he automotive industry is currently facing tough times. Electric vehicles are struggling, auto shows are dead, and no one really knows where things are headed in the coming years. However, on the luxury peninsula of Pebble Beach, these problems seem non-existent as Monterey Car Week celebrates the auto industry more vibrantly than ever – for almost a whole week.
One wonders why automakers in the Western world still invest millions in trade shows? Apart from the giant events in China, hardly anyone cares about exhibitions in Paris, Munich, Tokyo, or Los Angeles anymore. Monterey Car Week has shown for years how it can be done differently, with its wide and colourful panorama of elite events, glamorous luxury parties, casual fan meet-ups, quirky gatherings, auctions, and an ever-growing number of world premieres. Monterey Car Week has long since become the most important auto show of the year, and if you’re not there, you’re certainly not in the front row on the global stage.
Admittedly, a lot repeats itself year after year – even here on the Pacific coast. The Concorso Italiano and the Legends of Autobahn have lost some of their luster over the years, and the quirky Concours de Lemons in Seaside, the counterpoint to the luxury events at Pebble Beach or Carmel Valley, isn’t quite as crazy as it once was. Yet car fans from around the world still gather to marvel at bizarre rust buckets in front of City Hall, from worn-out Daf delivery vans to faded Cadillac Eldorados and rusted Fiat 124 Special TCs. Even this one bears the name “Superleggera,” a title usually reserved for million-dollar cars at exhibitions or major auctions by Gooding or RM Sotheby’s.
Those looking to make a splash in Monterey attend the luxury event The Quail, where emerging small-series manufacturers and luxury brands present themselves to an elite audience that pays over $1,100 for admission – plus parking. Where else could Lamborghini better unveil its 920 PS Huracan successor, the Temerario, Mate Rimac reveal the Nevera R, or Maserati show off its GT2 Stradale to potential customers for the first time? Bentley, Stinger, Rolls-Royce, Pininfarina, or Karma – under the shade of chic umbrellas, a glass of champagne is sipped during a friendly chat. This is the auto show of the future – at least the elite peak of it. Things are more down-to-earth at the Concours Village of Pebble Beach. Over the years, more and more automakers have showcased their splendour here during the third week of August, presenting the grand structures that were once displayed in gloomy exhibition halls.
But it’s not just the spectacle, nor the ever-growing number of world premieres, from the BMW M5 Touring to the Maybach SL or the latest generation of the Lincoln Navigator. It’s the mix of everything: relaxed guests, a setting that lets you revel in gentle dune landscapes next to luxury villas while golf balls fly by just a few metres away, and friendly greetings as early as six in the morning. People speak softly, and the event’s organization is as robust as it could never be in Europe; all of this, combined with a view of the glittering Pacific, has contributed to the rise of Pebble Beach and Monterey Car Week over the past 15 years. The big brands let the smaller manufacturers breathe, and so labels like Everrati, RWB, Nilu, Ruf, Czinger, Singer, or Rezvani also get their moment in the spotlight, and even the luxury brand Brabus from Bottrop has a stand near the exclusive Pebble Beach Lodge, unlike any other show, to present its luxury models and boats.
You won’t find a bad mood during this sun-drenched August week, and the affordably tuned Mazda MX-5 or the lowriders of car fans from Salinas are just as much a part of the scene as a Bugatti Chiron or the Hennessey Venom F5. Everyone who comes to Monterey shares a passion and enthusiasm for cars, away from disruptions and the negativity that has become commonplace in Europe. During the day and evening, people go to pose in Cannery Row. Where millions of sardines were once canned and shipped worldwide, car enthusiasts from all over the globe now gather day in and day out to celebrate their beloved mode of transportation. Perhaps that’s why collectors are so eager to bring their dazzling machines to Pebble Beach, to stylishly showcase their automotive gems – and themselves. Best of all, at the closing event, the Concours d’Elegance, which presents a surreal and grandiose scene on the final hole of the Pebble Beach golf course. It’s more true than ever here: if you want to be somebody in the car world right now, this is the place to be. Here, and nowhere else.
