Most people know Pebble Beach for the Concours, for those extraordinary automobiles that gather here each August from all around the world. But you know what? That is only part of the story. And long before the fairways filled with some of the most significant cars ever built, this place was defined by motion. Starting in 1950, these very roads were the site for the Pebble Beach Road Races through the Del Monte Forest where I am right now, now known as 17-Mile Drive. Ferrari arrived in 1950 when Phil Hill won in a Ferrari 250 MM Vignale Spider. What are you going to do when you're a guy with your buddies and you finish racing? Well, you want to show off your cars to each other, don't you? And that is how the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance was born. You know what? The noise of those race cars echoing through this forest may be long gone, but their spirit remains forever.
Welcome to Casa Ferrari and Concorso Ferrari 2026. We're live from Pebble Beach. We're up here. You're looking at one of the most remarkable collections of Ferraris anywhere in the world, and they're making their way right here to us. I'm Amanda Busick joined by Justin Bell. Sadly, not behind the wheel of a Ferrari anymore.
I know. The week started so well and it's just gone down. I mean, we're seeing all these amazing cars gathering behind us. They've just been on a rally through the Del Monte Forest ending up here on the first tee. I mean, it's a pretty special occasion.
More amazing, you can even hear the action that's happening here behind us. You talk about the week that is Monterey Car Week. Ferrari owns Saturday.
Yeah. And you got to remember that this all started, as I just said in that open, it started all the way back in 1950. Just a group of guys said, "What great roads." I mean, I think they were a little crazy. You've seen the trees on the edge of the road and the cliffs on 17-Mile Drive, but why not? The cars were perfect for it.
They then obviously said, "Well, let's go and talk about how great we are," and they went on to the golf course. In only three years after it started, word got out in Europe about this race. And so, a Ferrari with Phil Hill came over and won. So it's just steeped in history. And when I'm driving around here in the early morning with the mist, you can actually sense the history. You can feel the legacy of days gone by. It's very special.
There is something so incredibly special about this place. That is no lie there. And when we think about celebrations here at Casa Ferrari, we do a theme every year, and this year's is "Heritage of Innovation." What does that mean to you?
Well, you know, so many brands put a line in the sand and that's when things changed or things started to evolve. For Ferrari, it's a continuous loop. It is a constant thing in motion for them. Every era they come up with new technology, new materials, new manufacturing skills, and of course, as a brand it is never standing still. Just look what they do in Formula 1. They are pioneers all the way through. So Heritage of Innovation is really summed up here from the little 166 MM all the way through to, I mean right there, the Tailor Made. It's very special.
Well, we're going to have five different groups on the lawn today. And to walk us through this Heritage of Innovation, we're going to bring the third member of our crew today: the one, the only Tommy Kendall.
Well, the Italians have a flare for the dramatic, and the cars are filling in behind me as we speak. What's unique about this year's Concorso Ferrari is that it is not simply a collection of great Ferraris. It is that, but it is actually tracing a journey of history of Ferrari—what they call the Heritage of Innovation. So, as you start at the front of the field and work towards the back, you're actually moving forward through time. And you're following different ideas that Ferrari pursued that shaped both the future of Ferrari and the future of the performance automobile.
The very first era was when the technology and the innovation was forged during competition. And this is where they established the Ferrari DNA, blurred the line between machine and road car. Moving forward, we enter a period of rapid technological transformation where new engine architectures, aerodynamics, materials, and turbocharging fundamentally changed how Ferrari pursued performance.
From here, Ferrari enters the modern era. Electronics, advanced materials, advanced aerodynamics, and increasingly specialized product lines began working together to create distinctly different Ferraris for distinctly different Ferraristi. And finally, we arrive at the newest chapter where hybrid systems, personalization, and entirely new vehicle formats continue expanding the boundaries of what a Ferrari can be.
What's remarkable is while the technology was changing remarkably, the ambition never really did. Every car you see here was Ferrari searching for ways to go faster, form a deeper connection between the driver and machine, and a greater precision and feel. Different decades, different solutions, one continuing ambition. This next man that is joining us has probably been closer to that evolution and process than anybody else. Justin.
Well, yes. I mean, you can see obviously the Heritage of Innovation never stops out there, but perhaps there's no one better than my next guest to talk us through that. Vice Chairman of Ferrari, Piero Ferrari. Thank you so much for coming. Here's a microphone, sir. Welcome to Pebble Beach.
Thank you for inviting me here. It really is fantastic. I came here 15 years ago the first time, and I'm coming more. And here really you feel what is the passion—the passion for cars, the passion for the beauty, the passion for the technology, and keep the past...
Exactly. You never can forget the past. Today for Ferrari, when you look out there, what's a theme that stands out to you?
That many years have been passing. And I'm like my father; I'm looking to the future. We have to remember what we did of good in the past, but we don't have to forget the mistakes we did in the past and look always forward. We have to look forward to what will be next. So this is the essence of Ferrari, even to the managers of today: look to the future and the past. The heritage of a company has not to be forgotten, but have to help us and to see how many clients, how many friends we have following us and following Ferrari's image.
That's well said. Because I imagine, as someone that knows the brand so well—and I always think this with Flavio Manzoni when I see him—being here, seeing all the cars from around the world from the past 100 years to now, it must be very inspirational as well for a designer, for someone who is pure about the brand.
Yes, of course. The design is something essential for our cars. It has to be a strong personality. A personality on a car, on a mechanical thing, is difficult to explain, but you know something that you see, but you can recognize: this is a Ferrari, no doubt. And so Flavio is making today's interpretation of Ferrari's essence and design.
Yeah. It's not as easy of an answer now I heard your first one, but if Enzo was walking the Concours field with you today, it's difficult to say what would make him the most proud because there's a lot. But what would he also be looking to the future in the same way? He'd say the past is beautiful, it got me here, but what is next?
Yes. It's for myself and for my grandson and for all the family, it's looking to the future. This is what we like and what we love, you know? And so the GT cars, these beautiful cars of the past, is an inspiration for the future. And also we don't have to forget Formula 1, motor racing. Motor racing is our DNA; it's what is pushing us every day to do better and better.
My final question, I said to you earlier a little bit. I asked Piero, if you had one car we could drive on 17-Mile Drive, what would you take away from the field today?
Okay, it depends on the weather. If it's cloudy, okay, then maybe a coupe. And if it's a nice day, maybe a spider. The 12-cylinder spider maybe is a nice car to drive on 17-Mile Drive.
Well, what a wonderful answer. A round of applause for Mr. Ferrari everywhere. How fantastic. Thank you, sir, for joining us. And over to Amanda with a car that started it all.
Yeah, Justin. I'm just down from you watching this interview, and I just love seeing all of our Ferrari guests here enjoying that interview. As we're kicking off the groups down here, Group One is Pioneering Excellence. And you think of the Heritage of Innovation, it's going to be hard-pressed to find a better start than this car right here. Yesterday, we were able to catch up with the owner of this historic Ferrari. Enjoy.
You're listening to the sound of the first Ferrari to ever find itself on North American soil. This is the 1948 Ferrari 166 MM. And that is the owner, Anne Brockinton Lee. As someone that's been behind the wheel of this Ferrari, tell us what it's like to drive this thing.
Well, you know, the car is quite old. It's over 70 years old, but it drives just like a new car. It's absolutely just a dream to drive. It's very easy and we just love it.
Now, this Ferrari ended up on, as we said, North American soil. You guys have had this Ferrari in your collection for several decades now. How did you acquire it?
My husband bought the car in California. When he bought it, it was in the midst of a restoration. And when it was shipped to us, it came to us in the metal and all the parts in a box and many crates. And so I laughed and I said, "You think all the parts are in there?" And so the head of our team, James, and his guys spread everything out and put it back together, and everything was there but one screw.
So that was lucky. That doesn't always happen.
I think what we love about the Ferraris that are here at Casa Ferrari is this goes on the road and it will park on the fairway tomorrow. What makes this Ferrari sing?
Well, I think it's the design of it. I mean, it's a revolutionary design that was entrusted to Touring. And being the first Ferrari imported into the United States, it's a prototype and made Ferrari famous.
How special is it to have such a piece of Ferrari history in your collection?
I think the most important thing is that Enzo Ferrari realized that he had to have a car with a special body that said Ferrari. And so he commissioned Touring to design a car. And Federico Formenti was the head of the design office. And they came up with this design. They showed him a mock-up of it and so he approved it. And it was shown at the 1948 Turin Auto Show, where Canestrini, a journalist and engineer, looked at it and thought it was such a unique revolutionary design. He says, "Well, it looks like a little boat." And barchetta in Italian means "little boat," and hence the name Barchetta.
Well, the 166 definitely had a big imprint in racing history. The 1949 would go on to win Le Mans as well as the Mille Miglia. You have that car here?
Yes. That is 0008M, and it won the Mille Miglia in April of '49, and then it won the 24-Hour Le Mans race, driven to an all-out victory by Luigi Chinetti, and Lord Selsdon drove a little bit.
To be such an incredible steward of quite a time capsule of history, what story do you want told about this chassis?
Well, I think it's that Ferrari entrusted Touring to come up with something that really separated his cars from other race cars, and it accomplished the job.
Thank you for being with us here today and enjoy Casa Ferrari.
And you will not find a better custodian for this Ferrari artifact than Anne Brockinton Lee. I will never forget her smile when she fired up this Ferrari yesterday for all of us to see here at Casa Ferrari. We're going to start moving through this lawn down here, and with Group Number Two is Tommy Kendall.
