The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, held every August on the 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Links, is the world's premier classic car event. The cars make the Concours what it is and every year the available selection is nothing short of extraordinary. To enter a car at Pebble Beach it has to be invited and although many apply, only the best are chosen.

The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance*, or simply "Pebble" as it is sometimes known, is a culmination of a week of car events held on the Monterey peninsula. The other major event is the Monterey Historics, a vintage race held at nearby Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The gathering, sometimes collectively known as "Monterey" or "Car Weekend" has become an annual pilgrimage for the hard core car enthusiasts.

Some History
The first Pebble Beach Concours was held in 1950 in conjunction with a sports car race on nearby 17 mile drive. As was the practice of the day, protection for both spectators and driving participants was minimal and an accident in the 1956 race, resulting in the death of a Ferrari driver, put an end to the event. But the concours continued, with the competition located at the nearby Laguna Seca racetrack. By that time the car count was about 100 with 10,000 spectators in attendance.

Admission in the early days was free; in later years you were asked to give a one dollar charitable contribution upon entrance. The cars may be the same, but passing through the entry gate will, at least in 2006, set you back $150. That is the advance-order price; show up on Sunday and it is $175. That may seem steep but you do get your moneys worth. While most classic car shows typically have one or three really drop-dead gorgeous pieces, every car at Pebble is nothing less than spectacular. It is better experienced than described.

*Concours d'Elegance translated from French to English courtesy of babelfish.altavista.com, means "Contest of Elegance".

Judging the cars that are eligible for awards (not all are) is taken very seriously at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Like the cars, only the most qualified are in judges' driver seat. In addition to being experts in their given field, they also are equipped with extensive documentation about particular cars and ask probing questions of the owners.

(Best of Photographs)

Coming in 2009

A motorcycle exhibition will be, for the first time, part of the Pebble Beach Concours.

A select group of motorcycles, including Vincents, Brough Superiors, Nortons, BSAs, Velocettes, Triumphs, and Ariels, will debut on the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links. This year's class of motorcycles will focus on British bikes built through 1959. Future motorcycle classes are also likely to focus on bikes from specific countries or regions.

Included among the British motorcycles heading to the 18th fairway will be two legendary Vincent HRD V-Twins - the famed 1947 works racing machine known affectionately as "Gunga Din" and a 1948 bike built for US sportsman John Edgar and often nicknamed the "Bathing Suit Bike" (right) due to the scant attire of its primary rider, Roland "Rollie" Free.

The early 3 Litre car that ushered in the legend of Bentley at Le Mans will be among the many storied and stylish Bentleys showcased when the 59th annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance takes place on Sunday, Aug. 16. Event organizers also plan to unite the record-setting Bentley Speed Sixes, known more simply as Old Numbers One, Two and Three, and the iconic Birkin Blower race cars.

Four full classes of Bentleys will be spread along the 18th fairway of the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links to mark the 90th anniversary of both the resort and the motor car company. W.O. Bentley stated philosophy was to "make a fast car, a good car, the best in its class." In addition to the racing class, there will be two classes of unique Vintage Bentleys, a class of Derby Bentleys, and several Bentleys in other classes.

After carefully storing his 1956 Porsche Carrera in a backyard carriage house for nearly 40 years, retired NASA scientist Dr. Roger Craig began piecing the engine back together in 2000. Dr. Craig, his wife and the '56 Porsche 356 1500 GS race car are returning to Pebble Beach after 53 years (the car ran in the '56 Pebble Beach Road Races) to be part of the Concours' preservation class.

A notable collection of Ferraris will be part of the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. On the field will be the four remaining Ferrari TR 59 race cars and 10 1949 166 MM Touring Barchettas, a very early and strikingly beautiful Ferrari. Click here and here for more information.

Author: Paul Pollock