Summer 2026

Best in Class 75 Year s of Elegance — and the Woman Who Helped Define It B Y R ENE E B R I NCK S C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 6 117 Photo: Julian P. Graham/Pebble Beach Company Lagorio Archives L ong before the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance became a high-profile international affair, it was the social sidebar to a new motorsports event. Drivers skirted around Monterey pines and sped through hairpin turns during the first Pebble Beach Road Race in November 1950. The Del Monte Forest course was outlined as interest in sports cars and road racing—already pop- ular in Europe—expanded in the United States. To fill time between Saturday’s practice sessions and Sunday’s com- petition, organizers lined up a low-key display of new sports cars. “The car show was created almost on the fly,” says local racer and historian Rob Manson, who showcases Pebble Beach Road Race sto- ries and cars through the Del Monte Trophy Race Group. “It became what we know as the most prestigious car show in the world.” The road races continued through 1956, when a tragic accident triggered a move to the purpose-built track at nearby Laguna Seca. But the Concours kept gaining speed. The 75th celebration, on Sunday, August 16, 2026, wraps up 10 days of car events across the Monterey Peninsula. The official Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance calendar includes Gooding Christie’s auctions, panel discussions, manufacturer displays, a memorabilia marketplace and other events within the gates of Pebble Beach. Before entrants line the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links, many also participate in driving tours that put museum- quality competition cars in motion.