Concours d’Elegance
If you have a fabulous classic car, you can join the Tour d’Elegance …
THE ANNUAL TOUR OF THE MONTEREY PENINSULA
Concours weekend kicks off with the annual Tour d’Elegance on Thursday morning beginning at 8:30 a.m. Cars competing in Sunday’s event are invited to participate in the 60-mile tour.
This scenic drive weaves through the forests of intertwined cypress and towering Monterey pines, traverses the sun-drenched mountains and valleys, parallels the Pacific Ocean along the Big Sur coastline and tours charming Carmel-by-the-Sea.
We are pleased to be able to tour the picturesque properties of Monterra Ranch and Clint Eastwood’s Tehama. Tour participants enjoy a catered gourmet lunch, a champagne celebration at the finish, and commemorative gifts. Participation is limited to those 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance entrants who sign up in advance for this event.
Even if you don’t have a classic car of your own, here is what you would have seen if you’d been attending the Concours d’Elegance for the last 56 years
[1950] [1960] [1970] [1980] [1990] [2000]
5 November 1950:
The first Pebble Beach Road Race and Concours d’Elegance are held. Phil Hill wins the Road Race driving a Jaguar XK120. Best of Show at the Concours goes to Sterling Edwards’ 1950 Edwards R-26 Special Sport Roadster. Two to three dozen cars are exhibited in three classes at the Concours: prewar cars, postwar cars, and MGs. Local resident Alton Walker serves as Concours Chairman.
1952: The Concours moves from the Beach Club to the lawn of Del Monte Lodge. Classes increase, and cars are distinguished based on cost and type.
1953: Concour entries exceed 100 for the first time. The Concours also hosts its first special exhibition — two winners of the Carrera Panamericana (the Mexican Road Race).
1954: Lucius Beebe joins the team of Concours judges.
1955: Phil Hill’s 1931 Pierce-Arrow 41 LeBaron Convertible Town Cabriolet is the first Classic to win Best of Show at the Concours.
1956: The Road Races and the Concours are held together at Pebble Beach for the last time. Ernie McAfee loses control of a 1955 Ferrari 121LM Scaglietti Spyder during the Races, hits a tree, and dies.
1957: The races move to Laguna Seca. For a time, the two events are still held concurrently, buteventually Laguna Seca develops a full calendar of races. On its own, the Concours still attracts 10,000 spectators.
1958: The first poster to advertise the Concours appears, an awards ramp is built, and class categories distinguish classics from antique and vintage cars for the first time. Rolls-Royce also becomes the first marque to get its own ongoing class. J. B. Nethercutt’s 1930 duPont Model G Merrimac Town Car wins Best of Show, setting a new standard for excellence in automotive restorations.
1960: The Concours is canceled due to inclement weather and cannot be rescheduled until the followingspring.
1961: For the first time, the Concours requests a one-dollar donation from those in attendance to benefit the Monterey Peninsula Hospital Auxiliary.
1963: Bad weather forces the Concours to be held near the stables. A special class of Aston Martinsare exhibited.
1964: Bentley gains ongoing recognition. For much of the remainder of the decade, three classes are devoted to Rolls-Royce and two to Bentley.
1965: Bad weather again forces the Concours to be held near the stables.
1966: Judge Lucius Beebe dies prior to the Concours, and a new trophy established in his name is first awarded to Robert A. Davies’ 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II. Eldon Dedini creates not one but two posters for the Concours; the original art is offered as a gate prize, and unused posters are sold to the public for charity.
1967: Bob Hope takes to the stage for a full 45 minutes to entertain the Concours crowd.
1968: Gwenn Graham, who oversaw the Concours throughout its early years, dies, and Carol Rissel takes over her position. For the ensuing three years, the Concours bears Graham’s name.
1970: A class is devoted to MGs and becomes a regular offering.
1972: Lorin Tryon and Jules “J.” Heumann agree to serve as Co-Chairmen of the Concours. Separate groups of Class and Honorary Judges are established, and Strother MacMinn is named Chief Honorary Judge. The Concours is renamed the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, but the first “Elegance” award is established in Gwenn Graham’s name, and it is initially awarded to Ken Vaughn’s 1934 Packard Twelve Derham Sedan. Donations now go to Guide Dogs for the Blind.
1973: For the first time, there are special classes for Duesenbergs and postwar Ferraris. Both become fairly regular offerings.
1974: The first Monterey Historic Automobile Races are held at Laguna Seca in tandem with the Concours, and the Concours honors some cars from the races. The Pebble Beach Cup is first presented to Robert Ames’ 1951 HRG. The first Hans Tanner Trophy for best Ferrari goes to Stephen Griswold’s 1952 Ferrari 212 Touring Roadster. United Way of Monterey County becomes the principal recipient of Concours proceeds. And after the Concours concludes, a mishap occurs: a fire engine filled with water pulls onto the Concours ramp, and it collapses.
1975: The Concours celebrates its 25th anniversary. Merv Griffin auctions off the year’s poster.
1976: Bugatti is featured, and a Bugatti class is repeated in 1977.
1978: Mercedes-Benz is featured.
1979: Rolls-Royce and Bentley are featured, and Mrs. W. O. (Margaret) Bentley is on hand to present special awards to those cars. The first Briggs Cunningham Trophy for most exciting car present is awarded to Mr. & Mrs. C. Gooding’s 1932 Packard 903 Dual Cowl Phaeton, and the first Charles A. Chayne Trophy for most significant engineering is awarded to Kent Wakeford’s 1925 Lancia Lambda Casaro Roadster. Janet Guthrie drops by.
1980: The first class of 16-cylinder cars is offered. Two Gwenn Graham awards are presented: Matt Browning’s 1931 Pierce-Arrow 41 LeBaron Sport Sedan is named Most Elegant Closed Car, and Bill Hinds’ 1937 Delahaye 135M Figoni et Falaschi Cabriolet is named Most Elegant Convertible.
1981: Briggs Cunningham and his creations are honored. Hispano-Suiza is featured, and J12s take to the field in numbers.
1982: Delahaye and Delage are featured. There is also a class for Porsche. The first Montagu of Beaulieu Trophy is presented to Neil Breton’s 1939 Alvis Speed 25 Charlesworth Tourer.
1983: Isotta Fraschini is featured, early Fords also fill a special class, and a class for Packard becomesa regular offering. The Co-Chairmen’s Trophy is first awarded to George Wingard’s 1913 Isotta Fraschini Tipo KM4 Roadster.
1984: Talbot-Lago is featured. The first Ansel Adams Trophy for most desirable touring car goes to Orland Wiseman’s 1911 Pierce-Arrow 6-48 Tourer. The first French Cup is awarded to Pat Hart’s 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-SS Figoni et Falaschi Coupé.
1985: All six Bugatti Royales are united for the first time at Pebble Beach — an amazing feat that underscores the Concours’s status as the top event of its kind. There are also classes for Lincoln and Alfa Romeo.
1986: The centennial of Mercedes-Benz is honored, and when Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss drive up the ramp in a replica of Carl Benz’s Patent Motor Wagon, they very nearly tip over. The American Underslung is also featured and Duesenbergs are on the field in substantial numbers. The first Alec Ulmann Trophy for most significan Hispano-Suiza is awarded to the Blackhawk Collection’s 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C Nieuport Boattail Skiff. The Concours hosts the first annual AFAS exhibition, and an automobile auction also takes place in nearby Monterey.
1987: Bentley 8 Litres and Cord L-29s are featured. The first Mercedes-Benz Trophy is awarded to Frank Cherry’s 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500K Roadster. Carol Rissel retires after overseeing the Concours for nearly two decades.
1988: Hispano-Suiza J12s are on special display, and the first Automobile Quarterly Historian’s Trophy goes to the Blackhawk Collection’s 1932 Hispano-Suiza J12 Binder Torpedo. Waterhouse coachwork is also featured, and there is a class of Maseratis. Karen Hunter temporarily oversees the Concours on behalf of Pebble Beach Company.
1989: Nuccio Bertone is reunited with three of his Alfa Romeo B.A.T.s (Berlina Aerodynamica Tecnica) when Italian custom coachwork takes center stage at the Concours. The first Road & Track Trophy is awarded to Brenda Butler’s 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Zagato Spyder. Aston Martins take to the field in numbers, there is a class for Lagonda12 cylinders, and American Dream cars are also on display. Sandra Kasky, who has worked with the Concours since joining Pebble Beach Company in 1985, is named Director of Special Events for Pebble Beach Company.
1990: Giotto Bizzarrini is honored, veterans of the Brighton Run are on display, and more dream cars are exhibited. The Christie’s auction and the Blackhawk Exposition join the roster of Pebble Beach Weekend events. The Strother MacMinn Student Endowment Fund is also established.
1991: Rolls-Royce, Pierce-Arrow, and Siata are featured.
1992: Sandra Kasky agrees to serve as the Concours’ first full-time Executive Director. Delahaye and Talbot-Lago are featured, and there are special classes for Facel Vega and Jaguar. J. B. Nethercutt earns a record sixth Best of Show award.
1993: Pininfarina coachwork is honored, Lamborghini is featured, and there is a class for early Station Wagons. The first Tony Hulman Trophy for most significant open wheel race car goes to Vic Yerardi’s 1959 Ewing-Watson Dean Van Lines Special. Manufacturers are invited to display current concept cars, and this becomes a part of the Concours.
1994: Ferraris take to the field in numbers, Pegaso is featured, and the coachwork of Touring is also on display.
1995: Rolls-Royce and Iso Rivolta are featured, and J. B. and Dorothy Nethercutt are honored. The first Strother MacMinn Trophy for Most Elegant Sports Car goes to Arturo Keller’s 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Stabilimenti Farina Spyder.
1996: Lincoln is featured, Zagato coachwork is on display, and there is a class for American Sports Cars. The Hans Tanner Trophy is renamed in honor of Luigi Chinetti.
1997: The centennial of Oldsmobile and the golden anniversary of Ferrari are celebrated, steam cars and Aston Martin are featured, and designer Tom Tjaarda is honored. Hot Rods take to the field for the first time, and the first Dean Batchelor Trophy for most significant hot rod goes to Bruce Meyer’s 1932 Doane Spence Ford Roadster. There is even a class for Micro Cars.
1998: The first Tour d’Elegance is held just prior to the Concours and is an immediate success. The first Elegance in Motion Trophy is subsequently presented to Bruce Meyer’s 1937 Bugatti Type 57C Ventoux. Minerva and Derby Bentley are featured, designer Sergio Scaglietti is honored, and Porsche celebrates its golden anniversary.
1999: Lorin Tryon dies prior to the Concours, and J. Heumann serves as sole Chairman. Glenn Mounger and Ed Gilbertson join the Executive Committee. The Lorin Tryon Trophy is established to recognize longtime contributors to the Concours, and it is first presented to Don Williams of Blackhawk. Packard, Auto Union, Lagonda, and Morgan, and the Masterati 5000GT are featured. The first FIVA Trophy for best preserved car goes to Jay M. Eitel’s 1933 Marmon V16 LeBaron Victoria.
2000: The Concours celebrates its golden anniversary. J. Heumann steps into a role Chairman Emeritus, Glenn Mounger agrees to serve as Concours Chairman, and Ed Gilbertson is named to the new position of Chief Judge. A selection of past Best of Show winners and Road Race standouts are positioned at water’s edge. Teardrops and Boattails and Maseratis are all featured. The first Classic Car Club of America Trophy goes to Otis Chandler’s 1934 Packard 1108 Bohman & Schwartz Town Car.
2001: The centennials of the first Mercedes and of Ford Racing are celebrated. The likely real Blue Train is unveiled among the many vintage Bentleys on the field. Chrysler Town and Country cars and Hot Rod coupes and the designs of Pininfarina are also featured.
2002: Glenn Mounger asks Sandra Kasky to serve with him as Co-Chairmen of the Concours. The centennial of Cadillac and the golden anniversary of Jaguar racing are celebrated. Maybachs and Fiat V8s are on display, as are several bare chassis.
2003: The works of Ettore and Jean Bugatti take center stage. The centennials of Buick and Ford are celebrated. Road Racing Rods and Austin and American Bantams are featured. And Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro are on hand as their designs are honored.
2004: The 100th anniversary of Rolls-Royce was celebrated as well as the centennial of Hispano-Suiza, the French-built luxury vehicle. The event also showcased the finest collection of Ferraris ever assembled.
2005: In 2005, we honored Alfa Romeo and the 75th anniversary of Carrozzeria Pinin Farina.
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