Event Coverage Pebble Beach 2011....

Pebble Beach is just over a week away, it promises to be yet another awesome weekend.

A major focus for the 61st annual Concours will be the 125th anniversary of the automobile. In 1886, Karl Benz received the first patent for a gas-propelled car (the three-wheeled Benz Patent Motorwagen). Later that same year, Gottlieb Daimler mounted an engine on a four-wheeled vehicle. The automotive era had begun.....

The 2011 Pebble Beach Concours will feature:

* The creations of Benz and Daimler and their successors -- notably, Mercedes and Mercedes-Benz. In addition to cl***es emphasizing style and technology, one preservation cl*** will be devoted solely to these marques.

* Early Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts (1907-1919). Created in the Edwardian era and considered by many historians to be the most famous luxury cars ever made. These smooth, exceptionally reliable cars -- often noted for their ghostlike, quiet ride -- are a**** the most desirable collector vehicles in the world.

* Stutz Centennial. Often called America's first sports car, a Stutz was entered in the 1911 Indy 500 and finished 11th, becoming known as "the car that made good in a day." The company's high performance Bearcats featured one of the first multivalve engines.

* The Birth of the Ferrari 250 GTO. This Enzo Ferrari creation, engineered by Giotto Bizzarrini and designed by Sergio Scaglietti, dominated Grand Touring races in the early 1960s. A total of 39 Ferrari 250 GTOs were produced between 1962 and 1964, and they are often said to be Ferrari's crowning achievement.

* Italian Motorcycles. The Concours will feature motorcycles for the third consecutive year, with the creations of Italian manufacturers like Ducati, MV Agusta, Moto Guzzi and others taking center stage in 2011.

Cl***es may be revised as entry applications are received and reviewed, but the current list of compe***ion cl***es is as follows:

Antique through 1915
American Cl***ic Open
American Cl***ic Closed
Stutz 1911 to 1924
Stutz Cl***ic
Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost through 1919
125 Years of Benz, Daimler, Mercedes and Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz 500K through 770K
Benz, Daimler, Mercedes and Mercedes-Benz Preservation
European Cl***ic Open
European Cl***ic Closed
Prewar Sports and Racing
Prewar Preservation
Postwar Preservation
Ferrari Grand Touring
50th Anniversary of the Birth of the Ferrari 250 GTO
Postwar Sports
Postwar Touring
Postwar American Special Coachwork
Italian Motorcycles through 1979


So....who's going then??


I will be there...



http://www.pebblebeachconcours.net/

 

Oh...and if you don't have the $250 entrance fee to hand...yes, really...and worth every penny.....On the Thursday before the Concours, is the


Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance....Initiated to showcase the elegance of the automobile in motion, the Tour also underscores the early history of the place that is Pebble Beach. Decades before golf links were laid out along the edge of the Pacific Ocean, this area was known for its scenic drive, winding for miles through pine and cypress forest, dancing alongside dramatic cliffs and leading, ultimately, to a beautiful crescent-shaped bay.

The traditional Tour traces portions of the original 17-Mile Drive, traverses nearby mountains and valleys, and pauses for a time in charming Carmel-by-the-Sea; however, due to road repairs on Hwy 1, the Tour route is currently being modified for 2011. Tour participants enjoy a catered gourmet lunch, a champagne celebration at the finish and commemorative gifts.

The Tour is open to all entrants in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. And spectators are invited to view the Tour at key points along the route, particularly along Ocean Avenue in Carmel.

It is important to note that the Tour and the Concours are directly linked. If two vehicles tie in cl*** compe***ion at the Concours, the vehicle that has successfully completed the Tour gets the nod.

Dates and times for the 2011 Tour are as follows:

August 18
7 – 8 a.m. Cars line up near Collins Field in Pebble Beach
8:30 a.m. Tour departs, tracing portions of 17-Mile Drive and nearby scenic roads
11:30 – 12 noon Tour arrives in Carmel-by-the-Sea
12 noon – 2 p.m. Cars are displayed on Ocean Avenue
2 – 2:30 p.m. Tour returns to Pebble Beach
3:00 p.m. Concluding Champagne toast for participants

The IMPORTANT PART IS THE 2 HOUR WINDOW BETWEEN NOON & 2PM when the cars are parked up in Carmel....there is NO CHARGE for attending, and a good number of the entrants participate in this....a word of warning tho, if you plan on going along...GET THERE EARLY...


http://www.pebblebeachconcours.net/pages/3023

 

I will be there, I am hitting it on my way back from Bonneville. Its going to be a loooong week. I will have lots and lots and lots of photos.

 

For the new HAMB members A32Flathead takes THE BEST EVER photos of Pebble Beach, if you don't have the $250. to view the cars in person his photos are the next best thing. It's still on my Bucket List, along with Bonneville and the LA Roadster Show.

 

$250 is a cl*** change at Bonneville. At least at Bonneville I get to race for my $250. Not look at static cars and bikes. $250 admission is outrageous. But I guess if you can afford to restore a Rolls $250 isn't even beer money.

 

I have a great Sarno & sons tux waiting for me to view the pics !!

I can't wait !!!

Thanks A32Flathead for taking the time to take the pics and posting them !!!

 

It all goes to Charity.

 

Aww shucks.....

I'm all embarr***ed now....Thanks man.

 

I also look forward to A32FLATHEAD pics every year at this event. Love to see the history preserved and on display.

 

It also keeps "those people" (us regular guys) away.

 

I guess that the $250 charge seems acceptable as the proceeds go to charity, but I agree it certainly keeps many of us average Joes far away. As I live in upstate NY, I need to book both airfare, a car and a hotel within a reasonable distance in order to be able to see this extrordinary show. So I need to lay out a SIZABLE amount of cash just to get there, and then add the $250 per person pop to see the show. With the way the economy being at the present time, as much as I would like to go, it just ain't feasible.

So, I'll wait until A32Flathead posts his glorious photos. It is almost like being there...

 

DAVE !!!! SHHHHHHH!!!!!
Don't tell people how wonderful Thursday is.

Brian

 

You would be surprised at how many folk just stash a few bucks away in a box every few weeks just to make it.

 

$250.00 ???!!! does that include a lap dance?

 

I fly in on the Thursday and leave the following Monday so hope to see it all.

 

Parking & a Program!

Look me up...I'll be the English one...NOT rioting...with The Road Devils shirt/jacket on.

 

Might get confusing with all us 'Blokes' there so I might just start a riot so you'll recognize me.

 

really? is that the best you can come up with? go burn your car, and take up tantric ************. spit on your hand and have fun for a whole day!

Dave, looking forward to the great pictures.

 

We're taking a '37 MB 540K Long Tail Special Roadster, Black / Gray, stop by and say hello.

 

I went years ago when it was less than $100, and it was crowded, and I mean outdoor music festival crowded. I didn't see the cars until I was standing almost next to them. So yes, I'm sure they're charging market price for parking and a program with an eye on limiting the audience to those people of whatever cl*** who REALLY want to see some of the most beautiful automobiles ever created on display in one of the most scenic locations on the West Coast. It should be on your bucket list. And it's a lot cheaper than a round of golf there!

 

Doug, you kill me.....

I'll attempt to...if I can find the car...you know, what with there being so many of those '37 Long Tails about....

 

I'll be in Monterey Tuesday-Monday working RM, Russo & Steele, Concorso Italiano, The Historics and Pebble on Sunday. It's a long week... but a week I look forward to every year.

 

Monterey weekend will always be one of my most cherished weekends. Treat yourself one year to the ultimate weekend. Laguna Seca. three auctions, Pebble Beach, Italian Concours, and Clam Chowder at the Pier. Life is good.

 

Excited to see the Bill Likes/ Edelbrock roadster sell at RM.

http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=MO11&CarID=r269&fc=0#

 

Thank you for making the point I had on my mind. If it was 50 bucks there would still be people complaining and you wouldn't be able to get within 5 miles of the place. As for the cl*** warfare bs I can think of a bunch of millionaire collectors that show at Pebble Beach and you would be shocked how many started out driving a truck or twisting a wrench.

 

My buddies and I run our cars over the hill to Baja Cantina in Carmel Valley on Wednesday night. Always is a good time.

 

Two years ago I went to my first "Concours" style show in Greenwich, Ct. full of all the fears of not fitting in, and feeling out of place. That turned out to be total ********, I had a great time, saw some truely great cars and chatted with car owners that were just as normal as could be. Car guys are car guys, some go faster, some cost more, but in the end a great looking car is a great looking car. Bob

 

The majority of the owners, while rich, are car guys at heart...you get talking to them, and they are (on the most part) gearheads like us...just with more expensive toys

 

I too look forward to A32's pix too...FWIW I've been to Pebble and the Monterey weekend several times and always enjoyed it, especially if you get their early enough when the fog still hovers and the crowds are not yet crazy, but reflecting on the $250 ticket price, the St John's Concours up here in Michigan that replaced the Meadowbrook Hall Concours is only $25.They had 300+ cars this year with a bunch of Indy 500 racecars to celebrate the Indy 500 centennial. No, St John's is not Pebble's equal, but conversely, Pebble is not 10X better than St John's...I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

http://concoursusa.org/

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=615437&highlight=st+johns

 

Some of the old cars last year....