PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. ? Traditions die hard on these golf greens, where car collectors have met for a weeklong celebration of rare metal since 1950.
When racing became too dangerous on the densely forested, scenic 17-Mile Drive on the Monterey Peninsula, the motorsports events were relocated to a nearby raceway. When various car-club gatherings outgrew the confines of the Pebble Beach Lodge parking lots, they were moved to nearby parks and golf courses.
But when the organizers of the Concours d?LeMons, the campy, counter-culture alternative to the swank Pebble Beach Concours d??l?gance, decided to throw in the towel this year, fans fretted there would be nowhere to showcase the auto industry?s best of its worst.
The Concours d?LeMons, a relatively recent addition to the Pebble Beach calendar, had been relegated a few years ago by municipal administrators to a county park, outside Monterey city limits. Organizers said they felt ?beyond marginalized.? Consequently, Hagerty, the classic car insurer, offered to sponsor instead a Tour d?LeMons, modeled after the Tour d??l?gance for concours entrants, held on the 17-Mile Drive.
?We didn?t know exactly what kind of turnout we?d get,? Jonathan Klinger, a Hagerty spokesman, said. ?But the response was overwhelming.?
Some 70 cars showed up. ?That?s the maximum number we had planned for,? Mr. Klinger said.
The rag-tag collection of automotive detritus met at a park in nearby Seaside for staging. After a brief welcome and driver?s meeting, the group fired its respective engines, producing a cloud of blue smoke, and headed out for its tour followed closely by a large tow truck.
There were, against all odds, no breakdowns. In a measure of pride, Mr. Klinger noted that six very expensive, meticulously maintained vehicles on Thursday?s invitation-only Tour d??l?gance suffered mechanical failures.
Something else rather astonishing happened on the tour. ?We left with 70,? Mr. Klinger noted. ?But came back with 90.?
Along the way, apparently a few other motorists with clunkers of their own decided they belonged in the procession.
It was difficult to pick favorites among such an eclectic group of automotive losers. A tiny 1970 Subaru 360 Deluxe painted in yellow-cab livery, owned by a couple from Lake Havasu City, Ariz., that drove it to the event, had been preselected by online voting as the tour?s grand marshal. There was also the usual assemblage of American rust-buckets, including the A.M.C. Gremlin, Ford Pinto and Chevy Cosworth Vega. A strong foreign contingent included a Soviet-made Trabant, a German-designed D.K.W. of unknown provenance (Argentina and Brazil assembly were possibilities) and a rare Daf sedan from Holland.
A surprising entry was a Volkswagen Phaeton, a sleeper luxury sedan that shared systems with the more upscale Audi A8. ?When the owner tried to sign in, we said, ?Hey this is a pretty nice car,?? Mr. Klinger said. ?But he said, ?Look, it?s a $100,000 Volkswagen.? We decided he had a point, so we let him in.?
The big winner in balloting among participants, and some 500 innocent bystanders, was a British-made Sunbeam Tiger. ?We have no idea why it won,? Mr. Klinger said. ?It was actually a pristine little car.? It did, however, bear a warning on its rear license plate frame: ?Beware of ejecting parts.?
The event was deemed such a success that Hagerty announced it would be renewed for 2013. ?We got gate passes for everybody for the 17-Mile Drive with no question this year,? Mr. Klinger said of the private road, for which a $9.75 toll is assessed to nonresidents. There was some element of surprise at the guard gates at the sad collection of vehicles that processed through. ?We?ll hope they will be as understanding next year,? Mr. Klinger said.
US weekly amelia earhart Sally Ride Ichiro minka kelly James Holmes court Rupert Sanders
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.