From our Archives, September, 2016
Story and photos by Michael T. Lynch
The Capstone
The Pebble Beach Concours is the emotional finish of Holy Week on the Monterey Peninsula. Events continue into the next week, but none can match the feeling of climax that the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance provides.
If your pilgrimage is five days or longer, the fall days are losing enough sunlight that it seems one is leaving in the summer and returning home in fall. Certainly, it is clear that another year has passed.
In the old days that would bother me. I used to think of the missed opportunities of the year gone by. The fact that the car in the back of my roofer’s shop didn’t turn out to be a round-door Wombat that I could buy for a fraction of its market value; the fact that another year had slipped away without taking part in the Monterey Historic Automobile Races as a participant, etc. I also liked to bitch about how many of my old buddies from years gone by were priced out of attending, more every year.
Now I thank my lucky stars for the automotive events I have taken part in, from vintage racing at Lime Rock, Blackhawk Hills, etc., to attending the first Goodwood Circuit Revival Meeting and Ferrari’s 50th Anniversary celebration in Modena and Rome to taking a honeymoon on the Colorado Grand. I also appreciate time with those who have survived my time frame and still show up, even though the frenetic pace caused by more and more events seems to make those visits shorter each year. There’s barely time to find out if their kids are out of rehab or got that fellowship to Cambridge or had an equity event at their startup.
The Pebble Beach Concours still brings me as much pleasure as it did those many years ago when I first attended. Each year when I leave, I think, “How in hell are they going to put on a show next year that can approach what I’ve just seen.” Somehow, the organizers almost always exceed my expectations. However, like fine wines, some years are of especially good vintage.
This year was no exception. For lovers of French and Italian cars, which VeloceToday readers definitely are, it was a veritable feast. Classes included Chapron Coachwork, Chapron Delahayes, Delahaye Prewar, Delahaye Postwar, Ferrari Grand Touring, Ferrari Competition, Fiat Custom Coachwork, Bizzarrini and a class for the Lamborghini Miura’s 50th Anniversary. Italian and French cars were also seen in classes like European Classic Early, European Classic Late, Prewar Preservation, Postwar Preservation, Postwar Touring and Postwar Sports Racing.
It won’t happen again soon, so enjoy your walk down the show field on Stillwater Bay.
Sean Smith says
Yes Bradly Farrell, was sitting on the car as he had no true respect for it, the same for any of his cars. According to newspaper reports, the cars were taken away from him to settle debts from an auction house he created where employees, contractors, charities, and customers were not paid.