In the same way that racing enthusiasts return each year to Indianapolis, Daytona and Monte Carlo to recharge their batteries for campaigns ahead, classic car buffs flock to the central California coast in August to wax and polish their dreams of finding the one automobile on Earth they were born to own.
The bright chrome centerpiece of the annual Monterey Motoring Week is the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, which takes place on the fabled 18th fairway and green of the Pebble Beach Resort. Here, on a craggy perch above sparkling Carmel Bay, 175 of the world’s most magnificent antique and collectible automobiles are put on display for one Brigadoon-like Sunday afternoon, before being paraded in front of some of the most demanding judges on the planet.
First held in 1950, as an adjunct to the Pebble Beach Road Races, the Concours d’Elegance–this year on Aug. 16–attracts a crowd limited to about 15,000 people, many of whom travel to the peninsula in vehicles only slightly less valuable than the ones in competition. Another 50,000 automobile enthusiasts are drawn, as well, to similar showcase events scattered around the forested precincts of Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea, most held from Friday, the 14th, through Sunday, the 16th.
Among the more popular are Concours Italiano, which focuses specifically on the automotive contributions of Italian designers, engineers and craftsmen; the Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca; the Blackhawk Collection Exposition of Classic Cars, where dozens of museum-quality specimens are offered for sale; and at least three evenings of auctions in various locations, where collectors can bid on cars ranging in shape from fixer-upper to pristine.
“If the weekend were a marriage, then Pebble Beach would be the wedding, Laguna Seca would be the courtship and Concours Italiano would be the reception,” suggested Frank Mandarano, chairman of the annual salute to Italy’s automakers. “It’s a big, fun gathering.”
The honored marque at the 12th Concours Italiano — held at Quail Lodge, in picturesque Carmel Valley, on the Friday before the Concours d’Elegance — will be Alfa Romeo.
About 150 vintage examples of the company’s contributions to the automotive world will be on display, including noteworthy designs by Zagato, Pininfarina, Bertone and Touring.
Of course, there also will be hundreds of colorful, road-tested Ferraris and Lamborghinis on the lawn, as well.
Unlike the tony Sunday event at Pebble Beach — at which the stakes are extremely high for restorers and collectors — Concours Italiano is a low-key gathering of tribes, practically a picnic. In addition to such rarities as a 1937 Alfa Romeo 8c 2900 Berlina Twin Supercharged and 1955 Bertone prototype, the day will be enhanced by European opera singers, a fashion show, food and plenty of concessionaire tents.
“We don’t judge the cars seriously,” Mandarano emphasized. “There’s a panel of judges who pick (number) one, two and three, and that’s it. They’re instructed to choose whichever car they want, for whatever reason they have . . . no points or anything.”
The 25th annual Monterey Historic Automobile Races and warmups — held Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Laguna Seca, about five miles inland from Monterey Bay — also will put the accent on fun. Here, it’s possible to observe vintage racing cars — which span the automotive century, and range from three-wheel antiques to Formula I qualifiers — competing against each other on the 2.2-mile-long raceway.
This year’s honored marque is Porsche, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary by bringing in 25 cars from the Porsche AG Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. Some 1,000 Porsches of all makes and models also are expected to be on hand in the paddock and club corral.
More than 36,000 fans attend the three-day test of wills and tired steel, sitting in bleachers alongside the track or on hills overlooking the 11-turn course. Most spectators also will tour the pit area, where they can chat with the owners — there’s usually an interesting story to be told about each car — and get a close look at the racers.
“We poke fun at the Pebble Beach folks,” said Gary Stanger, a Laguna Seca spokesman who has since left his job there. “These are the same million-dollar cars as the ones at the Concours, but real enthusiasts want to see cars doing what they’re supposed to do. They want to see cars in motion.”
Aside from the Cobras and Lotuses at Laguna Seca, some of the fastest paced action actually takes place in tents and auditoriums on ocean-chilled weekend nights around the peninsula. For those looking for their dream car, the auctions are the place to be.
Last year, at the two-day Monterey Sports Car Auction, being held on Friday and Saturday this year, more than $5 million was spent on such collectible cars as a BMW 507 Roadster, once owned by Elvis Presley ($291,500); a 1956 Ferrari 500 Testarossa ($455,800); and a 1970 Datsun 240Z ($33,920). Other cars — well-worn Fiats and Lancias went for $300 to $800 — but they had to be towed to the stage.
Saturday night, at Quail Lodge, the American division of London’s Brooks Group will conduct an auction of high-profile automobiles — including a 1908 12.7-litre Grand Prix Mors and the 1922 “Land Speed Record Wisconsin Special” racer from the David V. Uihlein collection.
Sunday at Pebble Beach, Christie’s conducts an auction that often includes competitors from that afternoon’s Concours d’Elegance, long-unseen cars and art works. The standards for inclusion in the sale are extremely high, and the bidders have very deep pockets indeed.
A five-day show, which starts on Wednesday, goes on under the big top of the Blackhawk Collection, which each year trucks big-ticket items from its showroom in Danville, Calif., to the Peter Hay Golf Course. From there, it’s just a short walk to the Pebble Beach Lodge, which is just off the wondrously scenic 17-Mile Drive.
As a restorer and veteran of several concourses, Darien resident Mike Gregory can attest to the high degree of competition and tension at the Concours d’Elegance.
“To get a car to Pebble Beach, every aspect has to be restored inside and out, and the car has to be notable from a design or prestige standpoint,” he said, standing next to a stunning one-of-a-kind 1963 Corvair Pininfarina Coupe. “The quality of the car also has to be outstanding, otherwise it wouldn’t have been invited. The judges are very knowledgeable. If you’ve played with history, they’d know it.”
Last year’s Best of Show winner was a stunning 1937 Talbot-Lago T150C Figoni et Falaschi Coupe, owned by William Connor, of Hong Kong. Among the cars it beat out was a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Gangloff Cabriolet, presented by fashion designer Ralph Lauren.
With all of the car buffs in town for the festivities, just cruising the streets of Carmel and Monterey can provide a trip down Memory Lane. Beautiful, rare and expensive cars literally can be seen around any corner.
If there are any drawbacks to the week’s activities, it’s that things do tend to get a bit crowded on the cozy peninsula. This year, the problem will be aggravated by the fact that the final round of the annual Pebble Beach professional golf tournament — postponed due to El Nino rains — will be held right after the Concours d’Elegance.
Amy Herzog, marketing director for the Monterey Peninsula Visitors & Convention Bureau, points out that virtually all of the 9,500 rooms on the peninsula are reserved well in advance of the events. Visitors often are forced to stay up the coast, as far away as Santa Cruz, or they drive in for the day from San Jose or San Francisco.
On the plus side, she notes, the road through Big Sur — severely damaged in winter storms — has been reopened, and accommodations are available further south along the coast, as well.
Of course, depending on how your back takes to bucket seats, you can always sleep in your car.
IF YOU GO
– GETTING AROUND
The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, will be held Sunday, Aug. 16, at the Lodge at Pebble Beach Resorts, on 17 Mile Drive. Car judging begins at 9 a.m., with public viewing at 10:30 a.m. The awards presentations run from approximately 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tickets benefit the United Way and cost $50. For more information, call 408-659-0663; tickets, 408-372-8026.
The Blackhawk Collection is on display in a tent on the Peter Hay golf course at Pebble Beach Resorts, on 17 Mile Drive at Stevenson Road. It is on display from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, Aug. 12-16. Admission is free. For more information, call 925-736-3444.
The Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca are held Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15-16, with warmups on Friday, Aug. 14. The track is on California Highway 68, about five miles east of Monterey. A three-day ticket package costs $150, which allows access to the paddock and other amenities. There are several other ticket options (Laguna Seca is a non-profit operation, which benefits local charities). The races are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call 800-327-7322.
The Concours Italiano is held on Friday, Aug. 14, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Quail Lodge Resort, on Carmel Valley Road, about five miles from California Highway 1. Tickets are $40. For more information, call 425-455-4449.
The Brooks Auction is Saturday evening, Aug. 15, at the Quail Lodge Resort, starting at approximately 6 p.m. Call 415-391-4000.
The Monterey Sports Car Auction will be held Friday and Saturday evenings, Aug. 15-16, at the Conference Center at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf, with public viewing at 1 p.m. Call 800-211-4371.
The Christie’s auction will be held Sunday evening at the Pebble Beach Lodge, with public viewing available during the day Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15-16. Call 800-395-6300.
– INFORMATION
The Monterey Peninsula Visitors & Convention Bureau can be reached at 408-649-1770. Among the services to call for lodging are Monterey Reservations at 888-655-3424 and Roomfinders at 408-624-1711.
Gary Dretzka
