Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, 2012 Tour d'Elgance

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Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, 2012 Tour d'Elgance 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

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Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, 2012 Tour d'Elgance

The Monterey, Pebble Beach, Carmel by the Sea automotive events held every August on the California coast are many thing to many people from all over the world. A chance to buy or sell a car, race a car on the famed Laguna Race track, view or display rare and outstanding historic or new concept cars. Or all of the above, and may more personal opportunities to numerous to explore here.

One of the more interesting events however, is not a huge spectator happening or maybe it is depending on one's point of view, and that is the Pebble Beach Tour d'Elgance™ which is only open to cars and owners of those chosen few that are part of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elgance held on the Sunday of the week. The 'Tour' is held on the previous Thursday, giving the owners 2 days to make ready for the Sunday display and judging on the Pebble Beach's 18th Hole

AllCarCentral has explored the Pebble Beach Tour d'Elgance™ in previous years at the 'Tour's' stop in Carmel for the drivers picnic-in-the-park luncheon. This lunch brake for the 'Tour' leaves the priceless vehicles clogging the beautiful Carmel Ocean Avenue on both sides of the center planting strip. There a complete 'jamb' of people tries to get a good look or photograph of the cars, which one would need a very pricey ticket in hand for Sundays show. The best Carmel ploy is to set oneself down at a lower part of Ocean Avenue and watch the cars leave the town making their way back to Pebble Beach.

The viewing opportunities for the 'Tour' are much like the old style automotive competition events that used to be held on the open public roads. The cars start off and drive over the road to the finish line, either passing by any given point a few times in several hours or only once. In the case of the 'Tour' it can be assumed that the car will pass by only once. The tour changes routs each year and each is designed to give the drivers and their passengers the best traveling experience that can be had in a 100, or less, year old car in the fabulous California seaside hills and roads. I think a fair statement of the event would be, that it is for the drivers, but one can sneak a look if one is diligent.

We decided to change our approach and add a day to our weekend of coverage. This would allow us to be on hand for the early morning start that would take place in the forest of Pebble Beach. 5:00AM is not a fun time for this writer but the light, cool smells, and action more than makes up for the early awakening.

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Clara Cunningham Photo
We may be early but the crowd is all ready here.

Clara Cunningham Photo
Ferraris, Auburns. The selection is over the top.

Clara Cunningham Photo
1914 Mercedes Grand Prix Race Car from the Collier Collection, Naples, Florida. Five of these Mercedes Grand Prix cars started the French Grand Prix near Lyon on Duly 4, 1914, just be for the start of World War I

Clara Cunningham Photo
State of the art in 1914
1914 Mercedes Grand Prix Race Car from the Collier Collection, Naples, Florida.

1913 Fiat Type 56 7 Passenger Touring
This car is still providing elegant touring today

Clara Cunningham Photo
Getting everything out of the box and ready to go is a huge job and takes an army of trucks and people.

Early morning start for a drive in the Carmel mountains and Big Sur coast arriving at lunch in Carmel by the Sea.

Clara Cunningham Photo
The slower cars leave first in an orchestrated attempt to have all arriving in Carmel at the same time

Clara Cunningham Photo
The 102 year old 1910 Mercer Model 30 Touring car is loaded and racing down the road displaying great dignity

The 1929 Mercedes-Benz SS Barker Roadster having 10 years of development over the first grouping drives off with much better passenger comfort against the early morning chill

A 1924 Rolls-Royce 20 HP Barker Tourer
The Maharana of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India, Arvind Singh Mewar, is here to drive this car in the 'Tour' prior to displaying it in the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elgance, Cars of the Maharaja section.

This 1930 Delage D8 Figoni Cabriolet from Bangalore, India was originally ordered by the young Maharaja Holkar of Indore, and is also displayed in Cars of the Maharaja section.