An Automotive History of Pebble Beach!
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MotorTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC]
00:10 It was one act of a two-act play.
00:13 Racing enthusiast Sterling Edwards was looking for
00:16 a location for a proper European-style road race.
00:18 [SOUND]
00:21 What better place than scenic 17-mile drive at Pebble Beach on the Monterey
00:25 Peninsula?
00:26 [MUSIC]
00:29 Edwards pitched the idea to Jack Morse, son of Pebble Beach founder Samuel F.
00:33 B. Morse, and got an enthusiastic okay.
00:36 [MUSIC]
00:37 Alton Walker, a local resident with a love of antiques and vintage automobiles,
00:41 would be in charge of a Concours d'Elegance,
00:44 a European element reflecting the tradition of early car shows in France.
00:48 [MUSIC]
00:49 32 cars were entered in that first Concours, and for the initial five years,
00:53 the show was as much about new production cars as vintage machines.
00:56 [MUSIC]
00:58 Then, in 1955, enter Phil Hill.
01:02 The future Formula One champion for Ferrari had won the first Pebble Beach feature
01:06 race in 1950, and the main event again in 1955.
01:10 [MUSIC]
01:13 That same day, he also took best of show at the Concours with the 1931
01:17 Pierce Arrow LeBaron Town Cabriolet he had restored with his brother, Jerry.
01:21 Hill's win changed the focus of the Concours to one in which collector cars
01:27 are king.
01:27 This tradition continues today and
01:30 has become adapted by many Concours events around the world.
01:33 [MUSIC]
01:36 The 1956 Pebble Beach Road Races proved this circuit through the forest
01:40 was too inherently dangerous.
01:42 The event was abandoned, and a group of local enthusiasts managed to create
01:46 nearby Laguna Seca racetrack as its replacement.
01:49 The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance became a one-act show in 1956, and
01:56 has now enjoyed a successful run of 66 years.
01:59 These days, the show begins on Thursday when many of the cars travel
02:04 the Monterey Peninsula on the Tour d'Elegance, proving these classic cars
02:09 do indeed still drive while bringing their beauty to the community.
02:13 And come Sunday, the 200 plus vehicles are elegantly arranged on the 18th green of
02:18 the fabled Pebble Beach Golf Links.
02:20 The Concours has become a truly international event.
02:25 Look through the program and
02:26 you'll find the entries come from many of our 50 states and a variety of countries.
02:30 They are among the most desirable automobiles in the world, renowned for
02:36 their speed, technical prowess, cultural impact, and of course, beauty.
02:40 [MUSIC]
02:42 So it's not surprising that this once single of a two-act play has become
02:46 the most famous Concours d'Elegance on the planet.
02:49 [MUSIC]