of the car would be a very gray area indeed…
Gran Turismo Trophy Winners
- 2008: Lamborghini Miura P400 Bertone Prototype ’67
- 2009: Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2 carrozzata da Zagato ’65
- 2010: Abarth 1500 Biposto Bertone B.A.T 1 ’52
- 2011: Plymouth XNR Ghia Roadster ’60
- 2012: Ferrari 500 Mondial Pininfarina Coupe ’54
- 2013: Aston Martin DB3S ’53
- 2014: Maserati A6GCS Spider ’54
- 2015: Cunningham C-4R Competition Roadster ’52
- 2016: Ferrari 330 P4 Drogo Spyder ’66
- 2017: Mercedes-Benz S Barker Tourer ’29
- 2018: AAR Eagle Indy Car ’66
- 2019: Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato ’31
- 2021: Ferrari 512 S Berlinetta ’69
- 2022: Autobianchi A112 Bertone Concept ’69
- 2023: Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Figoni Coupe ’33
- 2024: Lancia Stratos HF Zero Bertone Coupe ’70
- 2025: Invicta 4½ Litre S Type Carbodies Tourer ’31
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