The original Alfa Romeo!

In a nice bit of Pebble Beach Concours symmetry, there is a strong link between Alfa Romeo and Pininfarina, also set to be featured in the 2005 event, which worked on the Alfa Romeo 6- and 8-cylinder vehicles from the '30s.

"Battista 'Pinin' Farina founded a company in 1930 that became the best known, influential and successful design house in history and has revolutionized automotive styling for eight decades," says Glenn Mounger. "He essentially invented elegant shapes and lines that would later become commonplace. His Cisitalia (1947) was the first car to be on permanent display in a modern art museum (MOMA in New York), and in the early '50s he was the first automotive designer to gain fame in the U.S."

Battista Pininfarina, who died in 1966, was posthumously inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2004. A portion of those ceremonies included the following: "The Italian automobile design genius Battista 'Pinin' Farina (his name was officially changed to Pininfarina in 1961 by order of the president of Italy) founded his company with the intention to build special car bodies. His work ultimately influenced Alfa Romeos, Fiats, Ferraris, Lancias, Peugeots and even the classic Nash Healey."

The name Pininfarina is synonymous with many of the world's most significant automobiles, an inventive legacy that is shared by Battista and his son Sergio, who joined the Pininfarina Group in 1950 and became president in 1966. Sergio's acclaimed designs, mostly showcased in Ferraris, Lancias and Alfa Romeos, are part of a 55-year career highlighted by three prestigious awards: Cavaliere del Lavoro, the Legion of Honor, and the Honorary Royal Designer for Industry from the Royal Society of Arts in London -- the same three awards his father received.

In addition to featuring Alfa Romeo and Pininfarina, next year's Aug. 21 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance will celebrate the 100th anniversary of vintage French sports car Delage.