curve lover

After the months of logistics, planning, & pre-dawn patience, it was finally time for the Pebble Beach Concours to take the world stage!






^^ Credits: © Rod Hatfield & Michael Shanks

curve lover

Remember this 1953 Siata 208CS Balbo Berlinetta, winner of the Dawn Patrol line-up?

By the time the official entrance procession began, new layers of condensation were settling on its rear window.

curve lover

Having earned the right to enter the field 1st by waiting in the dark dampness for hours, the 208CS got rolling fast!




Photographers running to catch up on the cold wet grass:

curve lover

^^ Similar to my 'Jäger shots' , Road & Track Magazine shows the early morning excitement you wouldn't see the rest of the day:

Ties flapping from running with cars in motion through the mist!

curve lover

More recap shots of the rainy Concours kick-off by flickr.com's Beetlebomb Pohutukawa, using the lighting from Pebble Beach's spotlight to illuminate the early dark morning:

curve lover

From the cars' shadows + needed headlight usage, see how useful the overhead spotlight was that early in the morning.

Look for wet windshields + rain in front of their head/foglights.




^^ From CarAndDriver.com

curve lover

Spotlight in the background


^^ By Michael Shanks

curve lover

Now that I've spoiled you with pros' pics ^^

Back to 'Jäger shots'

Spotlight:

FrenchToast

Mmmmmm. I like that BMW 507!

Take care,

curve lover

Good eye & good taste, Toasty

More delicious pics for everyone's eyes to eat up are the way!

Enjoy a shot from the preceding Tour d'Elegance, when it was sunny & warm on an earlier day:

curve lover

Back to the 'Dawn Patrol,' & a significant life event (for this car guy, anyway):

Although most of these high-tier autos lead pampered lives, that doesn't mean that they run often or enough, or that they want to start up at 4 AM.
You'd be surprised how many of them stall or worse when it's time to crank engines to drive in.

Comfortably hidden in the crowd, I was talking to a friend when we heard a dramatic bang & saw a big cloud behind 1 car, like this:




We recognized it as a mutual friend's car as it lost engine power & dramatically slowed. Almost to our own surprise, we watched our legs start running out to help without thinking, leaving the safe role of spectating.

We pushed it forward. When forward became uphill & impossible, we pushed it out of the way of traffic. ...all while hoping not to slip & face-plant into the wet grass with our slick-soled shoes
...But at least the world was watching You could hear hundreds of shutters clicking as photographers on both sides of the lane went for the 'action shot'



^^ Credits: © Rod Hatfield & eGarage.com

curve lover

^^ Not exactly the way you'd dream of making your debut on the world stage of the famous PB Concours, eh?

What a way to start the day
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1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Spider Zagato:

To continue the success of the 6C 1500 Super Sport and 6C 1750 Grand Sport, Alfa Romeo had Vittorio Jano design an eight cylinder engine with the same features as the 6C models. This 2336 cc engine was mounted on both the short and long wheel-base chassis, including Alfa'a P3 Grand Prix car, to dominate an array of motor sport events. Read about Alfa's 8C 2300.




1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Le Mans Spider Zagato (Concours Class 8C, Rally Cars):

To continue the success of the 6C 1500 Super Sport and 6C 1750 Grand Sport, Alfa Romeo had Vittorio Jano design an eight cylinder engine with the same features as the 6C models. This 2336 cc engine was mounted on both the short and long wheel-base chassis, including Alfa'a P3 Grand Prix car, to dominate an array of motor sport events. Read about this car.

curve lover

Not print-quality to hang on your wall, but I hope everyone enjoys these rolling shots with their owners.

Static shots are much more commonly found all over the web; these perspectives may add insight or personality to the event.




1942 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet:
In 1942 Lincoln drastically modified the Continental to include a larger front end and dashed headlight surrounds. Although this model year was cut short due to the onset of WWII, these new features influenced the Continental of 1946. Read about this car.

curve lover

I've been called a vampire from friends because I wear sunglasses anytime the sun's out.
But at dawn's first rays through the fog? Nope, not like this lady
It was much darker outside than these photos allude to.




1969 Lamborghini Islero S

In 1969, Lamborghini improved their 2+2 with numerous changes including a slightly more powerful 350 bhp V12 engine. With many upgrades to the mechanics, aethetics and interior, the Islero S was a much better and was sometimes called the Islero 400 GTS. Read about this car.

curve lover

1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Le Mans
Concours Class 8C, Rally Cars:

To continue the success of the 6C 1500 Super Sport and 6C 1750 Grand Sport, Alfa Romeo had Vittorio Jano design an eight cylinder engine with the same features as the 6C models. This 2336 cc engine was mounted on both the short and long wheel-base chassis, including Alfa'a P3 Grand Prix car, to dominate an array of motor sport events. Read about this car.




1914 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Van den Plas Belgium Torpedo
Concours Class H-1, Rolls-Royce Prewar:

In its first few years of production, the Silver Ghost was the best touring car in the world. The very first example, #60551 bodied by Barker Roi de Belges, is the most valuble car in the world. Built in 1906 before regular prodution began, it finished some very public durability tests which set the standard for all Rolls-Royces that followed. Read about Silver Ghosts.