The 2019 Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance

So now we know: the wraps are off this year’s contenders for Best of Show, and earlier today they wowed spectators lining the route of the Highway Patrol-escorted drive from Pebble Beach to Big Sur and back again.

It’s Bentley’s Centennial this year. To celebrate, nearly 60 of the quintessentially British cars took the start at nine o’clock prompt this morning. As always, the organisers pulled out all the stops and spectators at the parked startline by the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center enjoyed the sight of three original Blowers (numbers 1, 3 and 4) and a host of other cars, including Dawn and David Gooding’s own 6½ Litre Sports Tourer by Vanden Plas. Production at Crewe was represented by several R-Types and S1s. A Bentley Best of Show on Sunday? Don’t bet against it.

Alongside the rumble of Vintage Bentleys, cutting through the clear Californian air was the unique thrumming and tearing sound of supercharged Bugattis. As the Tour is escorted by the good guys from ‘CHIPS’, anything goes. So, three Type 50 Grand Prix cars tore along 17-Mile Drive, down 1 to Big Sur. Surely, a highlight of the day.

Pebble being Pebble, there were Ferraris by the score and the skilled Ferrari judges will have their work cut out on Sunday. Personal favourites included the ex-Maranello Concessionaires 1967 412P, David and Ginny Sydorick’s 1956 250 GT Berlinetta by Zagato and Les Wexner’s 1954 375 Plus. Yes, THAT 375 Plus.

This year seems to be the year of the Miura (isn’t there a book coming out?). A special class for the original ground-breaking supercar included the Shah of Iran’s first Miura P400 and the fearsome SVR hot-rod. Speaking of which, original 1950s ’rods are in a class of their own. It was ever thus.

So, bring on Sunday. Can the curse of the post-War car at Pebble Beach be broken? Only a few days to find out.