The Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance is a testament to “elegance in motion,” a multi-million-dollar cavalcade of the finest vintage and classic cars in the world that undertake a scenic 75-mile cruise around the Monterey Peninsula in their participation in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
The Tour started in 1998 to showcase the beauty and elegance of the automobile as concours entrants motor along the spectacular 17-Mile Drive from the Pebble Beach Lodge and Equestrian Center on a route that then sends them a lap around the track at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
From the track, the Tour glides down the California coast on Highway 1, which hugs the dramatic cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean on the way to Big Sur where they make their turn-around at the Ripplewood Resort.
A pass over the engineering wonder of Bixby Bridge is a sight to behold both to photographers and spectators, who line the roadsides for this rolling classic car show.
A gourmet lunch stop in Carmel-by-the-Sea gives opportunity to hundreds of spectators to feast their eyes on about 150 automotive treasures that are seldom seen by the general public.
Where else can one see a rare Tatra, a classic Hispano Suiza or a steam-powered car side step a Ferrari Testa Rossa or a Maserati racecar?
The Tour is open to all entrants in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It is not mandatory, but if two cars tie when the judges score them in their various classes on Sunday, the vehicle that successfully finished the Tour wins the higher award.
wish I could have seen this tour passing over the Bixby bridge when I was in California in 1999 and 2002, but the timing just wasn’t right.