“Each year the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance invites 200 of the world’s top collector cars to be showcased on the famed 18th fairway at Pebble Beach Golf Links and compete for our Best of Show award,” said Kandace Hawkinson, Director of Marketing & Media Relations for the event. “We also make history here; new cars and concepts debut throughout the week leading up to the event.” The event accepts only the most stunning autos into its competition. The rules state that the automobile must meet five criteria: it must be well preserved or accurately restored, it must be in driving condition, it must have historic value, it must be rare and it must be elegant.

It may be difficult to define ‘elegance’ in automobiles, but it’s easy to see. According to Strother MacMinn, renowned automotive designer and former Chief Honorary Judge at Pebble Beach, “There is no such thing as a score sheet for elegance. It’s largely a matter of taste, recognition of design advantages, and knowledge of the performance and quality of the total architectural concept.” Ansel Adams, the famed photographer and another former judge at the competition, put it simply: “From a strictly personal point of view, my definition of an elegant car would be ‘the kind of car I would like to be buried in.'”

In 1955, when Phil Hill won the Pebble Beach Road Races for the third time and his 1931 PierceArrow 41 LeBaron Convertible Town Cabriolet won Best of Show at the Concours, the event shifted its focus to antique, vintage and classic models. Today, the show strikes a balance between vintage and new: many manufacturers debut high-caliber vehicles at the event, knowing that the spectators will be able to appreciate the magnificent design and sophistication applied in the creation of such exquisite machines. Cars debuted at the event include marques from top auto manufacturers, with Bentley, BMW, Lamborghini, Maserati and Rolls Royce among manufacturers debuting the latest and most sophisticated designs at the 2014 Concours d’Elegance. “We take pride in inviting only the best collector cars in the world to appear and we judge them carefully,” Concours Chairman Sandra Button explained. “This Concours has achieved a number of firsts over the years and we continually strive to set the bar high for ourselves and for others.”

Button is part of a group of well-credentialed automotive experts that guides the Concours d’Elegance. Button has served as Concours Chairman since 2002 and has been involved with the event for over 25 years. As a member of the Royal Automobile Club, the Classic Car Club of America, the Motor Press Guild, and the Society of Automotive Historians, she and her husband Martin Button participate in auto events around the globe. A selection committee of 13 and advisory board of seven, along with countless judges, work tirelessly alongside Chairman Button to ensure the event’s success.

Button was also the Concours d’Elegance’s first full-time Executive Director, and after being named Concours Chairman, she made changes to enhance the Concours and increase the competition. “We decided to limit the show from 240 cars to 175,” she told Hemmings Classic Car. “We wanted to distill the show down. We believe that it’s an accomplishment just to be there (as a car owner). So we limited the number of cars in some classes, and we limited the number of classes … I have some strong ideas (about the Concours). To be its chairman, it’s like somebody handed you this fantastic garden that’s been there for 50 years. My single focus is to make it better, but smaller-if you’re a gardener, you want to prune it. In terms of post-war cars, we do include cars from the 1950s through the 1970s, but remember that we’re primarily a Concours d’Elegance, focusing on coachbuilt cars, and not a factory show. People who come to the Pebble Beach Concours are looking to see something that they don’t see anywhere else. You can even look at the factory-built Packards. They built thousands of them (but they’re not typically invited to Pebble Beach).”

A longer version of this article originally appeared in the Summer 2015 issue of SOAR Magazine — read the extended version in the magazine, available online now.