Even after three years of attending Monterey Car Week, I still fail to find the right words to properly encapsulate the experience. Exhilarating? Jaw-dropping? Breathtaking in the sense of a Porsche 911 that sat in the Las Vegas desert for two decades driving past while blowing plumes of oil smoke? As cliche as it may seem, it really is one of those things you just have to be there for.
For those uninitiated with the car lover’s Mecca, Monterey Car Week is a week packed to the gills with some of the world’s most well-known auctions, exclusive events, and a smattering of other events for us regular folk. Given that I am a very intelligent person and an even better liar, me, my friend Kevin, and my girlfriend went to far too many events for our own good.
Kevin took his Hyperblue WRX STi on its first long distance road trip, I took my aging 1986 Nissan 300ZX on its third yearly 400+ mile trip, and my girlfriend brought along her 260,000+ mile 1994 Toyota Camry Coupe. By some miracle bestowed upon us by the car gods and goddesses, we all made our round trips without so much as a single hitch. Call it luck or just proper vehicular maintenance, but I’d be lying if I said we weren’t proud of our cars at the end of the journey.
Without further ado and nonsense, I will now attempt to tell you about these events without putting you to sleep.
Motorlux
What better way to finish a three-hour drive than by jumping headfirst into Hagerty’s prestigious Motorlux event. I have yet to find an event that merges cars, private jets, any kind of food you could imagine, and enough alcohol to make Dionysus himself blush. There is such a feeling of exclusivity that arises from walking among million dollar cars and planes while sipping a glass of Johnnie Walker and enjoying fine caviar spread on a cracker. When I think of the luxury and opulence that is often associated with Monterey Car Week, Motorlux embodies all of it. I even got to meet Randy Pobst! Kudos to the Hagerty and Broad Arrow team for knocking it out of the park once more! Maybe next year I’ll leave in one of those jets too. Huge thank you to Paolo for getting us access!
The Auctions
No sense in going into detail about all of these as it would largely sound the same. What I will do, is tell you what I found to be the most interesting details of each.
R.M. Sotheby’s (above) usually has the best lots, in my opinion, and this year was no different. On top of the usual exotics, vintage exotics, and classics, the upper floor of the Monterey Conference Center that houses R.M. had a mint green Ferrari F40. Purists be damned, it was refreshing to see an F40 that wasn’t red, white, or God forbid that horrid Nardo Gray. I for one applaud exotics cars in exotic colors because why would you get something exciting and then paint it like a Corolla? The back of the lot was equally as exciting, with a tropical assortment of wedges ranging from a Cizeta to a couple of Vectors to even a Bugatti EB110! My personal favorite was the 1952 Chrysler ‘Thomas Special’ Prototype, the brand’s first Special bodied by Ghia. It had such a unique blend of futurism and retro that I really have seen nothing like it. Its stature is also just plain imposing, with a look that demands you take it seriously. Needless to say, we left feeling satisfied and with our SD cards begging for mercy.
The Mecum lot (above) is always the biggest of them all, spanning a massive portion of the Del Monte Golf Course. I would argue they have the most variety by far, with a bigger focus on muscle cars than the other auctions. My favorites by far were the Fiat Jolly and its pink brother beside it. As my buddy @autolgnd on Instagram said, “we need more vintage beach cruisers in the car world!”, a statement that I would take a bullet for. Overall, I would say that if exotics aren’t exactly your cup of tea, Mecum is the most likely auction to scratch whatever automotive itch ails you.
The last auction we went to (sorry Gooding & Co, we ran out of time!) was Bonhams at Quail Lodge (above). It was a little smaller than I was expecting it to be with a clear focus on classic & vintage cars of any era, nationality, or condition. While Kevin was not exactly excited to be away from his JDM and exotics, I was in metaphorical heaven, especially once I laid eyes upon the interior of the 1922 Detroit Electric Model 97B Brougham. Seldom have I ever seen such an awe-inspiring pattern combination of grandma’s couch and the Buckingham Palace, officially dubbed “opulent parlor-style interior.” Stepping outside of the auction house, we were welcomed by the booming melody of the 1905 Fiat-Isotta-Fraschini Volo-6 Competition Two-Seater. This absolute “2.2-ton projectile” of a machine is powered by a 16.6-Liter Isotta Fraschini Aero Engine, out of an airship no less, that puts out a planet-shattering 3,000lb-ft of torque. Never have my ears been so happy to be near-deafened by such a display of raw power and automotive protest against all road laws we hold dear. Bravo to any masochist that dares attempt to pilot what its registration dubs to be a “car.”
The House of Maserati
With our brains utterly shattered by the hammer prices of the cars we had seen, the next day began with a visit to the House of Maserati. As second-year attendees and entirely sworn comrades of the Italian marque, we were welcomed by our lovely host Kevin (another one) with a fantastic assortment of gourmet food and the keys to a brand new Maserati GranCabrio Trofeo! Our half-hour joyride not only left us with a hunger for more thunderous downshifts through the Pebble Beach forest but also with an even higher appreciation for all that Maserati has released in the past few years. Our visit ended with an interview of designer Klaus Busse where I was able to pick his brain about what goes into designing special edition cars like the Maserati MC20 MCW Edition. Look out for that article in the very near future! Until then, arrivederci Maserati House and we await your 2025 return to our shores with bated breath.
House of Macallan
I won’t pretend like I’m some whiskey and cigar connoisseur, but when a bottle’s price resembles a traffic ticket, I know I’m in good company. Macallan, a single malt Scotch whisky distillery in the north-east of Scotland, held a collaborative event with Bentley at this year’s Car Week. While anyone over 21 could attend with a simple reservation, I’m going to go ahead and pretend it was an exclusive event to help preserve my ego.
Beyond the beautiful cars with six figure option lists lay a bright red sunburn for my forehead but also some of the best food I have had at a Car Week event. Each food item had a drink it paired with for the optimum taste which I found to be incredibly thoughtful and elevated the overall experience. I, of course, did not think to write down what I ordered other than it was roast duck with a side of caviar and a drink I found hard to pronounce. Regardless of the name, it did indeed pair perfectly with the duck and the entire event skyrocketed up my list of favorite destinations that week.
Concours Village
The center of it all, Concours Village! Outside of the regularly scheduled shows and auctions, Concours Village acts as a hub for Car Week with a number of manufacturers and sponsors having tents set up to promote whatever products they are trying to sell. We went on test drives with Rivian and Lexus, saw the marvelous Brabus booth and learned that they also modify boats and Porsches, and basked in the glory of the Mercedes-Benz monolith that occupies the center of the village each year.
A special mention goes to the Bugatti booth and to Nicole Auger for letting us in to see the beauty of the Tourbillon up close and personal. This is truly one of the most stunning automobiles I have ever had the honor to lay my eyes upon. Every detail is so meticulously thought out and flows together in such perfect harmony that I must have stood there in awe for longer than is deemed socially acceptable.
After I picked up my jaw off the floor, we strolled over to the Jacob & Co. Timepieces display where I was able to try on a Chiron-inspired watch that totaled just over $350,000 in value. It’s safe to say that all of the things I possess put together do not come anywhere close to that number so it was a humbling moment to put it mildly.
Just outside the walls were a selection of the finest Bugattis currently on offer, including a Chiron Supersport and a Bolide to prepare you for the experience inside. The food and the coffee were also the perfect metaphorical cherry on top to end the Bugatti showcase, with a perfectly cooked quesadilla, calamari, and oysters all perfectly arranged on a plate. It was nothing short of an exquisite experience!
Concours d’Lemons
From the sublime to the appalling, we now land at my friend Alan Galbraith’s Concours d’Lemons. This self-proclaimed “stain” on the face of Monterey Car Week is quite possibly one of the best things you can do with your time on the day it hits the poor Seaside City Hall lawn. Those looking for a respite from the high-brow atmosphere of Car Week will be more than pleased to find that the owners at Lemons don’t take themselves or their cars too seriously. They are more than aware that a single pothole can lead to catastrophic failure and you can bet your zip-tie that they have AAA on speed dial.
The real “peak” of this year’s Lemons was the arrival of automotive restorer and personality Wayne Carini in what can only be described as the biggest EPA disaster since the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The Porsche 911 Carrera that he so graciously assaulted our nostrils with had been sitting in the Las Vegas sun for the past 20 years before being revived and offered for sale by Dodi Auto Sales. Never in my life had I seen, or in this case smelled, such a plume of oil smoke follow a car. My second favorite “car” in attendance was Steve Mandell’s 1955 New Map Solyto, a French van apparently that was too broken to move under its own power and I was lucky enough to help move it. My hands forgive you for making them rusty Steve.
Monterey Motorsports Festival
Those of you who know me behind the scenes may know that I help manage the social media for the Monterey Motorsports Festival. This year was our second year of running the show and oh boy did we put last year’s show to shame.
MMF runs from 2 pm to 10 pm but the idea is that it’s more than a car show, it’s a lifestyle event of sorts. We have cars of course, but we also have live performances, automotive parades, rev-offs, Cirque du Soleil acts, and even a motorcycle Globe of Death! It’s the kind of thing where you bring your family to relax, have fun, and just party away from the general hubbub of Car Week. The VIP list stretches on for miles and included former Lamborghini test driver Valentino Balboni, who was gracious enough to sign several attendees’ Lamborghinis. Hell, even Pininfarina ran a Battista-exclusive parade around the Fairgrounds. Overall a good time, 10/10, y’all should come to our event next year!
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
We end the week, as all Monterey Car Weeks do, with a visit to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance! This is the epic finale where the finest automobiles ever to grace the face of the Earth gather in what I would describe as the fanciest garden party you’ve ever been to.
Before you made it there though, you had to pass by the grounds outside of Casa Ferrari and boy what a tremendous pitstop that was! Pre-1970s Ferrari have a special aura to them that enchants me in the same way my girlfriend always does. I just want to keep staring and admiring every detail that makes them such a gorgeous creation unlike any other around it. Hopefully next year I can sweet talk my way into Casa Ferrari and see what the talk is about. It sure looked like a good time!
There is also the Concept Lawn, showcasing the newest and hottest shapes and technologies in the automotive world. My personal fave? I knew you’d ask! The BB Auto revival of Rainer Buchmann’s ‘Rainbow Porsche’ 911 Targa. I love colorful cars in general and you cannot get more colorful than a 911 adorned with colorful 70s Polaroid lines. The new Nilu27 is also a wild beast, with a rear that slaps you in the mouth with a full view of its visceral exhaust and gorgeous mechanical underpinnings. I’m usually not crazy about the Concept Lawn but this year tickled my fancy like no other year.
The one section I specifically want to talk about at this year’s Concours is the wedge-shaped concept cars section. As the driver and occasional hater of a 1986 Nissan 300ZX, this is one design language that I will absolutely kill for and to see it highlighted on the Pebble lawn was a dream! I was even fortunate enough to see, and especially hear, the 1955 Chrysler Ghia Streamline X “Gilda” make its way down the field in all of its ear-piercing, jet-powered glory. I do hope that more cars like this that are usually not thought of as “Pebble Beach material” get their time in the spotlight at one of the world’s most prestigious car shows. Hell, we even saw the first Honda on display at Pebble for the first time since the event’s inception!
I would also like to extend a moment of silence to the 1979 Ford Ghia Probe I Concept that was engulfed in a trailer fire on its way out of Monterey. It is an automotive tragedy of the highest caliber to lose one’s loved automobile, let alone when that automobile is a one-off, million dollar concept.
And that’s that! Another Monterey Car Week in the books. Nearly a full week of nothing but cars from sunset to sundown. Was it exhausting? That’s one word for it. Will I do it again? Absolutely. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that I will do my best to attend Monterey Car Week year after year. It’s one of those things that always leaves you wondering about what will happen next. What unicorns will you cross paths with next year? What unfathomable experiences will come your way? The sense of adventure and the thirst for the unknown are what make Monterey Car Week so unforgettable once you’ve experienced it. One thing is for certain however, and that’s that it will never stop being a damn good time.
Click here for my full Monterey Car Week 2024 gallery!
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