This year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will feature motorcycles for the first time since the event was first held in 1950. The motorcycles included in this year’s show will be British bikes built through 1959. The manufacturers included in that group will be Vincent, Brough Superior, Norton, BSA, Velocette, Triumph, and Ariel.One of the feaured bikes is a 1948 Vincent Black Shadow. The bike was built for American John Edgar who was determined to break the speed record for motorcycles. Edgar and his rider, Roland Free, went to the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1948 to break the 136 mph record that had been set by a Harley-Davidson. To get a more aerodynamic position on the bike Free chose to lie down during his runs. The high speeds caused the stitching on his leathers to come apart so he decided to make the record attempt in a bathing suit, swim cap and sneakers. Free completed the runs in his new gear at an average speed of 150.313 mph setting a new world record for unstreamlined and unsupercharged bikes.
The event will take place at the Pebble Beach golf course near Carmel, CA August 14 – 16.
The show will also feature a motorcycle auction.
Motorcycle auction slideshow.
