2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
Celebrating the show’s 63rd year of hosting the world’s best cars, rallies and auctions
We’re more than excited for this year’s Pebble Beach Automotive Week. The auto shows, rallies and auctions throughout Monterey county offer car enthusiasts from around the world the ultimate chance to see historic and rare vehicles up close—with peeks both inside the car and under the hood. The 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, held 18 August, is the anchor event, the ultimate competition for the world’s most impressive vintage automobiles.
Only 200 of the finest collector cars in the world will roll onto the legendary 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links for this year’s Concours, and only a couple of those will receive official honors for their style, technical merit and historical accuracy. In addition to its usual awards for certain categories, each year a few additional classes are celebrated. This year we’re most excited about Aston Martin, celebrating its centennial; Lincoln, with a focus on custom coachwork vehicles; and French motorcycles. Other specialties this year include Simplex, Vanvooren, Lamborghini, Porsche 911 and BMW 507.
First conducted in 1950, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will be celebrating its 63rd year of excellence. To participate, check out a complete list of events and order tickets for the Concours from the official site, starting at $225.
There are many, many events surrounding the Automotive Week and the Concours, with crowd favorites like the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion races and the Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auctions.
The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion races run all morning and afternoon 16-18 August at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Over 500 vintage vehicles are accepted to compete in the world’s premier motoring event based on the car’s authenticity and race provenance. Featured races this year include Corvette (which is celebrating its 60th anniversary) and Trans Ams from 1966 to 1972.
Another not-to-be-missed event is The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, held on the grounds of the Quail Lodge and Golf Club on Friday 16 August. Celebrating motorsports as well as luxury lifestyle, one of the highlights of this year’s show is the 50th anniversary retrospective of Lamborghini. Land Rover offers visitors a chance to drive their latest vehicles on a proper Experience Driving School course, and adjacent events include the Quail Rally, the Quail ride, and the Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction.
Whether you’re in the market to oogle or purchase a vintage car, you’ll be overwhelmed with the options at the annual Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auctions. Cars will be on view from 14 August, with the auctions a main event on the calendar for Saturday and Sunday 17 and 18 August. Some CH favorites include the 1948 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Competizione, the 1959 BMW Isetta 300 microcar, the 1965 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Series II, the 1968 Lamborghini Islero, the 1948 Cisitalia 202 SC Coupe, the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro 396 RS/SS L89, the 1951 Vincent Black Shadow motorcycle, and the Art Deco extravagance of the 1935 Avions Voisin C25 Aérodyne. It’s hard to pick just a few.
One of our favorite events celebrates cars often overlooked by the rest of the week’s more highbrow activities. The Concours d’LeMons (humorously pronounced “lemons”) features the “oddball, mundane and truly awful,” where vinyl rather than hand-sewn leather is the material of choice. The winner receives the “Worst in Show” award, and it’s the perfect Saturday morning activity before heading to the races.
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Lincoln and Peugeot images courtesy of Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, racing image courtesy of Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Vanvooren image courtesy of Michael Furman, LeMons image courtesy of Alan Galbraith, Quail image by Josh Rubin, Alfa Romeo image copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company, photo by Mathieu Heurtault
