The 2004 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance along the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Above and below: an Alfa Romeo 8 C 2300 Pinin Farina Spider-Cabriolet 1934 owned by Lukas Huni.

This Concours will honor Alfa Romeo and the 75th anniversary of legendary coach-builders Carrozzeria Pinin Farina.

2004 Best of Show winning 1938 Horch 853A, owned by Judge Joseph C. Cassini III of New Jersey

Tonight Show host Jay Leno with his class-winning 1916 Crane-Simplex Model 5 Holbrook Skiff.

.Pebble Beach .Concours d'Elegance August 17 - 21 Tickets: $125 when purchased in advance; $150 on the day of the show; $400 Patron ticket includes a VIP parking pass, Concours program, signed commemorative poster, breakfast and a luncheon buffet in the Club d'Elegance Tent.  Contact: 877.693.0009 www.pebblebeachconcours.net

It is, quite simply, the world's premier gathering of rare and beautiful vintage automobiles, each a combination of artful sculpture and engineering genius, evoking the affluence and genteel lifestyle of another time. The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, whose outstanding, impeccably restored historic cars are matched only by the event's picture-postcard setting on the 18th green of the fabled golf course overlooking the Pacific Ocean – and the auto owners themselves – is a veritable who's who of the celebrity and corporate worlds.

Jay Leno, a regular, won Best in Class in 2004 for his 1916 Crane-Simplex Model 5 Holbrook Skiff. Another passionate collector of vintage vehicles, Ralph Lauren, who won Best of Show for his Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, will be on hand. Stage, screen and TV actor Edward Herrmann again has a multiple role as a judge and master of ceremonies. 

Herrmann won Best in Class for his 1929 Auburn Boattail Speedster and second-prize recognition for a 1932 Rolls-Royce in 2001. But he's not showing a car this year because he has been too busy preparing for a role in the world premiere of A Body of Water at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and the fifth season of TV's Gilmore Girls.

The award-winning actor has had a lifelong passion for vintage cars, which began long before he portrayed such historical figures as FDR, William Randolph Hearst and Lou Gehrig. “I grew up in Grosse Point [a Detroit suburb]. When all your friends' fathers work for one of the Big Three, you learn to love cars. I come from a family of engineers and furniture makers, so it's in my heart and hands.” Like so many other owners of vintage vehicles, Herrmann limits caretaking to changing the oil and checking the tires, and enjoys taking a classic car on a leisurely drive.

The actor and his wife live in Salisbury, CT, where he often drives his 1932 Packard 900 Coupe Roadster along the area's tree-shaded, winding country roads. “I love people's reactions,” he says. “Older folks get misty-eyed and talk about having had a car just like it,” and “children look wide-eyed because they've never seen a car like this, except on a movie or TV screen.”

It's not necessary to love cars to enjoy the Pebble Beach experience, says co-chair Sandra Kasky, who describes the Pebble Beach Concours as “Ascot and the Kentucky Derby rolled into one. It's a great day to wear a fantastic outfit, with a grand, memorable hat,” to see and be seen. 

Each year, Pebble Beach focuses on a particular aspect of automotive history. This 55th Concours d'Elegance is a multipronged celebration, honoring Alfa Romeo and the 75th anniversary of the legendary coach-builders Carrozzeria Pinin Farina, whose styling philosophy has influenced auto design since the 20s. Both are bringing a world-class collection of their vehicles, including some rarely exhibited outside Italy. 

Two of the world's winningest racecar drivers also will be honored for their achievements. In 1955, the same year his family won Best in Show for their Pierce Arrow, American Phil Hill won the Pebble Beach road races in a Ferrari Monza, which he is bringing to the Concours. Also that year, Britain's Sir Stirling Moss won Italy's Mille Miglia race in a Mercedes 300 SLR racecar; he, too, will be recognized at Pebble Beach.

The best place to catch up with Hill and Moss may be the hot-rod section of the show. For the first time, the Concours is showcasing customized cars from the 30s and 40s. The trend began when experienced custom bodyworkers – perhaps bored by working on the assembly line – began restyling models by removing chrome, adding voluptuous fender skirts and repainting cars in new and unusual colors like candy-apple red. 

The multiday event includes a Tour d'Elegance around the Monterey Peninsula for Concours entries, and an auction of classic, vintage and antique cars. Also new this year is the Motoring Classic, a nine-day leisurely drive along mountain roads, from Seattle to Pebble Beach, for current and former participants.

This parade of history is guaranteed to stop traffic along the route, which includes a cruise across the Golden Gate Bridge.