Click above for high-res gallery of the featured Lamborghinis at Pebble

While Pebble Beach is perhaps best known as a place to honor classic American and European cars, sports cars have always held a special place in the hearts of the Concours committee and judges. With 45 years under its belt, Lamborghini is certainly deserving of a special place on both counts. As a featured marque here at Pebble, Lamborghini was extremely well represented with a selection of exquisite rare examples. Nine vehicles were on display being judged by 40-year test pilot Valentino Balboni among others.

The lineup of seldom-seen Lambos included the earliest known Lamborghini 350GT, the earliest known Miura, the earliest Miura SV, the Miura Roadster fresh from a yearlong restoration that swapped its army green paint for the correct blue metalflake, a 350GTS, 350GTZ by Zagato, an early LP400 Countach, and three one-off concepts - the 1990 P140, 1996 Raptor, and the Gallardo Concept S. A truly spectacular selection of models representing the fabled Italian marque. Check out the gallery below and follow the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: Lamborghini at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours

Continue reading Monterey 2008: Lamborghini featured at Pebble Beach

Monterey 2008: Lamborghini featured at Pebble Beach originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click image above for high-res gallery of Motorama Cars from Pebble

Along with the 20+ liter class, the Lancias, Lamborghinis and Ferrari California Spiders, GM's Motorama cars were among the featured groups at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this year. For those of a certain age, the Motorama cars were some of the wildest dream cars ever created. GM created a traveling road show of concepts that went from town to town. These vehicles were styled by some of the greatest names in the design biz and have had a lasting impact on many that followed. The cars themselves explored design themes that stretched the imagination and incorporated some of the latest, greatest technology of the day. Some were used for a year or two to show people the possibilities, and then were discarded like yesterday's newspaper. Others were outright destroyed because they were never designed to be drivable. Thanks to at least one dedicated fan, their remains were salvaged and the cars rebuilt when possible. To help celebrate GM's 100th anniversary, Pebble gathered them together to show them off once again. Many look spectacular but a couple still need some TLC. Check out the press release after the jump and the full gallery below.

Gallery: GM Motorama Dream Cars at Pebble

Continue reading Monterey 2008: GM's Motorama cars at Pebble Beach

Monterey 2008: GM's Motorama cars at Pebble Beach originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Monterey 2008: Concorso Italiano

Monterey 2008: Concorso Italiano takes flight originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 16 Aug 2008 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click image above to see our huge gallery of pics from the '08 Pebble Tour

Because so many collector car fans refer to the seven days in August as Pebble Week, it should come as no surprise that the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is still the cornerstone of automotive nirvana here on the Monterey peninsula. The ultra-exclusive Concours staged on the Pebble Beach Golf Links, providing classic car buffs the ultimate venue to see automotive history staked out on the greens. While dozens of supporting events have surfaced to fill the entire week with automotive happenings, Pebble itself has diversified to include a free event for spectators: the Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance.

The Tour is open to all Concours entries and those that participate earn tie-breaker points in the Concours judging on Sunday. All but the oldest cars drive 50 miles up and down the hills along 17-Mile Drive and PCH from Pebble Beach to Big Sur, before heading back to the Polo Grounds at Pebble. Most of the participants also make a lunch stop in Carmel which clogs the streets for most of the day. Nobody can blame fans for trying to get a glimpse of these great cars for free rather than shelling out the big bucks for the Concours tickets. While the Sunday show offers truly spectacular vistas, getting a chance to see, hear and smell these museum pieces in action is really special too.

Just like last year, heavy fog along the route did it's best to obscure our view, but our long lenses and thermal underwear prevailed against the moist air. We've assembled a huge gallery comprised of Ferrari California Spiders, early Lamborghinis, the F1 Safety Car, vintage Lancias, Alfas, early Benzes, Delahayes, Talbots, Jags, BMWs, and many, many more. With the Tour, it's official: the festivities have begun.

Gallery: 2008 Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance

Monterey 2008: Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.