June 15, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Automotive Style, Glamour and History on Display at
the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
57th Annual ‘Automotive Time Capsule’ Set for Aug. 19
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (June 15, 2007) – The 18th fairway of the historic Pebble Beach Golf Links® is open 364 days per year. On day 365, one of golf’s most scenic and challenging holes is transformed into an exotic classic car showcase – the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, which translated means “competition of elegance.” This year’s event will be Aug. 19, attracting a mixture of celebrities, car devotees and the world’s most influential automobile designers to California’s Monterey Peninsula.
The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance debuted in 1950, a low-key affair in the Del Monte Forest that attracted a few thousand spectators to see about 25 cars. Fifty-seven years later, the event has grown to exhibit 175 of the rarest, most valuable vehicles ever built.
“Our goal each year is to produce a concours that serves as the ultimate celebration of the automobile,” says Pebble Beach Concours Chairman Sandra Kasky Button. “The event takes place at one of the most spectacular golf resorts in the world, with the famed18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links as stage and the Pacific Ocean as backdrop. Combine this setting with a show that attracts an international crowd and the finest designs from more than 100 years of the automobile, and you’ve created the Monte Carlo Grand Prix of classic car shows.”
While the Concours occurs annually on the third Sunday in August – opening to spectators at 10 a.m., with award presentations running from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. – there are also a series of ancillary events that have turned the Concours into a weeklong celebration of the automobile.
• 10th annual Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance presented by Rolex - Enabling the public to see vintage vehicles in motion, more than 100 Concours entries will participate in a 60-mile excursion around the Monterey Peninsula (including a trip down Hwy 1 to Big Sur) on Thursday, Aug. 16.
• Pebble Beach® Auction presented by Gooding & Company – This annual classic car auction expands to two days in ’07 – Saturday and Sunday – featuring 60 cars each evening. Last year the Pebble Beach Auction generated nearly $22 million, including a record $2,585,000 for a 1927 Bugatti Type 35C Grand Prix.
• Pebble Beach RetroAuto™ – A showcase for automotive collectibles and auto-related luxury goods. Running Aug. 17 – 19, the 3rd annual event features historic automobilia, auto parts, original poster art, classic photography, books and literature.
The public is welcome to attend these events, but automotive entries in the Pebble Beach Concours are by invitation only. In fact, many collectors spend years and hundreds of thousands of dollars restoring a car in hopes of being chosen to participate.
From prewar classics to postwar treasures, the Concours assembles a stylish mix of automobiles while highlighting a few automotive marques each year. 2007 features Aston Martin (four classes, including a special exhibition of historic Astons and three postwar classes) and the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg (A-C-D) group. Additionally, the historic hot rod class will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the iconic ’32 Ford, the “10-plus Club” will focus on cars with engines displacing 10 liters or more, and for the first time in Pebble Beach history, a postwar preservation class will be conducted. Overall, 175 classic vehicles will compete in about two dozen classes at the annual classic car showcase along the Monterey coastline.
“The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance has more than a half century of heritage. The 2007 Concours builds on that heritage and presents a field of the most significant, beautiful and historic automobiles from around the globe,” said Button. “The event annually draws enthusiasts, sponsors and international media, and this year we’re welcoming vehicles from at least 30 states and 11 countries, including Australia, Hong Kong, the Netherlands and Argentina. They come to Pebble Beach knowing they’re participating in a special weekend that blends automotive design, craftsmanship and history.”
Tickets can be purchased in advance for $150 in advance by calling United Way at 877-693-0009 or for $175 on site at the Concours. Through ticket sales and charity auctions, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance contributes hundreds of thousands of dollars to local and national charities each year, including United Way Monterey County, the Pebble Beach Company Foundation, The Wheelchair Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County and UNICEF.
First conducted in 1950, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (www.pebblebeachconcours.net) is an international gathering of automotive enthusiasts for “a celebration of the automobile” at The Lodge at Pebble Beach on the Monterey Peninsula.
# # #
Contact:
PCGCampbell
Jeff Green
(310) 224-4961
jgreen@pcgcampbell.com
