For many car enthusiasts the third week in August is known simply as Pebble week. The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is the longest running event during a week that features an insane amount of classic cars in breathtakingly beautiful settings. For 56 years the show has attracted a who’s who of famous automotive names and an equally impressive list of entries.

Nine years ago the Concours organizers decided to add an additional event to the Concours activities. They envisioned a drive along the coast as a way to curtail what they saw as the over-restoration of prized automobiles into trailer queens that couldn’t be driven more than a few hundred feet without fear of depreciation or breakdown.

And so the Tour was born. The Tour d’Elegance is now the official kick-off for the Concours weekend. This year’s ninth annual Tour d'Elegance was held on Thursday, August 17. Cars competing in Sunday's big event were invited to participate in the 60-mile drive along 17-Mile Drive and the Coast Highway.

Although the official schedule showed an 8:30 a.m. start time, those in the know were sure to arrive by 7:00 to watch the multi-million dollar vehicles being lowered from their transports onto the polo fields adjacent to the Pebble Beach Golf Links. Fast-Autos had three staff members on hand to record everything for you, our loyal readers.

Trying to capture every detail of 130 cars that could each fill an entire book still managed to be a chore. But we persevered and had a lot of fun in the process. Benzes, Ferraris, and Jags led the field, which headed out in three groups beginning at 8:30 a.m. We drove up the road a bit to capture some images of the group as they wove through the forests of intertwined cypress and towering Monterey pines.

After the second group had passed we moved out to PCH and set up near the breathtaking Bixby Bridge: Nate at the approach, Frank on the bridge entry and Drew high atop a mound at the far end of the span. A slight snag had us baking in the sun for about an hour between groups, but when the first car of each set came into view, it turned into a three ring circus as cameramen and onlookers hustled into position.

Following their police escort, it was amazing to see and hear these priceless autos being driven with gusto. A Gullwing being piloted by Sir Stirling Moss, Testa Rossa driven by Bruce Myer with navigator Steve Saleen grinning ear to ear, Jaguar C-Types, Ferrari 250s, even a few race cars made the shoot pretty enjoyable even with the precipitous thousand foot drop a mere inches away.

After passing the bridge, entrants lunched at Devendorf Park in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea, where the cars were parked along Ocean Avenue for public viewing. This gives locals who can’t necessarily justify the $175 ticket prices for Sunday’s Concours a great chance to see the cars for free.

Because of the delay between groups we were fortunate to see the first group returning from the turnaround point just as the second group reached the bridge. Spectacular images from each vantage point and an additional one as we moved up the hill to view group three chugging up the grade as group two returned towards Pebble. Almost every participant finished and was rewarded with a green ribbon that would act as a bonus in Sunday’s judging.

Tour participants were also able to visit the picturesque properties of Monterra Ranch and Clint Eastwood's Tehama, and enjoyed a catered gourmet lunch, a champagne celebration at the finish, and commemorative gifts for all. Quite a special kick-off for a great week of cars, sites and stars.