Latest news with #concours
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Game over for French trivia show champion after 21-month streak
The most successful contestant in the history of French television game shows was finally defeated on Sunday, after making a whopping 647 appearances and earning millions. Emilien, 22, walked away with 2.5 million euros ($2.9 million) in cash and prizes after nearly three years on the popular French question-and-answer game show, The 12 Strokes of Noon (Les 12 coups de midi). Every day, four contestants go head-to-head in multiple rounds of general knowledge questions, with one eliminated each round until the final player, the "Midday Master", remains. The "Midday Master" then answers five questions to determine their prize -- up to 30,000 euros -- and returns the next day to continue their run against new contestants. Emilien's streak spanned nearly three years, beginning in September 2023. "It's been an amazing experience over the last 21 months. I have no regrets. I never expected to stay on the show for so long," said Emilien while on set. His last name is withheld for privacy reasons. The 22-year-old, originally from western France, was studying history and geography but put his education on hold because it was too much to juggle with his record-breaking run. He said he plans to resume his studies, but will first take a year off to enjoy himself after spending up to 17 hours a day between tapings, catching up on topics he knew less about, such as celebrity culture. A longtime fan of the game show from broadcaster TF1, Emilien first auditioned at the age of 18 without success, but gave it another shot after encouragement from his grandmother. He is by far the biggest winner in French TV game show history, surpassing Bruno Lafourcade -- who also competed on the same show and took home more than one million euros in cash and prizes. Emilien's prize haul included 23 cars, some of which he says he will share with loved ones while he will sell the rest. He ran out of time to answer one last question: the sum of the two-digit code of a southwestern region of France. "When you win, you know you're going to lose eventually. I expected it from the start," he said. "I'm just happy I had the chance to play for so long." pr-dax/ekf/bc
Car and Driver
07-06-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
Spohn DV-13 Convertible on Bring a Trailer: You're Not Likely To See Another
This coachbuilt custom car hails from Germany and is fitted with a Cadillac V-8. Would you believe, only a handful were built? It's the concours winner nobody was expecting. The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance features awards in several categories, including engineering excellence, historical significance, and special mentions. It also has an award for "most audacious exterior." The car pictured here is the 2013 award winner, and audacious doesn't even begin to cover it. This is a 1957 Spohn DV-13, and the customized roadster is up for auction on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos). Bring a Trailer The Spohn is the offspring of a German coachbuilder with a long tradition of clothing the finest cars in the world in gorgeous design. Before WWII, Spohn bodywork was worn by Maybachs and Mercedes-Benzes. In the postwar period, it, uh, got a little more creative. Okay, let's stop beating around the bush: This car looks like what Powell Motors would have built as the sporty followup version of The Homer car from The Simpsons. It is an acquired taste, like sea urchin or accordion solos, and on first glance looks supremely goofy. Remember the part in The Fly when Jeff Goldblum gets his DNA crossed with a housefly while experimenting with teleportation? This is like that, except it's a 1949 Cadillac and a Daimler SP250 having a transporter malfunction. Bring a Trailer Bring a Trailer Bring a Trailer Brendan McAleer Contributing Editor Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. Read full bio
