 Updated
November 26, 2011
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Pebble Beach
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61st Annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
Sun, Aug 21, 2011
Cam Hutchins
- Naacc Webmaster/Photographer
and special to the Vancouver Sun
Pebble Beach, Calif. –
Once again the jewel of the "Car Week" in Monterey is the 61st Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance with its combination of stunning location and outstanding collection of fabulous vehicles. The elegance of the 18th fairway as the venue for the concours is far superior to any of the other car events happening throughout the Monterey Peninsula during the third week of August every year.
Marking 125 years since the birth of the automobile by Carl Benz’ obtaining a patent of the first gas-powered vehicle, the 61st Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance has a tribute to Mercedes-Benz including the early ‘White Knight’ race cars, Coachbuilt classics and other rare Mercedes from the first part of the 20th century. Twenty Five Stutz motorcars from 1913 to 1933 were on hand to mark the Centennial of Stutz and Jaguar E-types and Ferrari GTO's marked the 25th anniversary of Jaguar E-types as well as The Birth of the Ferrari 250 GTO.
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Official Website
www.pebblebeachconcours.net |
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2011 Image Gallery
Photos by Cam Hutchins
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May 2. 2011
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (May 5, 2011) - Ferraris are revered the world over for being among the finest, fastest and most exotic sports cars ever conceived, and the Ferrari 250 GTO is considered by many to be the greatest Ferrari ever manufactured. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the birth of this model, more than twenty of these exclusive sports racing cars will take to the show field of the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on Sunday, August 21.
Only thirty-six 250 GTOs were originally produced, as well as two 330 GTOs with larger capacity engines. All of these exclusive cars have been invited to the Concours and more than half have already accepted the invitation. Some of these GTOs have sold for as much as $30 million in recent years.
"The Ferrari 250 GTO is one of the great sports racing cars of all time," said Ed Gilbertson, Chief Judge of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. "The GTO beat everything in the world for about three years running, which is quite an accomplishment when you consider the marques that were racing at that time."
In its racing debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1962, American Phil Hill and Belgian Olivier Gendebien placed second overall in the 250 GTO, with only a Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa sports racing car ahead of them. This was the beginning of the 250 GTO's racing success, which included winning the Federation Internationale de L'Automobile's (FIA) International Championship for GT Manufacturers three consecutive years, from 1962 to 1964. Other 250 GTO wins included the Tour de France in 1963 and 1964; the Tourist Trophy at Goodwood in 1962 and 1963; the Nürburgring 1000 km in 1963 and 1964; class wins in the Targa Florio in 1962, 1963 and 1964; and category wins at Le Mans in 1962 and 1963.
Based on the Ferrari 250 GT SWB chassis, the 250 GTO evolved from an experimental test car, the 1961 250 GT Sperimentale, which was raced by Stirling Moss to a GT win and fourth overall at Daytona. Production of the 250 GTO began later that year. The Sperimentale and many examples of both the Series I and Series II 250 GTOs will be exhibited at Pebble Beach.
Gilbertson says just one of these limited production cars remains in its original condition, although it was repaired in period due to extensive race damage. It too will be on the famed 18th fairway at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Enzo Ferrari put engineer Giotto Bizzarrini in charge of developing a car outside the normal Ferrari circles, wanting the car built in complete secrecy. Bizzarrini started with the 250 SWB, lightened and reinforced the chassis, then moved the engine behind the front axle for improved weight distribution. But in the fall of 1961 Bizzarrini and a number of others left the company.
Subsequently, Enzo Ferrari assigned engineer Mauro Forghieri and coachbuilder Sergio Scaglietti to complete the 250 GTO.
The team enhanced the 2953 cc V-12 engine, fitting Testa Rossa heads, larger valves and six double-barrel Weber carburetors, increasing the horsepower to 300 hp and replacing the SWB's four-speed transmission with a five-speed, all syncromesh gearbox.
The 250 GTO also featured many familiar Ferrari technologies of the era, including a hand-welded tube frame, A-arm front suspension, live-axle rear end, disc brakes and wire wheels. The interior was extremely basic, to keep the weight of the car as light as possible, with no soundproofing and no speedometer in the instrument panel. |
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First conducted in 1950, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance® (www.pebblebeachconcours.net) has grown to be the world's premier celebration of the automobile. Only the most beautiful and rare cars are invited to appear on the famed 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links®, and connoisseurs of art and style flock to see these masterpieces. Charitable donations raised by Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance® now total over $14 million. Related events include Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance™ presented by Rolex, Pebble Beach RetroAuto™, and Pebble Beach® Auctions presented by Gooding & Company. Pebble Beach®, Pebble Beach Golf Links®, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance®, Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance™, and Pebble Beach RetroAuto™ are trademarks, service marks and trade dress of Pebble Beach Company. All rights reserved.
Pebble Beach Company, headquartered in Pebble Beach, Calif., owns and operates the world-famous Pebble Beach Resorts®, including The Lodge at Pebble Beach™, The Inn at Spanish Bay™ and Casa Palmero®. The company also operates four renowned golf courses: Pebble Beach Golf Links®, Spyglass Hill® Golf Course, The Links at Spanish Bay™ and Del Monte™ Golf Course. Its other famed properties include the scenic 17-Mile Drive® and The Spa at Pebble Beach™, and it annually hosts premier events such as the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance®, the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, the Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational, the Pebble Beach Food & Wine event and the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. Site of the 2019 U.S. Open Championship, Pebble Beach Golf Links® has hosted five U.S. Opens, four U.S. Amateurs, one PGA Championship, and numerous other tournaments. For reservations or more information please call (800) 654-9300 or visit www.pebblebeach.com.
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The 61st annual affair will recognize one hundred twenty-five years of the automobile and celebrate Benz, Daimler, Mercedes and Mercedes-Benz.
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1913 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Cann London to Edinburgh Tourer (Owner: Sam and Emily Mann).
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The Stutz Motor Company produced high-performance luxury cars from 1911 to 1935 … and America’s first sports car.
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1963 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta
(Owner: William E. "Chip" Connor).
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The 2011 Concours will feature Italian motorcycles, including bikes from Ducati.
2011 Features
Featured marques and classes for the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance have been determined, and the crucial process of selecting the 200 cars and motorcycles that will compete on the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links on August 21 is now underway.
“The success of everything we do really hinges on this one thing—selecting the best cars and motorcycles to compete here at Pebble Beach,” said Concours Chairman Sandra Button.
Entry applications were mailed to interested enthusiasts this week and are due to be returned by January 15. Applications are then vetted by members of the Selection Committee, and formal invitations to compete are delivered in the spring.
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.
“It amazes me to realize that enthusiasts have gathered at Pebble Beach to celebrate automobiles for nearly half of the automobile’s life,” said Button. “And there is much to celebrate still!”
The 2011 Pebble Beach Concours will feature:
* The creations of Benz and Daimler and their successors—notably, Mercedes and Mercedes-Benz. In addition to classes emphasizing style and technology, one preservation class 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 among 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.
Classes may be revised as entry applications are received and reviewed.
Click here to see the current list of competition classes.
For more info please go to the Official Pebble Beach website...
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60th Annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
Sun, Aug 15, 2010
J.J. Carlson - Director of Media Relations
Pebble Beach, Calif. – time flies I suppose, it seems like just yesterday I was rummaging my way down the 18th fairway at the 50th Pebble Beach Concours where a red and white 1937 Delahaye 135 M took top honours – has it been 10 years already? As usual, this year’s event was nothing short of spectacular. Alfa Romeo had a strong presence, perhaps because 2010 was the 100th anniversary of this bold automaker! There were many rare Alfas including a whole class of 8C’s, both 2300 and 2900 models featured. There were many others too, including a variety of 6C’s and a modern prototype supercar. Another featured marque was Jaguar. Celebrating 75 years of automotive excellence, Pebble offered many examples to showcase this iconic brand. I especially liked the blue D-type and black XKD racer – both nose to nose adjacent to the coast line. At the back of the show field, 11 of the 16 existing Jaguar XKSS’s were present; the XKSS is a road variant of the racing D-type. With this many in a row, one might think that they are as common as dental floss, however this statement couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, many of the SS’s were flown in from the UK, just for this show – wow! The last feature was Pierce-Arrow; Class D-1 really stood out (Pierce-Arrow through 1919). Brass vehicles are always special to see, especially when they are in original condition or meticulously restored. How do they keep the brass so shiny new? I guess there are some secrets that we may never know.
I can’t possibly mention all of the other classes, there are just too many. However, I would like to note a few that were exceptional. In the last few years, Pebble has broadened its scope to include motorcycles. These are by far the best examples of motorcycle history that I have ever seen. Just like the cars, they are all rare and pristinely restored, perhaps better than new. This year, I even saw two bicycles on display, one a 1910 Pierce-Arrow; who knew Pierce-Arrow made pedal bikes? There were cars from Bonneville, competition Ferrari’s, high end hot-rods and many race cars. The concept cars were also very nice. Prototypes from Bentley, Lexus, McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Bugatti, Merecedes-Benz and Maserati sat quietly on the practice putting green near the Lodge entrance. Parked out front was Porsche’s newest creation, the 918 Spyder. The side profile is similar to that of their past supercar, the Carrera GT, while the back resembles an Aston-Martin DB. The glowing neon green calipers really set off the all black rims. Can you tell I want one?
Having attended the Pebble Beach concours’ over 20 times, I am amazed that the caliber and pedigree of the vehicles remains as high as it does, considering that many of the vehicles are one-off’s. I mean, how many rare, exotic and expensive vehicles like these exist in the world? They have to run out sometime don’t they?
This was a fantastic year at Pebble Beach and I certainly look forward to many more. Pebble is an event that everyone should try to go to at least once in their life. If you haven’t gone before and you love old cars, you owe it to yourself to attend. I hope to see you on the 18th fairway next year.
Gallery of JJ Carlson Images from the 2010 Event
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Centennial with an Exquisite Gathering of Rarely Seen Cars
Gallery of the 2010 Event>>
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More images of the 2006 show
by Cam Hutchins
click on any thumbnail to go to the image gallery |
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click on any thumbnail to go to the image
gallery
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The SEMA Action Network is in Canada, find out more>>
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America's Car Museum
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The Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance |
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The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering
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A Celebration of Italian Motorcars
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Historic Racing |
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Crescent Beach Invitational
Crescent Beach Surrey
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