In 1950, the first Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance debuted, a low-key affair in central California's Del Monte Forest that attracted a few thousand spectators to see 25 cars. Fifty-four years later on Aug. 15, the event now known as ""the best concours d'elegance in the history of concours d'elegance," according to AutoWeek magazine, attracts enthusiasts, celebrities and participants from around the world to the 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Links® to gaze at hundreds of the most exotic automobiles ever built.
This year's edition of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Rolls-Royce, serving as the site for the conclusion of the "Rolls 'Round the World Tour," which started in New Zealand in January. Hispano-Suiza, the French-built luxury vehicle once driven by the likes of Edsel Ford, Lord Rothschild and King Alfonso XIII of Spain, will also mark its 100th birthday at the Concours. And the event will honor Ferrari by showcasing "the finest collection of Ferraris ever assembled," according to Ed Gilbertson, Chief Judge for the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
"Our goal each year is to produce a concours that doubles as an automotive time capsule," says event Co-Chairman Glenn Mounger. "We're blessed to have the Pacific Ocean as our backdrop and one of the most spectacular parcels of golf real estate as our host. Combine this setting with a show that attracts a worldly crowd and the finest craftsmanship from more than 100 years of the automobile, and you've created the Kentucky Derby of classic car shows."
The Pebble Beach Concours actually kicks-off Thursday, Aug. 12 with the Pebble Beach Tour, a 50-mile jaunt that shepherds 120 of the Concours' entries around the Monterey Peninsula and 17-Mile Drive, into neighboring Carmel and back to The Lodge at Pebble Beach". The automotive celebration concludes Sunday evening with a classic car auction hosted by Gooding & Company, offering more than 100 collector cars for sale, including a 1953 Ferrari 250 MM Spyder first owned by sportsman Briggs Cunningham and raced by John Fitch and Phil Walters; a 1929 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Coupe that won a Pebble Beach class award in 1981; a rare 1955 Mercedes-Benz SLS factory car; and Frank Sinatra's 1989 Jaguar XJ-S Coupe.
The actual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance takes place Sunday, Aug. 15, with the fairway opening to spectators beginning at 10 a.m., and the show running from 1 - 5 p.m. Entries include very rare, eclectic vehicles such as two Lincoln Continentals formerly owned and modified by Frank Lloyd Wright that are being entered by movie producer Joel Silver (The Matrix, Lethal Weapon). Various class and special awards will be presented throughout the afternoon, selected by a panel of judges that ranges from racing legends Phil Hill and Sir Stirling Moss to automotive publishers Keith Crane and Robert Petersen to Ferrari designers Andrea Pininfarina and Giorgetto Guigiaro. And several prizes (a 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid, 2005 BMW/MINI Cooper Convertible, 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-230 Kompressor Sport Sedan and Rolex watch) will be raffled off for charity.
The Concours, which has contributed more than $7.5 million to charities throughout the years, including the United Way of Monterey County, Natividad Medical Research Foundation, the Boys and Girls Club of Monterey County, Kinship Center, the Wheelchair Foundation and the Pebble Beach Company Foundation, is also working with UNICEF in 2004. The Concours hopes to raise about $500,000 this year.
"There are a couple of changes this year," says Concours Co-Chairman Sandra Kasky. "The Sunday evening auction will be headed for the first time by David Gooding, whose expertise and reputation in the collector car world is unmatched. And in addition to our long-standing relationship with local and national charities, we've added UNICEF to our roster, providing an international aspect to our giving."
"There is one item, though, that remains unchanged: the Pebble Beach Concours annually draws enthusiasts, sponsors and media from around globe, and this year we're welcoming vehicles from 30 states and 14 countries as far away as Australia, Hong Kong and Argentina. They come to Pebble Beach knowing they're participating in a special weekend that blends automotive design, craftsmanship and history."
