The Automotive Dream “One man and his dream had not simply left the world with an engine and four wheels; Henry Ford and his Model T had influenced people's everyday lives - where they lived, how they spent their leisure time, even how they viewed themselves.” - Gary...
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2023
Written by Irina
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Day 4
The much anticipated Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance day was finally here! We put on our best outfits, paired with sensible walking shoes, made sure our camera and phones were fully charged and headed to the prestigious golf course. The weather was impeccable; warm in the sun, cool in the shade. The sky was blue and people looked good.
The Concept Lawn
Our first stop was the Concept Lawn. We looked forward to it. Cars had slowly arrived over the previous days, but remained covered so we couldn’t see them, building our enthusiasm. Notably, we had a closer look at the new Lamborghini Electric Concept as well as the new Pininfarina Pura Vision SUV Concept. Both are exotics electric SUVs. Do these cars point to the future of the industry or only reflect temporary consumer trends? Honestly, the most exciting sighting on the Concept Lawn was seeing @supercarblondie stroll by.
The Concours
Our expectations did match reality when we entered the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance grounds. The site was breathtaking, the best competing cars in the world lined up the famous Pebble Beach shore. All the cars were in pristine condition. It took us the best part of the day just to walk and look at every car. To be truthful, we spent more time amongst the classics as they are extra special to us, but there were other more modern categories of cars on display too. This was one of those “you had to be there to understand” situations. We’ve been hearing about it so much, but the day still took our breath away.
Down a row, we saw a Horch very similar to the one in our Collection. It came all the way from Germany to California just to participate in this event! We learned that as soon as a car is accepted to be part of the Concours, their owner starts prepping it for the event. The preparations only end when the car is taken on the float on its way to Pebble Beach! Further down, we saw a detailing team hard at work at the event itself, making the Bugatti they were working on sparkle like no other.
Tradition
To those who are new to Pebble Beach, it is an event rich in tradition. It starts earlier in the week with the Tour d’Elegance. We caught up with the cars that completed the tour on Concours day. We could easily identify them by their green ribbons. The green ribbon, proof that a car completed the tour, gives it an advantage if it is scored equally with another car that hasn’t participated in the tour.
Another tradition is Dawn Patrol. Enthusiasts gather on the grounds in the earliest hours of the morning, even before sunrise, to watch the cars enter the golf course. The early birds get a collectible hat to reward them for their eagerness. Coffee and donuts are also served.
The Judging
During the day, experienced judges evaluate and score the cars on their merits. Some of the judges have been doing this for several decades! Every year, a new tie or scarf identifies the judges. These are also collectible items like the hats given at Dawn Patrol.
The cars are first judged within their category. The best car in each category gets to compete against the others to be crowned “Best of Show.” An important honor that carries weight in the car collecting world. This year, a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster, presented by Jim Patterson of the Patterson Collection of Louisville, Kentucky, won.
Special Announcement!
At the end of the day, we returned to our motel. Our heads were full of ideas for the future of Currus Dreems, and our hearts were full of incredible cars and their stories. If you’ve read this far, I would like to announce to you that we are now running a contest on Instagram and Facebook for the chance to visit the Demers Car Collection. To participate, follow us on Instagram, find the post announcing the contest, like it, and tag a friend you want to bring with you to the visit. To double your chances, do the same on Facebook! At the end of the week, we will randomly pick one winner on Instagram and one winner on Facebook. Each winner will receive an invitation for two to partake in a semi-private guided visit of the Demers Car Collection. You can find all the details in the posts!
