The Last Pebble

One of the most enjoyable—at least for me—of fifties events was the Pebble Beach Sports Car Road Races. The last one was held during April 1956 and, from then on, races in the area were held at Laguna Seca Raceway. In my May column in this magazine, I remembered the first race at Laguna, held 50 years ago. Before leaving the subject, I thought it might be interesting to look back on the last Pebble.

The Monterey Peninsula and surrounding coastline is one of the most beautiful stretches of ocean in the world. Its magnificence has been memorialized by two of the preeminent photographic artists of the last century: Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. Much of the peninsula—most of which is forested—is taken up by the Del Monte Properties where the fifties-era races were held. It is a gated and privately guarded community. The residents own their homes, but the rest of the property is held by the company. It is rumored to be one of the most exclusive residential areas in the country.