IN THIS FEATURE The Brooklands of California When I won it Changing times

Pebble Beach is changing, though. For example, most of the cars these days go on the tour, a 50-mile drive to show that the cars actually work. It's voluntary, of course. You don't actually have to go on the tour but you get extra points if you do. I think it shows the judges that you're serious about your restoration.

To me, I bring a car to Pebble Beach just to find out more about the car's origins. If you have a Duesenberg or a Bugatti or any of these cars, even an old Bentley, it's easy to fabricate a new body or even make a new chassis if you have a proper motor and transmission. And few people could spot the difference. But go to Pebble Beach and the most respected judges in the world will be nosing around your pride and joy. It's like finding a puppy at the pound and being told later that its mother was Lassie and the father Rin Tin Tin. It just makes your car legitimate, and more real.

Talking of restoration, anyone who reads this and is looking for a restorer, here's what to do: meet the restorer, then follow him home. If his wife is in rags and his house is mortgaged to the hilt and looks like it's falling down, that's the guy you want. There are no rich restorers. You can't possibly charge for all the time it takes to restore these cars.

Jay got to meet legendary racer Juan Manuel Fangio at Pebble Beach

Pebble Beach is not just cars. It's about people. When I first started going to Pebble Beach, I got to hang out a bit with former F1 world champion Juan Manuel Fangio, because a good friend of mine was a friend of Fangio. That was a tremendous thrill for me.

Another was chatting to Sir Stirling Moss at dinner the other night. As a talk show host, when someone sits next to me they usually have fake breasts and dyed hair; or I'm sitting next to an actor, who's a very nice fellow, but not the realJames Bond, or whoever. But sit next to Stirling Moss, and you're sitting next to a living legend.

Jay was talking to Jeremy Hart