PEBBLE BEACH – Picture it. Some 170 classic cars queue up at the starting line in Pebble Beach, ignite their engines and drive down an exceptionally scenic route nearly 70 miles along Highway 1 and back to home base. How difficult can it be to arrange that? Considerably.
Particularly when some of the older cars run out of steam, while others malfunction. Or when gale-force winds threaten the stability of a vintage vehicle, or a chunk of highway along the coast breaks off and slips into the sea. Fortunately, after 25 years of putting on this pageant, the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance crew has learned how to predict conditions, pivot and put on a successful parade.
The set up and execution of Thursday’s Tour d’Elegance “requires a lot of communication among the Pebble Beach Company, California Highway Patrol, Big Sur partners and other members of the community throughout the year,” said Tour d’Elegance Director Sean Jacobs, who also serves as vice president of Business Development for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. “We have a strong relationship with the CHP. We work closely with them, along with local authorities and nearby communities to map out the best route for spectator and traffic safety, along with participant enjoyment.
We also rely heavily on our large team of amazing volunteers to help organize the Tour.” Certainly several factors have influenced the Tour route over time, says Jacobs, in particular the closures of Highway 1 during recent yea.