Concept Car Lawn at The Lodge, Pebble Beach
Posted on September 5, 2010
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By Rowena Cherry
“Do not wear heels,” the uniformed guard told me. “Do not turn your wheels. Do not have more than one friend at a time on the lawn…”
The lawn in question was the Concept Car Lawn in front of The Lodge, at Pebble Beach. The date, August 15th 2010. For the rest of the year, this “lawn” is a putting green for the rich and famous.
It’s not just any putting green. It’s smoother than the green of the world renowned 18th Hole overlooking Carmel Bay. This putting green is like living velvet. Not a blade of grass is out of place.
They rope it off with white plastic chains during the Pebble Beach concours d’elegance, and strongly discourage belching and flame-throwing, even from the exhaust pipes of the world’s most expensive concept cars.
This is a small part of the week-long, open-air extravaganza on the Monterey Peninsula culminating –on the third Sunday of August– in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the most glamorous “happening” on the car-related social networking calendar.
Car enthusiasts come from all over the world. From Britain, Sir Stirling Moss comes to judge. Alpha Romeo expert and author, Simon Moore, brought a car from London (and won a Class Award!) Stile Bertone sent the Alfa Romeo Pandion Concept over from Italy.
Just before the celebrity Honorary Judges were formally introduced on the ocean side of The Lodge by the award-winning actor Edward Herrmann –who always emcees the awards ceremonies– Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Governor of California, toured the concept lawn with car enthusiast and Tonight Show host Jay Leno (and entourage) under the watchful eyes of dark-suited security guards.
After a passing “thumbs up” in our direction, the Governor appeared very pleased to sit in the dark and slinky Bentley Continental GTC Speed 80-11 (although we know him for a HUMMER enthusiast).
I don’t know what I would have done if the mighty Arnold or Jay had shown any inclination to sit in my husband’s car, the VSR… well, I do. I should have said, No. How fortunate all round that an undiplomatic incident was avoided!
What an experience! My husband has had the honor of being an Honorary Judge for the last fifteen years, so this year was far from my first Pebble Beach concours d’ elegance experience, but being “on duty” with a concept car on the Concept Lawn is an experience I will treasure.
I did manage to join my husband in the Judges’ marquee to hear Jay Leno (hilarious!) run the raffle drawings, and raise many additional thousands through sheer ingenuity and star power for the charitable causes supported by the Concours…. and also to see the gorgeous Best In Show car announced. However, given that the VSR is a futuristic sports rod, inspired by hot rods, Bonneville racers, and open wheeled Indy cars, and those cars were featured on the “field” this year, I was sorry not to have a chance to walk the show field…. in my flatties.
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