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.