{"id":45,"date":"2020-03-23T17:07:14","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T17:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pebblebeachconcours.net\/?page_id=45"},"modified":"2021-07-06T22:58:25","modified_gmt":"2021-07-06T22:58:25","slug":"history-traditions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.pebblebeachconcours.net\/history-traditions\/","title":{"rendered":"History & Traditions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Often said to be the world\u2019s premier celebration of the automobile, here is a look at some of the historic moments that have drawn enthusiasts to the Pebble Beach Concours d\u2019Elegance from its beginning in 1950 to the present.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Pebble Beach Road Races<\/h2>\n

The Pebble Beach Concours d\u2019Elegance began in tandem with the Pebble Beach Road Races in 1950, but in truth the Concours was a last-minute addition \u2014 a social gathering intended to add a bit of style to the much-anticipated main event.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 1950, I was driving my XK120,\u201d recalled racing great Phil Hill. \u201cAnd the most important event on the West Coast that year was to be the first Pebble Beach Road Race.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe race itself was all so new. We were driving through this forest, with just a bunch of snow fencing and hay bales lining the road. It was a real road race and I hadn\u2019t been in one before. There really hadn\u2019t been any such thing on the West Coast. The Pebble Beach Concours was decidedly subsidiary to the Race back then.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two events would continue together through 1956, when the death of Ernie McAfee brought racing to an end on the tight tree-lined roads of Del Monte Forest. A purpose-built raceway was constructed just inland, at Laguna Seca.<\/p>\n \n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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The Significance of the Green Ribbons<\/h2>\n

If you glance across the show field on Concours Sunday, you\u2019re sure to spy a host of cars sporting bright green ribbons \u2014 proof that they\u2019ve participated in one of our time-honored traditions, the Pebble Beach Tour d\u2019Elegance presented by Rolex. <\/p>\n

The Tour affirms one important fact: automobiles are not merely objects of beauty, they are designed to transport people from one place to another. <\/p>\n

Faced with criticism that concours beauties were too seldom driven, Concours Co-Chairmen Lorin Tryon and Jules \u201cJ.\u201d Heumann (at the urging of local car guy Craig Davis), decided in 1998 to ask Concours entries to prove themselves. They invited them to participate in a tour of the area \u2014 part driving test, part social outing \u2014 just a few days prior to the Concours. <\/p>\n

As incentive, they stipulated that cars that participated in the Tour would have the advantage if they tied in Concours class competition. Also on offer was a new Elegance in Motion trophy.<\/p>\n

Seventy cars, about a third of entrants, participated in that first Tour, and it was deemed a grand success. Today, about 80 percent of Concours competitors traverse the scenic 70-mile route of the Tour \u2014 and they are cheered by spectators all along the way.<\/p>\n

The route has changed over the years, variously incorporating a trip along Cannery Row, climbing steep Laureles grade, taking a turn at the track, or tracing the coast to Big Sur. But always waiting at the finish line are glasses of champagne and the gift of a green ribbon to mark each car\u2019s successful completion of the Tour.<\/p>\n \n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Dawn Patrol presented by Hagerty<\/h2>\n

When it began in the early 1990s, Dawn Patrol was really the Don Patrol. Don Williams and a few friends would gather at the car entry point to welcome entrants to the competition field of the Pebble Beach Concours d\u2019Elegance. Concours Co-Chairman Lorin Tryon was the person then standing at the entry point to greet each entrant, and Don was there in part to support him; the two men were longtime friends as well as colleagues at the Blackhawk Museum and the Blackhawk Collection. Dave Holls was a regular too \u2014 and Dave and Don often assessed the merits of each car as it drove past, debating which might garner the Best of Show trophy later in the day. And, yes, Don served coffee.<\/p>\n \n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Of Coffee, Doughnuts, Hats<\/h2>\n

Of course, it was Dawn Patrol\u2019s sponsorship by McKeel Hagerty beginning in the early 2000s that elevated this early morning ritual to its current level of popularity. In addition to offering coffee and doughnuts, Hagerty gave out a limited number of hats each year to the spectators who arrived first on site. Those hats are now among the most coveted items of Concours memorabilia. <\/p>\n

In recent years Dawn Patrol presented by Hagerty was drawing thousands of spectators several hours before the first glimmer of daylight. \u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019re at Dawn Patrol, I think we\u2019re at a Night Owl Watch,\u201d one group of attendees was heard to joke. The field now opens to spectators at 5:30 am.<\/p>\n \n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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The Race to Be First in Line<\/h2>\n

Before relaxing on the sidelines, Don Williams was the concours\u2019 most prolific entrant, showing several dozen cars at the Concours from the early 1970s to the early 1990s \u2014 and he was sought to be first on the field. <\/p>\n

\u201cFor years I prided myself on being the first one on the lawn on Sunday morning,\u201d he said. \u201cThen I heard Bob Atwell was known for being the first, so my goal was to beat him. But it\u2019s no fun to challenge someone unless you tell that person you are doing it. I did that, and Bob went by my room at 3:30 in the morning and raced his engine just to let me know he was out there and I would never beat him. That is what Pebble is about \u2014 that type of camaraderie.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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The Chairman Greets Each Entrant<\/h2>\n

Since Lorin Tryon first established the custom in the 1970s, the Concours Chairman stands at the entry point to the show field and welcomes each entrant to the famed 18th fairway of Pebble Beach. Jules \u201cJ.\u201d Heumann continued that tradition, as did Glenn Mounger. And today entrants are greeted by Chairman Sandra Button. <\/p>\n \n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Our Posters <\/h2>\n

The concours d\u2019elegance, with its focus on style, has always celebrated the art of the automobile. Cars themselves are objects of art, of course, but they\u2019ve long been the subject of art too; they have been portrayed in advertisements, brochures and catalogs. Such marketing materials were initially thought to have little lasting value, but that perception has changed over time.<\/p>\n

The first poster created to promote the Pebble Beach Concours itself appeared in 1958. The Concours was not held in 1960, and posters have not been found for 1961 or 1962, but posters have been created for every Concours since 1963. These posters vary dramatically in the mediums used, their style and vision, and the technology involved in their creation and printing, but all clearly celebrate the automobile.<\/p>\n \n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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The Best of Show Moment<\/h2>\n

At its core, the Pebble Beach Concours is a competition of elegance \u2014 and as with most pageants, there are stages in this contest and a countdown to the final winner.<\/p>\n

Before cars compete for Best of Show, they must first win their class, undergoing the expert eyes of Class Judges who assess their authenticity, the quality of their restoration or preservation, and their beauty, technical excellence, and history.<\/p>\n

Class winners are reviewed by a select group of individuals \u2014 comprised of Chief Class Judges, Honorary Team Leaders, the Chief Judge, the Chairman and the Chief Honorary Judge \u2014 who cast their vote for the best among them.<\/p>\n

Tensions mount as the top three to four vote-getters are called to stage to be recognized as Best of Show Nominees.<\/p>\n

The final winner is announced amidst an explosion of confetti and the popping of corks. Then media members and the audience encircle the winner.<\/p>\n \n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Judges Service Pins<\/h2>\n

Our success depends on the knowledge and experience of our judges, so we\u2019re proud to report that our most recent team of judges had more than 2,200 years of judging experience at the Pebble Beach Concours d\u2019Elegance.<\/p>\n

Top experts are invited to serve as judges here \u2014 and often their expertise is needed year after year. Judges with ten years of experience get a special service pin from Concours Chairman Sandra Button, and additional pin links are awarded for every five years of service thereafter. You\u2019ll see our most Senior Judges proudly sporting pins with links tallying over 45 years of service! <\/p>\n

At the same time, we have implemented a system for training new judges, who will be able to carry us into the future. <\/p>\n \n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Ties & Scarves<\/h2>\n

In the mid-1970s, the Pebble Beach Concours d\u2019Elegance partnered with local haberdasher Robert Talbott to design a unique gift for its judges \u2014 a tie they could wear as they went about their duties on the competition field. <\/p>\n

Initially, the tie was meant to be a one-time gift. But it was so well received that it was often repeated, and eventually it became a regular offering. The ties were soon dated and designed in keeping with each year\u2019s primary feature marque \u2014 a feature that enhanced their popularity as collector\u2019s items.<\/p>\n

The ties reflect the style of their times: they started at a width of 3 inches, grew to 4, and are currently 3\u00bd inches wide. Each year the concours also requests a couple bowties for judges who prefer that style (we hear you William Maxwell Davis!), and similarly patterned scarves have been added as women have joined the ranks. Ties are also often gifted now to entrants and officials.<\/p>\n \n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unique Stories, People & Memories<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1134,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/page-content-block.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-45","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe History and Traditions of Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Pebble Beach Concour's d'Elegance stands as the world's premiere car show. 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