Yokohama Tire Corp.is the Official Sponsor of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance for the 11th consecutive year. It includes road rallies, races, auctions, displays, seminars, exhibitions, parties and, underpinning it all, marketing.
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The best of the show victor was Louisville, Kentucky, resident Jim Patterson, whose 1924 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A bagged the top prize along with the accompanying gold ribbon. It’s the only place on earth where you can find the most expensive cars in the world, in a single day and sometimes, in a single place.
If it’s mid-August, you can bet the classic auto world is making a pilgrimage to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the annual display of exquisite motorcars commonly accepted to be the preeminent concours held worldwide.
The day began with the now-traditional Dawn Patrol, a recent ritual in which the truly faithful make their way in the darkness to Pebble’s 18th green to watch the contenders roll onto the fabled fairway.
Ferraris were featured in great numbers this year, along with classic era duPonts, antique Popes, British prewar sports cars and postwar Cunninghams.
“It’s the Super Bowl of vehicle shows”, said Dave Magers, CEO of Mecum Auctions, which this weekend sold a Porsche once owned by the late actor Steve McQueen for $1.95 million (R25.1m). Collectors are expected to spend at least $400 million during the event in hopes of getting their hands on rare classic cars.
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The week of “excess everything” included epic traffic jams that stretched for miles along California Highway 1. The convention. The Convention and visitors bureau staff thinks this year there were even more people thanks to the nice weather. The event is considered the crown jewel of the Monterey auto Week. Through the Pebble Beach Company Foundation, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, these charitable funds will benefit 100 local charities. Yesterday drew hundreds of auto owners who entered in an 88-mile round-trip drive to Big Sur and back in what is called the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance.
