A Day at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Car Show
As an audio company that prides itself in craftsmanship, design, and performance, Master & Dynamic teamed up with Aston Martin to create a brand experience store in Carmel-by-the-Sea. It gave visitors a chance to explore a virtual test drive of the new DB11 while using Master & Dynamic headphones. It also included interactive displays with clay models that revealed the craftsmanship that goes into each design.
After the "Aston Martin on Ocean" event ended on August 20, the festivities continued at Concours d’Elegance, which I was lucky enough to attend. Though I grew up surrounded by a family that’s obsessed with racing—from IndyCar and Nascar, to off-road racing—this was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. As one of the most honored events at Pebble Beach Automotive Week, it brings together 200 of the rarest cars onto Pebble Beach Golf Links, and hands out prizes based on elegance, historical accuracy, technical merit, and style.
Lining the water on the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links was a grouping of sporty race cars ranging from the ‘50s through the ‘70s—all of which had their own distinctive character and action-filled histories. The blue and orange car in the front is a 1968 Ford GT40 Mirage, which came from Sandy, Utah. During its time, it marked the first win for the blue and orange Gulf livery, which has now become legendary. It also was used as a camera car in the film Le Mans by Steve McQueen.
Whether or not you fully understand all of the nitty-gritty details that go into these machines, it's hard not to appreciate the design and the rich history they hold. Wandering around Pebble Beach, I couldn't help noticing the devotion that the car owners held for these specimens and the care that’s gone into preserving them. Scroll through the following images to see some of the highlights and a number of design details that were groundbreaking when they were developed.
Brought to the event by the Revs Institute for Automotive Research, Inc. in Naples, Florida, this 1966 Ford GT40 raced for the first time at the 12 Hours of Sebring race in 1966. After enduring several eventful races, it concluded its career after participating at Montlhéry. It’s been carefully preserved ever since.
Coming from Portland, Oregon, this Porsche 356 SL Coupe was one of only four cars that were prepared for the 24 Hours of le Mans race in 1951. It was the only one that made it to the race without crashing. Though it finished 20th overall, it won first in its class (1100 cc), which became Porsche’s first win in an international race and marked the beginning of its extended connection to international endurance racing.
Towards the end of 1958, Maserati developed this front-engined, 2-liter prototype Tipo 60 at a time when many race car designers were starting to lean towards rear-engined builds. In 1959, it was tested for the first time on the road between Modena and Verona, and went on to partake in multiple races. It retired at the end of 1963.
In 1939, Carrozzeria Touring in Milan built this "superleggera" body on a BMW 328 chassis to be used for long-distance racing. Its lightweight and aerodynamic shape allowed it to hit a top speed of 137 and completed the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1939.
Shown from the back, the touring coupé completed its last race at the Ruhestein Hillclimb in 1946—the first German race held after World War II. After BMW Classic restored it to its original condition, it was put on display at the BMW Museum in Munich, German.
Built in 1971, the Lamborghini Miura SV Bertone Coupé was the last and most developed creation of Lamborghini’s supercar. This particular one was the only version completed in Blue Medio and has been restored to its original color scheme. Notice how every detail of the interior is impeccably lined with matching blue leather.
The 1926 Hispano-Suiza H6B Chapron Cabriolet was re-bodied in 1931 by Henri Chapron for the 1932 Paris Salon de l’Automobile and is thought to have been owned by the king of Tunisia. After being brought to the U.S. in the ‘50s by Alec Ulmann, it was sold to Joe Weider in NY, who owned it for 40 years.
The experience would not have been complete without a wide array of attendees—all hailing from various backgrounds from all over the world. We had to capture this moment with one of the car’s owners.
Master & Dynamic’s headphones can be found at Aston Martin’s Dover Street boutique in London or at any of their global dealerships. To learn more about their range of audio accessories, make sure to read about their In-Residence series with indie band Wet.
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