We go up to Monterey and Carmel every August for the annual classic car week. What can I say – it is a gearhead’s dream. Amongst other things there is Concorso Italiano, many different car auctions, the historic motor races at Laguna Seca and of course the Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach. So, we save our nickles and dimes and go each year. We have the added bonus of being able to drive up the California coast with friends to get there.
2010 was a particularly notable year at Concorso Italiano and Pebble Beach for us. My wife has an Alfa and as it was the 100th anniversary of Alfa Romeo there were lots of special Alfa displays etc. Also, Pebble Beach was celebrating the 75th anniversary of Jaguar. So, how could we miss it all! This year I also had the luxury of being driven up as a passenger (mechanic/navigator) in my wife’s Alfa for the trip and also for the Pacific Grove Rally in which she drove.
The Alfa Spider Veloce at Concorso Italiano 2010
Alfa Spider Line Up at 2010 Concorso Italiano
Picnic at 2010 Concorso Italiano
Pacific Grove Prior to Start of rally 2010
Now, for the Jaguar buff, the big event at Pebble Beach was a collection of 12 Jaguar XK-SS roadsters from the 1950’s. This was to mark the 75th anniversary of SS-Jaguar cars. When jaguar withdrew from racing in the 1950’s they had a number of D-type race cars left and they transformed some 25 of these into street-going XK-SS roadsters. Then a fire destroyed the remaining stock and that was the end of this model. They are incredibly beautiful looking cars and fabulously valuable – perhaps worth $4 to $5 million each! The other notable Jag is the famous Malcolm Sayer designed racing prototype XJ 13 which never raced due to a change of rules and then was wrecked in the 1970’s during a photo shoot and finally brought back to life! There was also a lovely Series I E-type on display. All in all a great week – despite distracting from the restoration work on my Jaguar!
Jaguar XK-SS Line Up 2010 Pebble Beach
Jaguar XJ 13 2010 Pebble Beach
Jaguar Series I E-type 2010 Pebble Beach
The Motorphile 
You are so right. I find out about this on a regular basis.
Awesome article.
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