When the most famous concours d’elegance in the country recently revealed its 2016 official event posters, it was obvious that Pebble Beach is joining in the celebration of BMW’s 100th anniversary.
The official concours poster features the three Ford GT40s that finished 1–2–3 in the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. That’s a cool poster since we think the GT40 is one of the most beautiful racing cars ever designed. But the poster we’re more interested in is the official poster for the 2016 Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance, which is another event that falls under the Pebble Beach auto extravaganza umbrella.
The Tour d’Elegance poster depicts a young Elvis Presley in the white BMW 507 that he leased during his tour of duty while stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army. The art was created by Barry Rowe and will be displayed during the 80-mile Tour d’Elegance on August 18, 2016.
“The BMW has lovely shapes to paint and I wanted to place the ‘King’ driving his elegant 1950s BMW along the same route on PCH1 [Pacific Coast Highway 1] that those driving the Tour will take,” said Rowe. “I enjoyed finding a new way to portray the Tour’s nostalgia and also gently pay homage to a pair of icons, Presley and the 507.” Rowe has painted nineteen official posters for the Pebble Beach events.
If you are wondering when Elvis was able to drive his 507 on the Monterey peninsula, the answer is never. The poster recreates a whimsical moment that never really happened. While stationed in Germany, Elvis met and saw Hans Stuck driving the white 507 and eventually, Elvis leased it. It started life as a white car—as depicted in the poster—but so many female fans desecrated it by writing their phone numbers on the car in red lipstick that Elvis had the 507 repainted in Porsche Red, of all colors.
What happened next to the car is not entirely clear. It probably did not return to the U.S. when Elvis' tour was over since it was leased. What is certain is that eventually it ended up in storage for four decades and currently is in the hands of BMW Classic, where it is undergoing a restoration after being on display at the BMW Museum for a while in 2014.
The Pebble Beach Tour d’ Elegance is intended to showcase the elegance of cars in motion, and traces part of the original 17-Mile Drive on the peninsula. It harkens back to a time when the area was known more for its scenic drives that its golf courses, which didn’t exist in those earlier days of automobiles.
There is a reason for Pebble Beach concours entrants to also drive the tour. If two cars tie for position in the concours, the car that successfully finished the Tour wins.
While the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance and Tour d’ Elegance are invitation only, other car-related activities will be happening on the Monterey Peninsula that are much easier—and cheaper—for BMW CCA members to attend. Specifically, Legends of the Autobahn on August 19, the Festorics Corral on the 20th and 21st, and the BMW CCA 47th Annual Oktoberfest the whole next week. It all comes under the heading of BMW CCA’s Celebrate 100 Years of BMW and tickets are still available.—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and BMW AG.]
