2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
By Martin S. Cousineau
Photos by Michelle Herrera Cousineau
Best of Show photo by Kimball Studios/Courtesy of Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance marked its sixtieth anniversary this past August. Befitting the occasion, the earth’s orbit around the sun was temporarily suspended for the day so that the earth could revolve around Pebble Beach. In revenge, the sun did not shine and cool temperatures prevailed. But, for those who braved the elements, it was worth it!
The stellar automobiles did not disappoint. The Pebble Beach Concours is unique and always new. Previous entrants cannot enter again for 10 years except by rare circumstance or special invitation. So each August a new crop of “the best cars in the world” appears, somehow better than the last, and the entered automobiles never fail to take one’s breath away.<!--break-->
This year’s featured marques were Alfa-Romeo, Jaguar, and Pierce-Arrow. We will be concentrating on our CCCA Classics®, of course, but there were plenty of magnificent Classics® in these categories and more!
While the event has many diverse cars and classes, big American and European Classics® are the core of the show, as they were sixty years ago when the concours was born, and only thirty cars were entered. As usual, Best of Show and the three runners up were all Classics®. This is no accident.
After all, we, the CCCA®, are the club devoted to the “best cars in the world”!
The Best of Show nominees were a 1929 Bentley Speed Six Park Ward Open 2 Seater, a 1939 Delage D8 120 Henri Chapron Cabriolet, and a 1930 Duesenberg J Graber Cabriolet. The Best of Show trophy ultimately went to the 1933 Delage D8S De Villars Roadster owned by the Patterson in Louisville, KY., but it was a contest too close to call ahead of time!
Other recognized “Automotive Celebrations” included the 50th anniversary of the Ferrari 250 GT SWB and the cars of Pinin Farina. The author’s favorite car of the show (tied with the above ’29 Bentley Speed Six) was the 1931 Cadillac V-16 Pinin Farinia Convertible owned by Robert Lee of Nevada. Rarely has American “heavy metal” looked so graceful!
Another entry caught our attention. The late photography legend Ansel Adams was a longtime judge at the concours, and a special award bears his name. This year’s honoree, a 1934 Pierce-Arrow 836A Cantrell Station Wagon, looks ready for a great American road trip. We are sure Ansel Adams would approve!
Quite a few SoCal CCCA members participated in the concours, and a number were acknowledged with class awards and special trophies. Jack and Helen Nethercutt were honored with the Lorin Tryon Award, presented in recognition of their significant contribution to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The award’s namesake served as the concours Co-Chairman for nearly three decades, with a commitment to excellence that drew the finest automobiles to the concours.
The spirit of excellence and refinement that brought Classics together sixty years ago still flourishes today. Vive the Classics at Pebble Beach!
The winner of the Mille Miglia Trophy and 2nd in class was a spectacular 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Touring Spider, owned by Hugh Taylor of London, England. This year, the concours paid tribute to the centennial of Alfa Romeo, with a display from the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo, the Alfa Romeo Museum in Italy, as well as rare, privately-owned examples from around the world.
“Alfa Romeos have gained prominence in recent years and are treasured by enthusiasts and loved as true driving machines,” said Sandra Button, chairman of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. “We’re pleased to have assembled such a significant group of Alfas for this year’s Concours, amazing vehicles crafted by gifted engineers and designers that have helped shape 20th century automotive technology and racing history.”
Best of Show, 1933 Delage D8S De Villars Roadster was selected from a field of competitors from 33 states and 14 countries. For owner Jim Patterson, of The Patterson Collection in Louisville, Kentucky, it was a defining moment. “There are so many things about this car that are special. We’ve won (with other cars) at a lot of concours, but never here. This win at Pebble is the ultimate. This is the one win that really matters.”
Concours Chairman Sandra Button extolled the virtues of the car: “This Delage has a short wheelbase that makes it look more rakish, but it still has a long and elegant look,” said “It did 110 miles-per-hour in its day; it could race and was stunningly beautiful. This car could do it all; it embodied style, speed and comfort.”
A footnote: the Thursday before the Sunday Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, concours entrants participate in an optional 50+ mile road rally along the spectacular Monterey Peninsula Coast. View the photo gallery of the eye-catching Tour and 2010 Pebble Beach Concours.