Held, as usual, on the third Sunday of August, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is rightly the focus of activities on the Peninsula – but there’s an awful lot of other things to do in and around Monterey.
For the last few years, the week proper has started with the Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours on the Avenue. In 2010, however, the organisers have decided to re-group with a simpler, more private event, only open to the public at lunchtime on Tuesday 10 August. So, our suggestion is to look in here first, before high-tailing it to Automobilia Monterey at The Embassy Suites to snap up all that rare stuff on the opening day.
From then onwards it’s your call, but the buzz of Monterey week is intoxicating. From the first time you see a 'teardrop' Talbot-Lago on Highway One, a Ferrari 275 GTB/4 in Monterey or a line-up of four Superamericas parked in Carmel, you know you are somewhere special.
Classic Driver will be at Monterey this year, reviewing the main events, and will post all the auction results as soon as they are officially confirmed. If you are planning on going, here’s our list of suggestions:
Automobilia Monterey, Ballroom of The Embassy Suites, Canyon Del Rey, Seaside
Tuesday 10 - Wednesday 11 August
A real Monterey-week 'must-do'. This is an automobilia exhibition from the top drawer with some truly superb posters, models, books and photographs. But be warned: it costs just $15 for one day (or $20 for both) but you will buy something inside – I guarantee it. It's just a short ride from Monterey on the way to Laguna Seca and has plenty of free parking. The opening hours are 10:00 - 18:00 Tuesday, 10:00 - 19:00 Wednesday.
For more information, visit www.automobiliamonterey.com.
Gordon McCall's Motorworks 'Revival 2010', Monterey Jet Center, 300 Sky Park Drive, Monterey
Wednesday 11 August
If you’re going to the Peninsula for Pebble-week, you’ve got to be at Gordon McCall’s party on the Wednesday evening. Bentley Motors, Audi, Gulfstream, Bombardier and Breitling are just some of the famous brands who will be present at the event that really kicks off the long Monterey weekend.
A ‘who’s who’ of important movers and shakers meets for drinks, food and fun at the Monterey Jet Center. There’ll be new cars, the latest (and classic) aeroplanes, watches and boats – plus a lot of talk about what will happen at Pebble come Sunday night - both in the auction tents and on the famous 18th green.
For ticket information, visit www.mccallmotorsports.com.
Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance presented by Rolex
Thursday 12 August
Put away your polishing cloths and get out the driving gloves - this is an opportunity for Pebble Beach Councours entrants to show what their multi-million-dollar cars can do on the road. If it was built for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a few hours' gentle - yet purposeful - touring along part of 17-Mile Drive, down to the Big Sur Lodge on Highway One and back again via a lunch stop at Carmel should be a breeze. It's a terrific opportunity for members of the public to see these outstanding cars in motion. And don't forget, come Sunday on the concours field, if two cars tie on points it will be the car that entered the Tour that gets the nod from the judges.
The Tour will start at 08:30 from Collins Field in Pebble Beach, returning by 15:00, when the participants will enjoy a champagne toast.
Not to be missed, the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance presented by Rolex is great for photography and it shows that the immaculately prepared, priceless concours entries do actually run – rather well.
For more information, visit www.pebblebeachconcours.net.
Bonhams Sale at Quail Lodge, Carmel Valley
Thursday 12 - Friday 13 August
Extending its Quail Lodge sale to two days this year, Bonhams will offer over 100 cars and a wealth of automobilia at its showpiece Monterey-week event. A considerable proportion of the sale is Porsche-related due to the inclusion of entries from the Michael Amalfitano collection...
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RM Auctions ‘Sports & Classics at Monterey’
Thursday 12 - Saturday 14 August
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RM has assembled another 200+ entry for this year’s Monterey sale, another three-day bonanza. Twenty-six Ferraris are entered, including this 2007 FXX Evoluzione estimated at $1,800,000 - 2,400,000...
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Concorso Italiano®, Laguna Seca Golf Ranch, Monterey
Friday 13 August: 09:00-17:00
Now restored to a better-suited, grassy location (from its disastrous 2008 aerodrome venue), for enthusiasts of all things Italian the Concorso is one of the highlights of the week. As many as 1200 Italian cars, ranging from Fiat 500s to Ferrari Enzos will be on display.
For more information, visit www.concorso.com.
Pebble Beach RetroAuto
Friday 13 - Sunday 15 August
Open from 10:00 to 17:00, you can’t miss the big marquee that houses RetroAuto as you arrive at the Pebble Beach exhibition area. It’s a great place to pore over rare books, models and expensive collectors’ automobilia.
For more information, visit www.pebblebeachconcours.net.
Mecum at Monterey
Friday 13 - Saturday 14 August
American auctioneers Mecum will be holding a two-day sale at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa on Del Monte Golf Course, Monterey. One of the feature lots is a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB 'Tour de France', 1st in class and 3rd overall at the 1959 24 Le Mans 24 Hours.
For further information, see www.mecum.com.
The Quail: A Motorsport Gathering, Quail Lodge, Carmel Valley
Friday 13 August
A popular event, so much so that if you are reading this without a ticket... you won't get one. A mix of deluxe catering and rare cars, all set in a quintessentially American country club location, 'The Quail' defines exclusivity. You can do it the cheapskates' way, of course, by buying a Bonhams auction catalogue and peeking through the fence. Never catch me doing that, though. Oh no.
For more information, visit www.quaillodge.com.
Concours d'LeMons, Toro Regional Park, 501 Monterey-Salinas Highway 68
Saturday 14 August
The perfect antidote to a row of immaculate 'Cal Spiders': the organisers are proud to announce that "due to surprisingly enthusiastic demand for horrible automotive design, the Concours d’LeMons is back for 2010".
"All of the usual classes will be back to drip oil all over Monterey", apparently. It's reputed to be huge fun - although I've never been - and if you've decided to go to Laguna on Sunday, do find time to drop in on the Concours d'LeMons on Saturday.
For more information, visit www.concoursdlemons.com.
Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Friday 13 - Sunday 15 August
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the American Bugatti Club, the 34-car all-Bugatti race should be one of the feature races at this year's Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, now under SCRAMP (Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula) organisation. A glance at the latest entry list is enough for visitors to appreciate the extraordinary quality of unseen-in-Europe cars in North America, with every race brimming with top-level machinery. The Trans-Am race, in particular, will be spectacular.
Sir Stirling Moss, now fully recovered from his accident at home, will be there, racing his recently acquired 1961 Porsche RS 61, while 'Dan Gurney, the Cars He Built, the Cars He Drove' will showcase 24 of the great American F1/Sports car/Can Am/Trans-Am drivers' cars.
Oh, and the earth will shake when Ned Jarrett's 1966 Ford Fairlane, David Pearson's 1969 Ford Talladega and 1968 Ford Torino Cobras, Dick Hutcherson's Ford Galaxie, Junior Johnson's 1963 yellow 'banana' Ford Galaxie, Dan Gurney's 1963 Ford Galaxie and Bill Champion's 1971 Mercury Cyclone hit the track for the 'Stock Cars with drum brakes' race.
It's going to be great.
For more information, visit www.mazdaraceway.com. You can download the latest entry list HERE.
Russo and Steele Auction, Downtown Monterey Marriott Hotel, Monterey
Thursday 12 - Saturday 14 August
The 'muscles' might be less toned than before, but, despite the almost disappearance of matching-numbers 'ho-po' Detroit iron as collectors' fodder, Russo and Steele has put together an impressive catalogue. One of the feature lots is the 1971 Trans-Am AMC Javelin Mark Donohue Championship Car, so do check the brilliant video out on www.russoandsteele.com. Man, those girls are pretty!
If you are not quite ready to do the Dennis Hopper thing just yet, there's always a more traditional 1959 AC Ace Bristol to attract your interest.
For more information, visit www.russoandsteele.com.
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
Sunday 15 August
This is, after all, the reason why we're all here. First held in 1950 (as a sideshow to the Pebble Beach Road Races), it is, without question, the premier concours d'elegance in the world. Competition to win is fierce, and you'll see presidents of gigantic corporations (who outrank mere captains of industry, any day) fight it out on the manicured turf of the Pebble Beach Golf Links' 18th fairway.
The 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the 60th, will feature Alfa Romeo, Pierce-Arrow and Jaguar and will celebrate the designs of Ghia. As ever, seperate classes for 'Brass Cars', V16 Cadillacs, iconic 'Woodies' et al will be there, joined in 2010 by a special tribute to the Ferrari 250 GT SWB, celebrating its 50th birthday this year.
It's anticipated that McLaren Automotive will debut its brilliant MP4-12C while Ferrari is tipped to show a very special 599 'Spider', Porsche its super-frugal (yet blisteringly quick) 918 Spyder concept and Morgan the EvaGT at this year's Concours.
For more information, visit www.pebblebeachconcours.net.
Gooding & Company ‘The Pebble Beach Auction’
Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 August
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David Gooding’s 2010 August sale promises to be another blockbuster, a fitting end to the week-long Monterey jamboree. Of the 19 Ferraris listed, none sums up the quality of catalogue better than the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta ‘SEFAC Hot Rod’, a matching numbers car which has just emerged from a two-year restoration at the Ferrari factory...
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Text: Steve Wakefield
Photos: Classic Driver / The Auction Houses
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