Sunday’s New York Times had a write-up about the 63rd Pebble Beach Concours d’Élégance (think awesome classic cars).
First conducted in 1950, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is often described as being the world’s premier celebration of the automobile where only “the most beautiful and rare” automobiles are invited to appear on the famed eighteenth fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links each year, and connoisseurs of art and technology congregate to see them.
The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is an annual affair that includes a series of related events, such as the Pebble Beach RetroAuto, Pebble Beach Motoring Classic and the Pebble Beach Auction presented by Gooding & Company, and the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance presented by Rolex.
This year Tour participants will be lapping the Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca along with the usual drive along the coast to Big Sur. Events begin on August 15 as cars will line up near Collins Field in Pebble Beach and depart early, around 8:00 a.m., and proceed to the Mazda Raceway, through downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea, and then to Big Sur for the Concours d’Elegance.
In a post appearing at Torquenews.com, Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance Director Sean Jacobs said, “It will be great to have Concours cars circling the historic raceway once again. I think many enthusiasts will enjoy the rare opportunity to see not only race cars but even touring cars–such as the Packards, Lincolns, and Duesenbergs, all with wheelbases over 140 inches long–navigating the tight turns of the track.”
What the Times Said:
The author of the Sunday New York Times piece referred to the event that happens on the scenic Monterey Peninsula every August as “this country’s classic-car Olympics.” Many people may think of it just for the auctions (like where Jay Leno can stock up on a few more beauties for his garage).
The price of admission for the main event (the Pebble Beach portion of the Concours d’Élégance) is hefty: General Admission tickets to the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Sunday, August 18, are $225 in advance and $275 on Concours Sunday, August 18.
Hit the Road:
Clearly the place to be is somewhere on the route of the “Tour” which takes place Thursday, August 15. The Tour will traverse the nearby mountains and canyons of Carmel Valley, with a pause for lunch in Carmel-by-the-Sea. The classic cars will motor the famed 17-Mile Drive through Pebble Beach Resorts and the section of Highway 1 from Carmel to Big Sur.
Here’s a video from last year so you can get a sense of the coolness.
The sound of it gets me hyped up for sure.
It also makes me miss my Alfa, which spent some memorable time on the Monterey Peninsula.
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Here are some other videos so you can get a sense of what the Pebble Beach Concours d’Élégance is like.
The Sunday Times had a “Duesie” piece with an accompanying video (http://nyti.ms/15UVBRz). The restoration process is truly a labor of love.