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Pebble Beach Automotive Week and The Classic Car Grand Slam

07 August 2010

 

Most of us in the automobile industry at some time has thought to him or herself, "this is a great business. I am lucky to be in the car business. Its better than....... (fill in the blank)". Sure it's tough, competitive, prone to epic highs and lows. But at it's core, most of us are happy to work in a business where so many people are passionate about our products, new ones and classics.

 

This week, as the Jaguar and Land Rover teams prepare for the epic Pebble Beach Automotive Week, I am proud to have accomplished 'The Classic Car Automotive Grand Slam', (but not all in one year). In my mind, the three greatest automotive heritage events are the The Goodwood Festival of Speed in the U.K., The Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise in Detroit, and The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Of course Dream Cruise and Pebble take place on the same August weekend, so I required two years to achieve it. All three reflect automotive passion taken to hysteria‑like levels.

 

 

Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2009

 

Woodward Dream Cruise is not so much a day, as it is a month long muscle car celebration by hundreds of thousands of car owning enthusiasts that culminates in one big day of car partying. No tickets are required, though some are 'issued'. Weeks before and after the Dream Cruise, there are folks sitting in folding chairs on the side of the road with coolers watching classics cruise.

 

Woodward Dream Cruise 2008

 

You have never seen this many cool cars in one place at one time. I went with my muscle car maven father and 8 year old daughter. I was proud to be an American car guy. If you haven't gone, you should.

 

 

Woodward Dream Cruise 2008

 

This year's Festival of Speed in England featured, as always, race cars from the last 100 years. Not sitting on display, but ripping up a track with times posted on the big board. Hay bales were hit! The top speed went to a madman driving a British racing Toyota Celica?? Guy next to me watching the in‑camera shots on the big screen of the Toyota driver's run says to me: "That guys a real driver". Another minute goes by and they announce he had the day's best time. Earning cheers for style, not speed were American NASCAR and European Rally cars, which satisfied the fans' desire to inhale donut‑induced burnout smoke.

 

The Goodwood Festival of Speed 2010

 

Then a tractor trailer with a blues band on it pulls out on the track: Jeff Beck, Billy Gibbons and Jimmie Vaughan drive up in their hot rods and start playing Hendrix??? This went on for two days.

 

 

The Goodwood Festival of Speed 2010 

 

So coming up August 12‑15 is Pebble Beach Automotive Week. Of course, its centered around the Sunday Concours, which is, of course, amazing. I recommend getting there with about 1,000 other folks at 6 AM, in the fog of the Pacific, to applaud the entrants as they drive (sometimes push) their masterpieces onto the showfield. But to me, the best part of Pebble is the automotive passion gone overboard outside the Concours. Bentley Blowers parked in the hotel parking lot, alongside rows of heartbreaking classic Ferraris, Jags, and Benzs. These aren't show cars, this is what the attendees drive there in.

 


This coming weekend at Pebble, Jaguar will be celebrating its 75th Anniversary. From the kickoff party on Thursday at the Lodge clear through Sunday's Concours judging, Jaguar (its history and its future) will be on peoples' minds. All of us at Jaguar are honored to be a part of it. We will have daily updates, pictures and videos from Pebble Beach weekend posted here on www.interactivejaguar.com.
 

In summary, people just flat out love cars. I have seen it in person at these three spectacular events. So thats my Grand Slam. Whats yours? Perhaps Daytona, Indy and Le Mans?