Palmskee Photography

Staging Concours Greatness

Posted on February 14, 2018     Leave a Comment

I always proclaim to be a car enthusiast before car photographer because I loved cars before I even picked up a 35mm camera. I must admit, however, my interest in events correlates somewhat to my ability to get clean, interesting photographs. Events where cars and people are cheek by jowl admittedly have less draw than those with uncrowded, open spaces prime for photography. There are a few events during the course of the year, however, that are exceptions to this rule and the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance is foremost on that short list of exceptions. More specifically, the dawn gathering of Tour d’Elegance cars at the Pebble Beach Polo Fields immediately before they set off for their tour of the Monterey Peninsula. Before dawn, the car hauler rear doors begin lowering, exposing the priceless automobiles inside to the cool and foggy Pebble Beach morning. Slowly but surely, and mechanic gods permitting, they make their way out of the transport field and begin lining Stevenson Drive. This year, Mercedes’ fronted the staging lineup with their new AMG GTR and the car that made AMG AMG, the “Rote Sau” SEL 6.8. Not two feet behind it was a lovely 300SL Roadster from the Mercedes Classic Center, and behind the SL sat a one-of-four Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti Spyder with an American flag draped over the rear. I could go on and on with the significance and sheer beauty of each Tour participant. Each car lined up on Stevenson will grace the 18th of Pebble Beach in a few days, but they will be spread out by class across the lawn and, barring the Dawn Patrol parade onto the show field, won’t be running. I maintain that Sunday’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is a bucket list item not just for car enthusiasts, but for anyone and everyone. The sense of occasion is unmatched, and anyone who hasn’t been is doing themselves a tremendous disservice. A few days before, however, I am getting the world’s best pre-screening of one of the premiere concours events in the United States.

For an hour or so on Thursday morning, incredible subsets of the Concours participants are parked two by two down a few hundred yards of tarmac. As they line up, the mixed crowd of drivers, passengers, media, and gawkers swarm each new entrant, seizing the opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with cars that, in some cases, haven’t been seen by the “general public” for years or even decades. The cars are the focus, but don’t be surprised if you turn around to find yourself face-to-face with niche automotive celebrities the likes of James Glickenhaus, David Gooding, and Wayne Carini. If not preparing their own cars, you’ll find them perusing the lineup and talking cars like everyone else. Being on the younger side of the demographic myself and with much to learn about the cars before me, I take special enjoyment in hearing the people who bought, found, restored, raced, and cared for each car discuss their histories in brief off-hand conversations. The sheer concentration of knowledge and priceless cars more than make up for an inability to get a crowd-less photo. And the fact that, barring mechanical issues, each and every car will fire up and drive off under its own power regardless of value or age makes this morning my favorite moment during Monterey Car Week.

Later that morning on a hillside along Highway 1, I will get photos of the cars in the scenic beauty of the Big Sur coast that will put to shame anything I am able to snap in the staging area, but as an enthusiast it simply doesn’t get better than that Thursday morning. So, for those uninitiated I have a recommendation: Bring a jacket for the cold, foggy morning, a coffee because you had to wake up before the crack of dawn, and ears primed to hear both incredible stories and the burbling and sputtering of the finest vintage cars you will ever set your eyes on.