Pebble Beach Concours 2011 – Mercedes-Benz

Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
Mercedes on display

By the time the apex of the frenetic Monterey week is reached Sunday, eyes are bleary, wallets are growing ever thinner and bank accounts have suffered substantially. However, all the auction results, overpriced chic events and non-stop posing fade to background noise once Sunday morning arrives. It’s then time for THE global concours event – Pebble Beach.

Hardcore enthusiasts arrive well before 7 am to view the cars rolling onto the lawn under Pebble’s typically grey gloom. After a reprimand from a CHP officer for daring to try stepping out of my cab above the Lodge, I leap out a few hundred feet further up the road as the cabbie slows to about 6 mph. The enormous crush of cars was being hustled in an endless loop through the forest that made no sense at all.

Clear of the cab and with no damage I made may way past the stream of glorious entrants serenely idling, overheating or silently rolling down the final stretch of asphalt before entering the lush green 18th fairway. The selection of cars is jarring in an electrifying manner. It’s what Pebble’s organizers strive for all year and is what sets the event apart from any other. There were about 39 Mercedes on the field this year and we present most of them below. This group of images provides a good opportunity to learn about the cars, particularly the pre-war models.

Gallery