Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, 2012

Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, 2012 Photos and Stories.

62th Annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance®, August 19 2012, Pebble Beach, California

GALLERY 1--CONCOURS d'ELEGANCE

GALLERY 2--Pebble Beach Concept Cars

GALLERY 3--Pebble Beach Tour d'Elgance

Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, 2012

2012 PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS d'ELEGANCE WINNERS

The 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S Saoutchik Torpedo, owned by Paul and Judy Andrews of Texas, received the BEST OF SHOW.

The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is a 'tour de force' in so many ways, that it would take a complete and dedicated 'book' to explain what goes on each and every year.

To use only a few words, one could say that, on Sunday of the third weekend in August, the normal world, for all people who enjoys rare cars of all makes and models, comes to a stop, as they move onto the lawns at the 18th fairway of The Lodge at Pebble Beach, in California. This is not just about the people but huge transport trucks containing large and small rare automobiles from all over the world, large support crews. An army of crowd control personal, moving people and cars through and around some of the most beautiful seaside landscape in the world, known world wide as the 17 Mile Drive just north of 'Big Sur'. A large settlement is created on the lawns and parking lots on and near the famed 'Lodge at Pebble Beach' to house and support the guests, manufactures displays, visiting public and the media. And the show is allover in a short 9 hours.

Incredible!

And this is only one event during Monterey Classic Car Week.

Over 220 vehicles were present on the Pebble Beach field, an international auto anthology of truly stunning proportions. The Concours event is about judging vehicles for their historical accuracy, technical merit, style and elegance, and has grown into one of the most competitive collector car shows in the automotive world.

The event has created the recognition of, and encourage proper preservation of the world's great automobiles. A unique feature of The Pebble Beach Concours is that all participating cars are still drivable. The preceding Thursday's compliment event, the Tour d'Elegance presented by Rolex, allows participants the option to display these mobile works of art in action, and also provides an opportunity for extra points on Concours Sunday for those who partake.

One of the features of the event was the Cars of the Maharajas, featuring automobiles once owned by Indian Royalty.

One of these remarkable cars was a 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Thrupp & Maberly All Weather, also known as "The Star of India," owned by Yuvraj Saheb Mandhatasinh Jadeja of Rajkot, Gujarat, India. This unique car which is Saffron in color, is incredible as is its history. It was built for the Maharaja of Rajkot and later, in 1968, sold and sent off to Europe. Mandhatasinh Jadeja, a former prince of Rajkot and great-grandson of the Maharaja, after much effort, recently acquired the car as a birthday present for his father, returning it after 44 years back to India.

"This is my first time in the United States," added owner Mandhatasinh Jadeja, "and this is the perfect setting for tire meets turf, where the land and water are blended together in perfection while celebrating the automobile. This is truly a moment to rejoice."

The other featured class was the cars designed by Jacques Saoutchik, on of which won the coveted Best in Show award.

1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Thrupp & Maberly All Weather, also known as "The Star of India," owned by Yuvraj Saheb Mandhatasinh Jadeja of Rajkot, Gujarat, India

1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S Saoutchik Torpedo, owned by Paul and Judy Andrews of Texas, received the BEST OF SHOW

"It's the whole package. There's not a bad line on this car. It was the sports car, the high performance car of its era, and then Saoutchik gave it style and grace. It has power and it has beauty", said Paul Andrews.

Other nominees for Best of Show included a 1935 Duesenberg J Gurney-Nutting Speedster owned by the William Lyon Family of Newport Beach, California; a 1931 Duesenberg J Derham Tourster owned by Joseph and Margie Cassini III, of West Orange, New Jersey; and a 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Figoni Coupé owned by David and Adele Cohen of West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Hennessey Venom GT Spyder 2013
Tested zero-to-200-mph times of 15.3 seconds make the Venom GT the quickest accelerating supercar on the market.

The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is the back drop for introducing new cars to the world. Several are on the lawn in front of the shops every year. This tradition started with the display of the original 7 Bugatti Royales in 1985.

BMW Zagato Roadster 2013

1948 Lloyd Templeton Mercury Saturn also known as the Bob Hope Roadster.
Bob Hope previously owned this car

A class of 'American Customs' was included in this years event.

1947 Frank Kurtis-Paul, Omohundro Comet Roadster
This 1947 Comet Roadster could be the first documented postwar sports car built in America.
'American Customs'

1948 Norman Timbs Emil Diedt Roadster. First in Class
The body was created in aluminum by Emil Diedt and was influenced by the Auto Union Type C and Mercedes Benz W25 Avus streamlined GP racers from the 1930s.

1948 Norman Timbs Emil Diedt Roadster
Clara Cunningham Photo

1919 Maharaja of Nabha Cygnet
This is probably the oldest Indian-made automobile in the world. Maharaja of Nabha had it built in his own garages for use on his estate to accompany the larger and even more extravagant swan Car

Arnold Schwarzenegger looks over the Bentley EXP 9 F concept SUV

The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is all about giving to charities and the check being displayed is for the amount of $1,077,220

Part of the fun is getting dressed up to match your car.

Sometimes it is just about 'Hats'
Clara Cunningham Photo

Clara Cunningham Photo

Sir Stirling Moss is still fully engaged in the world of cars
Clara Cunningham Photo

Jay Leno always supports The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and this year raised over $50,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County buy offering tours to his garage for donations. Jay also donated his Fiat 500 to auction for charities and the car went for $385,000
Clara Cunningham Photo

1907 Locomobile Type E Five Passenger Touring

1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom 111 Barker Sports Torpedo Cabriolet

The attendance was strong but with more space between cars the viewing was much more relaxing.