The Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance 2011 was held Thursday, August 18th, starting and ending at the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center in Pebble Beach, California. The annual scenic 60-mile trip around the Monterey Peninsula, held in association with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, is open to vehicles that are participating in the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours on Sunday, August 21st. This year saw over 150 historic automobiles from 13 different countries take off from Pebble Beach for a tour of the region’s scenic driving routes.
Initiated to showcase the elegance of the automobile in motion, the Tour also underscores the early history of the place that is Pebble Beach. Decades before golf links were laid out along the edge of the Pacific Ocean, this area was known for its scenic drive, winding for miles through pine and cypress forest, dancing alongside dramatic cliffs and leading, ultimately, to a beautiful crescent-shaped bay.
Three separate starts grouped the cars together as they set off across the start line, past the Pebble Beach Lodge and on to the famous 17-Mile Drive. The Tour then continued through the region’s valleys, hills, forests and dramatic cliff sides, touching on California Highway 1 in the direction of Big Sur until participants hit their turn-around destination at the Ripplewood Resort. Tour participants enjoyed a gourmet lunch in Carmel-by-the-Sea, plus a champagne celebration at the finish and commemorative gifts.
As mentioned, the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance is open to all entrants in the 2011 edition of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It is important to note that the Tour and the Concours are directly linked. If two vehicles tie in class competition at the Concours, the vehicle that successfully completed the Tour gets the nod.
Similar to our 2010 Tour d’Elegance coverage, Tim Scott of Fluid Images also documented the 2011 Pebble Tour. He offers the following 150 images that show the diverse selection of cars entered in the Concours, plus the breathtaking views of the Pacific Coast seen on the Tour. To see more from Tim, visit fluidimages.co.uk.
Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance 2011 – Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture)
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Ferrari 250 GTOs at Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance 2011 – Video
[Source: Pebble Beach Concours; photo credit: Tim Scott / Fluid Images]
Those are some impressive images. Not only are the cars amazing, but the scenic backdrop really adds something too.