Tour D'Elegance 2011 Gallery
In between the big name events and top dollar auctions of Pebble Beach, there are a few more minor events tucked away, and the Tour D'Elegance is one of them. This is the only opportunity to see cars from the Pebble Beach Concours actually move on the road, and let me tell you, it was pretty darn cool!My dad and I staked out an uncrowded vantage point right next to the road and watched the cars roll by. Even though they were only going about 35 mph, it was an absolute thrill to hear the GTOs go by, and when a Jaguar C-type snarled past me about 5 feet away, I nearly wet myself.The drivers were generally in a great mood, either waving or at least giving the motors a nice rev for us as they passed by. In an action-packed week where the increasingly big crowds and the meticulous judging put pressure on the car owners, this was clearly their chance to have some fun with their machines.Click on any of the pics above to access the 125-photo Gallery! Make sure to look at both pages of images!
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Reader Comments (8)
Marvelous photos!
Looks like the Bugattistes stayed away in droves this year - too much of a good thing, perhaps. Glad you caught the one that participated in the Tour.
If I'm not mistaken, the maroon Ferrari Lusso (third picture in the third row) is the ex-McQueen car.
Yes, there were surprisingly few French cars in general at the Concours, as the main focal points were Mercedes, Stutz and the Ferrari GTO.
Not sure if that Lusso is the McQueen car, but the owner must feel like he got a good value after watching the ex-McQueen 911S fetch 1.25M!
Very nice photos. They brought out a few of the Pebble Beach Stutz winners to Milwaukee along with the Lancia speciales and a Bosley special from the Peterson Museum. The Stutz cars were perfect. To bad about the Bugatti's. They are normally all over the place at both Laguna and Pebble. I know how much your father loves them. They also had a TZ3 on one of the trailers at Milwaukee. What do you think of it in person, since it was also displayed in California. The car was going to an owner in NY so you will see it around soon. I think it is street legal since it's built on a Viper chassis. I prefer the Maserati chassis TZ3.
Tom Tanner/Scale Designs/Ferrari Expo 2012-Chicago March 2012
I saw the TZ3 Stradale in person (will post photos) and it confirmed my view that it is oversized and vulgar. Also, the interior is clearly just a Viper...horror show. I love the TZ3 Corsa, and wish that had been present instead. Frankly all the new cars looked like shit next to the Caddilac Ciel, which was hands down the highlight of the new cars on display.
The Cadillac Ciel has been shown on Ultimatecarpage, the only place I've seen it. Unless the photos lie, I'd agree with you - with the exception of the klutzy front end. Very handsome, and it has all the bells & whistles any as-yet-to-be-deposed Mid East potentate would crave before ordering a fleet of them.
The front end is a little blunt looking, but still handsome in person. It's really the side and rear 3/4 that are stunning. The car is a study in subtely next to the "gym shoe" designs we are seeing all the time today. The Ciel was parked next to the BMW 328 concept and it just put it to SHAME. The BMW concept looked like a student project next to the Caddy.
I haven't said a kind word about a Cadillac for many years, and the current production crop rates among the worst. But I've been following these comments and just saw the Ciel feature above, and I must agree with you and Lance (he's my nephew, by the way, but that doesn't mean we can't agree about some things.). An elegant surprize!
The hommage (Mengele, ouch. How many of your readers will know who that was?) to the great BMW 328 is a MMonstrosity. How could all the smart people there go so far wrong?
Will there be more photos from different segments of your weekend. Excellent so far -- looking forward to more.
And I always enjoy the comments. It takes all kinds.