We Watched the Pebble Beach Tour D’Elegance Zip By

The idea of “show cars” is a divisive one among car enthusiasts. While some people relish the chance to display an absolutely pristine car, there are many out there that feel these cars are meant to be driven. There’s perhaps no greater bastion of the “show car” mentality on earth than the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance, famous the world over.

For anyone who feels the cars on display at the Concours are mere trailer queens, the Pebble Beach Tour D’Elegance is an eye-opener. Every car that takes part in the Tour is a competitor in the Concours, and all of them are driven. The Tour winds through scenic forest roads above Monterey, California, through some of the most breathtaking driving roads in the state. As amazing as it is to see these dream machines up close when they’re stationary at the Concours, it doesn’t begin to compare to seeing them flash past at speed, engines roaring. The wail of Ferrari V12s and Porsche flat sixes reverberate against the trees as incredible, rare shapes flash past from Tatras to Talbot-Lagos. It’s an event that should be a pilgrimage for any Petrolisti, and at or near the top of the list for anyone at Monterey.

Photography by Otis Blank