Arguably the most prestigious of all concours, the annual Pebble Beach show has grown considerably since its semi-humble beginnings back in 1950 when 30 cars were displayed at what was then the Del Monte Lodge. Fast forward 61 years and over 200 cars (and even a few motorcycles) are on display, all vying for the prestigious Best of Show prize.

This year’s event drew vehicles from 27 states and 14 countries (plus Monaco). Featured vehicles included the Ferrari F250 GTO (above) with 22 on display, not to mention the Jaguar E-Type and a special display by Mercedes-Benz highlighting 125 year of the automobile.

But perhaps what makes Pebble Beach so special are the true rarities. Enjoy a selection of them below.

GALLERY: 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Considered by many to be the greatest Ferrari of all time, a gathering of 250 GTOs was the must-see attraction at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

With just 36 ever built, between 1962 and 1963, all were invited to attend the prestigious car show, with 22 making the journey, from as far away from Europe and Hong Kong.

Based on the 250 GT SWB, the GTO was designed for racing… and race it did, competing at the world’s most renowned motorsports events and winning at many of them. Some of the 22 models on display were driven by legends like Stirling Moss, Phil Hill and Jackie Stewart.

With such history behind these cars and tremendous enthusiasm for them, some of the cars have sold at auction for as much as $30 million in recent years. So make sure to browse through the gallery below and leave the math to us… you could be looking at $660 million in Ferraris!

GALLERY: Ferrari 250 GTOs

Dante Rubli is an artist based out of Bern, Switzerland and has been producing various works of art for over 25 years. His Iconic Sports Car series features sculptures of an Aston Martin DBS, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing and will soon also include the Ferrari 250 GTO, which will be unveiled at the upcoming Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach. Each vehicle in the Iconic Sports Car series comes in three different scales with the option of traditional gold, white gold, silver, and other luxury finishes available.

For the reveal of the Ferrari 250 GTO, a 24-karat gold sculpture will sit alongside a special display of the rare Ferrari 250 GTOs left in the world. Dante Rubli stated in the press release that Ferrari’s 250 GTO is his favorite car of all time and that he is looking forward to the celebration of the 250 GTO and the collection of cars that will be in attendance.

We’re sure he’s also ooking forward to selling quite a few of the limited edition pieces of art to the collected owners at Pebble Beach.

GALLERY: Dante Rubli’s 24-Karat Gold Ferrari 250 GTO Sculpture

The Ferrari 250 GTO is considered by many to be the greatest Ferraris ever produced. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the birth of this model, more than twenty pristine Ferrari 250 GTOs will be showcased at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The car show will be held on Sunday, August 21. Only 36 250 GTOs were originally produced. All of these exclusive cars have been invited to the Concours and more than half have already accepted the invitation. GTOs have been sold for as much as $30 million in recent years.

AutoGuide will be on hand at the historic gathering and we’ll be sure to snap plenty of photos. This year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is set for Sunday, August 21st.

On the heels of the Bugatti Type 57 that sold for “$30-40 Million” (hey, what differences does a mere $10 million make) a Ferrari 250 GTO, a car regarding as one of the greatest sports cars of all time, has just sold for $25 million.

The car, sold by RM Auctions, is one of 39 ever made, is powered by a V12 engine that puts out 302 horsepower and scoots to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds is good for 174 mph – incredible numbers for 1963 and still decent today. The styling is simply iconic, perhaps the most recognizable vintage Ferrari ever.

Max Girardo of R.M. Auctions had this to say about the sale of such a historic machine. “The exclusivity of Ferrari’s 250 GTO cannot be understated. As they rarely come to market, new owners become part of a very exclusive ‘club’ and are welcomed with open arms at literally any of the world’s great concours events, races, and rallies. We are pleased to have been able to unite this exceptional car with a new and immensely enthusiastic owner. It’s fantastic that this car will now be used in earnest on the classic car scene around Europe.”

[Source: TopSpeed]

Thanks to our friends at Luxury4Play.com we have a nice collection of photos from the ultra-exclusive invite-only 45th Anniversary celebration of the Ferrari 250 GTO. The event was held by those champagne gurus at Moët & Chandon at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA. Apparently the event was so exclusive that being a Ferrari owner didn’t automatically mean you got an invite. Only the “best customers” of the Parncing Horse were allowed to gander on this gathering of 250 GTOs.

The 250 GTO is known to be the most valuable Ferrari in the world, with an auction price estimated at $14- to $20-million. This might even be somewaht of an understatement as in 2008 a British buyer purchased the 250 GTO that formerly belonged to Lee-Kun-hee of Samsung for £15.7 million. (That’s $21.7-million U.S.).

One of the reasons for the high value of the 250 GTO is how few were ever made. In fact, between 1962 and 1964 Ferrari produced just 36 of the 296hp V12-powered sportscars.

We don’t have exact numbers on how many vehicles were there (the pictures would suggest at least 14) but according to our “invited guest” at Luxury4Play, many famous owners were in attendance including Ralph Lauren and Nick Mason of Pink Floyd.

[Source: Luxury4Play]