The climax of Monterey Car Week – the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance – is regarded by many as the most prestigious show of its type anywhere in the world. It certainly attracts the most expensive motors and the wealthiest people on the planet, and the already ultra-high value of each entry is further increased if they are judged Best of Show. Last year’s winner, for example, is undoubtedly worth an eight-figure sum.

The 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Autobahn Kurier was one of just two made and is the only one to survive. The original Berlin show car, it was entered by Californian wine tycoon and automobile lover extraordinaire Arturo Keller – who was this year named World’s Top Collector by the Classic Car Trust.

It marked a ninth Pebble Beach Concours victory for a Mercedes-Benz, bringing it in line with Bugatti for the most wins by a single marque.

This year, the 150 cars accepted for entry will be displayed on both the 17th and 18th fairways of the Pebble Beach Golf Links in a Covid-prevention move to spread the crowd more thinly – although the organisers advise mask-wearing even when outside, and mandate it within the club’s buildings.

A basic entry ticket – which costs ‘just’ £340 – entitles visitors to stroll through the showfield where they can get up close to the type of cars that most people would not expect to see in a lifetime.

An entry price of £760, meanwhile, gets you access to the Club d’Elegance in a large tent at Parc du Concours, VIP parking and VIP admission to the lawns, as well a shuttle to the Pebble Beach Lodge, breakfast, lunch and a guided tour of the event.

Many top dealers and restorers will be present – the famed Blackhawk Collection, for example, will display a remarkable and unique 1938 Packard 12 with ‘torpedo cabriolet’ bodywork by Kellner (it’s for sale at £1.2m) and will also be on hand to guide the owner of a 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Boat-tail through his first attempt at entering the concours .

In addition to the three award categories (Best of Show, Most Elegant and Special) there is also an annual tradition of staging featured classes to commemorate anniversaries and noteworthy names from the car world.

This year, these include ‘100 years of Lincoln’ and ‘100 years of Le Mans’, with other tributes being paid to Swiss coachbuilder Graber, the Alfa Romeo 8C and the pre-war McFarlan marque (as favoured by notables including gangster Al Capone and boxer Jack Dempsey).

And with an eye on the evolution of the event, the Pebble Beach organising committee has introduced a Concept Lawn where cars of the future are displayed – with the one likely to attract most attention this year being the pre-production Czinger 21C hybrid hypercar that recently smashed the production car lap record at the Raceway Laguna Seca, beating the previous holder (McLaren Senna) by more than two seconds.

The 71st Pebble Beach Concours’ d’Elegance is on Sunday, August 21 at the 17th and 18th fairways of the Pebble Beach Golf Links, 1700 17 Mile Drive, Pebble Beach. For full details visit pebblebeachconcours.net