Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance hits the spot

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Monterey Classic Car Week is made up of a number of exceptional events. The Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance presented by Rolex is perhaps the only one that properly showcases cars in their natural environment. Sending Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance cars on an 80-mile round trip south from the Monterey Peninsula to Big Sur, via various scenic roads, the Tour offers an exceptional opportunity to see at first hand a magnificent collection of vintage cars in motion.

The 2014 edition of the Tour proved a great adventure. Commencing under a gray, heavy fog-laden sky was perhaps not the most auspicious start. As the Tour progressed swirling mist gave way slowly to brighter skies as the cars left the Peninsula, taking in a lap around the dramatic motor-racing circuit course at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, home to the Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion. The light, and temperature, continued to improve as the cars then crossed the dividing range into Carmel Valley via Clint Eastwood's Tehama estate, a 2,040-acre swath of rolling hills and tree-lined rugged canyons that lies high above Monterey Bay and significantly just outside the fog belt.

Entrants in the Tour d'Elegance Presented by Rolex differ greatly in age, size, style and reliability: from steam driven antiques of the early 1900s, such as the White Model E driven by Jay Leno, to the powerful, provocative sports cars of the late1960s, including the 1967 Ferrari Dino 206 Competizione Pininfarina Coupe owned by James M. Glickenhaus. In between there is a host of pre-Second World War American and European grand touring cars, sporting the looks, and high-gleam polish of a Hollywood set, and occasionally concealing under their hoods stories seemingly pulled from the cinema.

When the cars leave Carmel Valley and hit Highway 1, the coastal road that stretches 655-miles from the redwoods of Leggett in northern California to Dana Point, just below Los Angeles in the south, the Tour also takes on a splendour befitting a film set. The section of road between Carmel-by-the-Sea and Big Sur is designated a national scenic byway, winding and hugging the cliffs, and passing various coastal parks. Built between 1919 and 1937, this segment crosses several historic bridges, including Bixby Creek Bridge, a reinforced concrete arch with a 320-foot (98-m) span, and the Rocky Creek Bridge.

The stars of the Tour are undoubtedly the cars, but on occasion the drivers and passengers too cast their own stardust on the show. Formula 1 legend, and Rolex ambassador, Sir Jackie Stewart co-drove his son Paul Stewart's 1967 275 GTB/4 Scaglietti Coupe. Stewart junior thoroughly enjoyed the experience, relishing the opportunity to put his pride and joy through its paces in company with his father who has been an Honorary Judge at Pebble Beach for many years: "It's more than great sharing a moment like this with my father. Originally he was not planning on doing the Tour. I persuaded him to come along and he's really enjoyed it." Something Sir Jackie confirmed during the lunch pause in Carmel: "It's always a great experience, but this was something special."

Reliability is an issue. It is one thing driving a vintage car short distances on the flat. The Tour, though, takes in all the ups and downs of the local countryside, showing little consideration for the age of the participant cars. A number fell by the wayside. Most took the demanding roads in their stride.

For Howard Kroplick, current owner of the 1937 Chrysler Imperial C-15 LeBaron Town Car originally built as a one off for Walter Chrysler founder of the Chrysler Corporation, the Tour d'Elegance presented by Rolex was virtually a test bed for his freshly-restored vehicle: "It was a little bit nerve-wracking going up all those hills. Today was the first day we actually ran the car for more than two miles. We ran 80 miles and she ran perfectly. We were extremely proud and I think Walter would have been proud too." Kropick goes into Sunday's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance knowing that should he be tied in with another vehicle during class judging his car's performance today may nudge the verdict in his favor.

Rolex has been involved in Monterey Classic Car Week since 1997, and the event forms a significant part of its association with the cardinal elements of motor sport: endurance, speed and tradition.