Pebble Beach: home of most prestigious motoring events

Pebbly beaches are awful aren't they? I mean, you can't sit on them like you can on sandy beaches, nor can you walk on them much. But there's one pebble beach we'd do anything to visit. OK, so it isn't really a beach. And thankfully, it doesn't have any pebbles. What it does have is the finest selection of the rarest automobiles and motorcycles in the world, spanning over a hundred years of automotive style and technology. They come together on the third Sunday of August every year at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Monterey, California. This, ladies and gents, is the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

It is one of the most prestigious automotive events in the world, open to both pre and postwar collector cars. You'll find everything from postwar Porsches to historic Bugattis. These are then judged for their beauty and authenticity. It isn't just about the cars though, as art exhibitions, auctions and charity raffles also play their part.

What started out as a small social gathering with just 30 cars has evolved into a huge charitable event with more than 200 cars taking part.

The Concours was founded in 1950 as  a bonus attraction to the Pebble Beach Road Race, and a handful of cars were exhibited at the Beach Club near Del Monte Lodge.

In 1952, the event moved to the famed finishing hole, the breathtaking 18th green of the Golf Links, overlooking Carmel Bay. It's been home to the show ever since. It attracts thousands of enthusiasts from all over the world. They either participate or sit back and enjoy the show in the company of others with the same passion.

Collectors are known to spend thousands of dollars in restoring classics in the hope of being honoured with the Best of Show award, and most of the cars are valued in excess of hundreds of thousands of dollars, even into the millions. No wonder it's considered the premier concours in the world.