The Concours d'Elegance dates back to the 17th century French aristocracy, who paraded horse-drawn carriages in the parks of Paris during summer weekends. Eventually the carriages became horseless and the gathering became a competition of the finest automobiles on the planet, both new and old. The most prestigious of all the concours being the Pebble Beach Concours->ke2839 followed by a week of car heaven in Monterey.

This year's Monterey gathering was nothing short of spectacular, with loads of production cars unveiled, special events, a slew of special cars, and even a couple of high end auctions, bringing numbers well into the 7 figures.

With an event this incredible and cars this extravagantly exquisite, we've deemed it necessary to do a little recap of the week's events to illustrate just how spectacular this celebration really is.

Check out our lists of production cars, special events, and auctions that graced the Monterey world during this fantastic week after the jump.

Production Cars:

The Bugatti Veyron SuperSport

Bugatti's Veyron SuperSport made a very special North American debut in Monterey this weekend. If you need to be reminded, the SuperSport boasts 1,200 hp - 199 over the original veyron - and a top speed of nearly 268 mph; a production car world land speed record. Before Monterey we only knew of one Veyron SS - that being the "World Record Edition" - sporting a carbon fiber and overly vibrant orange finish. Now we know of two.

Monterey brought us a gorgeous metallic blue carbon fiber finish which we much prefer over its counterpart. With the history of special Veyrons, we wouldn't doubt if there will be a few more. The Veyron SS also made a special appearance at the Laguna Seca this weekend.

Morgan EvaGT

Morgan Motor Company is known for making some of the most timeless machines which all sort of look the same, and are rather old. With the sketches we saw of the EvaGT->ke3663 we were expecting the company to veer off from their vintage ways and we were glad to see that they did.

The company took the wraps off of its new EvaGT right on the concept lawn of Pebble Beach last weekend, revealing a stunning, modern interpretation of the Morgan brand. From the elongated bonnet, to the cockpit, to the oddly shaped taillights; the car flows well - very well. In fact the only thing we don't like about it is the wheels that look as if they belong on a Civic.

The new EvaGT will boast a 306-hp 3.0-liter BMW straight six and will weigh in at a rather nimble 2,755 lbs.

McLaren MP4-12C

Now we all know what the new MP4-12C looks and performs like - heck, you can even configure your own online - but the McLaren made it's official North American debut this weekend in Monterey. Not only did McLaren dramatically unveil their new road car; they also talked of a new company they are introducing to not only build and sell the MP4-12C, but a whole slew of road cars.

The new McLaren is set to be a whole new passenger car company sporting a whole arrangement of new models, boasting a possible F1 successor in 2012. The company even went as far to list 35 cities that will feature McLaren dealerships.

Lotus Exos Type 125

Now although the new Exos Type 125 by Lotus is a race ready, track-only car, you can still have one in your garage...for a mere $1 million. The Exos Type 125 debuted in front of a crowd of wealthy, prospective owners earlier this weekend.

Lotus also revealed plans to offer a special training program with the purchase of the Type 125. So not only will you get a blisteringly fast Formula 1-based car, but a whole training program to go with it - like the pros.

Perana Z-One

Along with the big boys - well into the millions of dollars - the $100k, Perana Z-One made its official North American debut. Now, although we knew all the details of its Corvette-based engine under that elongated, swoopy nose, it is nice to see the European GT-like super car on the famous lawn of Pebble Beach.

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302

The 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 was unveiled Friday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca before taking a rain delayed lap around the famous track. You Mustang fans already know the details of the 440-hp monster, but it sure is nice to see it on the track.

Lotus Evora Cup GT4

Now as your read earlier, Lotus unveiled their $1 million, formula-1 style Exos Type-125, but the awe didn't stop there for the British Motor Company. Based on the new(ish) Evora and in a brilliant racing green, the Evora Cup GT4 looks stunning compared to its stock counterpart.

Performance wise, the Toyota-based V6 has been increased to a modest 400-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Handling wise expect none other than Lotus perfection; lightweight and the handling equivalent of a Formula-1 car.

Jaguar XKR175

One of the very first cars to be unveiled at Monterey was the Jaguar XKR175. Based on the XKR75, the 175 is built in honor of Jaguar's 75th anniversary.

Performance is in the 510-hp range put out from the supercharged V8 - that's almost 30 hp more than the Ferrari F430. The new XKR175 features a more aggressive body kit, bigger wheels, and upgraded brakes.

The XKR175 - hence the name - will be made in a limited 175 car run, each priced at just over $100k.

Special Events:

Jaguar's 75th anniversary

Jaguar wasn't just releasing one-off models and special XK75s this weekend, they had a birthday to celebrate.

Jaguar celebrated its big 75th anniversary at Monterey this weekend. Unbeknownst to some, the history of Jaguar actually dates back to young men who made sidecars under the name - nearly 90 years ago. The business of creating sidecars for motorcycles later evolved into an automobile coachwork, with two custom bodies known as the S.S.I. and the S.S.2.

Then, on September 23, 1935 (75 years ago), Jaguar unveiled the SS Jaguar to the press. That led to the SS Jaguar 100 which then helped set Jaguar's racing persona in stone. After WWII, the company changed its name to simply Jaguar - dropping the SS - and decided to start focusing on luxury models for wealthy Americans. This led to the iconic sports car, the XK120, aimed at 160-hp and a top speed of 120 mph. Ultimately, the XK120 led to other iconic sports cars such as the XK140 and 150, which developed Jaguar into what it is today.

Happy Birthday Jaguar.

Ferrari F40's 20th Birthday

Named for Ferrari's 40th anniversary, the Ferrari F40 was and is a 470-hp monster. Now, we all expect to see one or two F40s at an event like this, but the model has a birthday to celebrate. Over a dozen examples of the Ferrari F40->ke434 showed up at Monterey this weekend in a sea of red to honor its 20th year here in the States. Utterly breathtaking.

Concours d'LeMons

With the prestigious Concours d'Elegance - meaning the concourse of excellence - next door, there is also a gathering for the rest of us mid-income folks: the Concours d'LeMon. Literally meaning the competition of Lemons, the Concours d'LeMon, first held in 2009, features oddball, mundane, and some of the most awful vehicles that will never reach the lawn at Pebble Beach.

The Quail Motorsports Gathering

Known as the Quail, the Quail Motorsports Gathering is one of the more formal and exclusive events to take place at Monterey. Featuring rare, iconic, vintage racing machines alongside of some of the most technologically advanced hyper-cars of today, the Quail never fails to impress.

This year's Quail featured nearly 30 Bugatti Grand Prix cars along with the new Veyron SS, a host of rare Ferrari's including all the Series I Pinin Farina Cabs, and 275 GTCs alongside the brand new 458 Italia and 599 GTO.

Even Carroll Shelby was honored this year by a convoy of nearly 30 Shelby Cobras, a slew of Mustangs, and the very first Shelby GT350 ever produced.

With tickets starting at nearly $400, we would say - it's well worth it.

2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Best Of Show:

1933 Delage D8S De Villars Roadster

The Auctions:

The RM Auction this year in Monterey did nothing short of staggering figures. The auction has always left its most prestigious cars for Saturday, and this year, no less than 14 cars broke the million dollar mark. Here's a list of the top dogs in the auction:

Lot 359: 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C Lago Speciale Teardrop Coupe - $4,620,000

Lot 351: 1954 Ferrari 375 MM Berlinetta - $4,620,000

Lot 353: 1949 Delahaye Type 175 S Roadster by Saoutchik - $3,300,000

Lot 360: 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder - $2,612,500

Lot 347: 1955 Jaguar D-Type - $2,090,000

Lot 365: 2007 Ferrari FXX Evoluzione - $1,925,000

Lot 335: 1959 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series III Coupe - $1,760,000

Lot 345: 1933 Packard Twelve Coupe - $1,622,500

Lot 346: 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Series I Cabriolet - $1,622,500

Lot 342: 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Berlinetta - $1,567,500

Lot 341: 1933 Duesenberg SJ Riviera Phaeton - $1,430,000

Lot 349: 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/6C Alloy Berlinetta - $1,155,000

Lot 339: 1966 Ferrari 500 Superfast - $1,127,500

All in all, this is just Monterey 2010 in a nutshell. Nothing beats being in the presence of these fine automobiles. So, until next year, go ahead and reserve your spot on the famous lawn of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2011.