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Car Shows and Cruises are as Californian as the sunshine. The inaugural Beverly Hills Tour d’Elegance, was a special event organized by the team behind the Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance, brought over 50 cars to the streets of Beverly Hills this Father’s Day, June 20. This show had everything from rare vintage automoiles, to exotics, to lowroiders. This never-before-seen moving display of automotive art saw enthusiasts, families, and lucky dads line the sidewalks of Beverly Hills to witness iconic cars from marques like Maserati, Ferrari, Bugatti, McLaren and Bentley as well as a host of movie cars, art cars and more. The celebrated Rodeo Drive Concours, a Father’s Day tradition for over 25 years, will return in 2022.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the turn-out for the first-ever Beverly Hills Tour d’Elegance,” said event founder Bruce Meyer. “I would call the display of cars ‘show-stopping’ but for the first time in the Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance’s 25-year history, the show was moving! The Tour allowed us to find a socially distanced alternative to the much-loved Concours and reconnect with the community after an incredibly trying year, all while supporting our local first responders.”
Rarely seen vehicles like a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, 1960 Maserati Typo 61 Birdcage, and the one-of-one 1970 Lancia Stratos Zero joined American muscle cars, pre-war collectibles, futuristic concepts and winning race cars. Celebrity participants showed off their automotive proclivities as well; Caitlyn Jenner drove her 1960 Bugeye Sprite while Jay Leno piloted his 1951 Hudson Hornet. Retired NBA star Chris Mills joined the tour with his custom 1961 Chevrolet Impala lowrider. Other standout cars included the “Big Oly” Ford Bronco raced by Parnelli Jones, the Chariot from the “Lost In Space” TV series driven by Jeff Dunham and the Beverly Hills Fire Department’s own 1929 Ahrens-Fox Fire Truck.
O’Gara Coach, the Beverly Hills dealer for McLaren, Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Rolls-Royce and Genesis, lead the tour from its start at the Petersen Automotive Museum to its end at the Beverly Hills City Hall. Limited run hypercars like O’Gara’s McLaren Speedtail and Lamborghini Siánguided cars down famed city streets to the delight of spectators.
The special event benefited both the Beverly Hills Police Officers Association and the Beverly Hills Firefighters’ Association, non-profit charities that provide assistance to first responders injured in the line of duty, maintain scholarship funds for their children and provide other support. The Tour d’Elegance thanks O’Gara Coach as well as Hagerty, Auto Vault Storage, GEARYS Beverly Hills, Two Rodeo Drive, Rodeo Drive Associates and the Beverly Hills Historical Society for their support.
More information about the 2021 Beverly Hills Tour d’Elegance can be found at rodeodrive-bh.com/rodeo-drive-recommends/.