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A WEEK TO REMEMBER

Every August, car collectors and motor racing enthusiasts gather on a gorgeous stretch of the California coast for the Monterey Car Week. Aldofo Orsi tells us what to do and where to go to enjoy the very best of the classic races, exhibitions and auctions

There a collective noun for automobile collectors? Machinisti? Voituristes? Whatever it is, if you want to observe this unique breed in action there’s only one place to be in mid-August: the Monterey area of northern California. For lovers of fine automobiles, Monterey Car Week – which the Americans describe forcefully as the ‘Super Bowl of the car collector world’ – is an unmissable treat. But why here? The origins of the event lie in the Pebble Beach Road Race, a sports-car race held for the first time in 1950 by the Sports Car Club of America on roads through a pine forest on the Pebble Beach Peninsula near Del Monte Lodge. Present at the first race was Philip Hill Jr., a very young and totally unknown driver (at the time) from Santa Monica, who won the main race in a Jaguar XK120. At the same time, the first Concours d’Elegance was held – and was open, as was usual at that time, to both ‘old’ and contemporary cars. The Concours was won by a certain Sterling Edwards in a selfbuilt sports car, the Edwards R-26 Special Sports Roadster, which had also taken part in the race. Automotive history has since lost track of Edwards, but much was heard of Phil Hill in later years, particularly in connection with Ferrari, for whom he became Formula One World Champion in 1961.

The forest race was held until 1956, when tragedy struck and a driver called Ernie McAfee suffered a fatal accident while racing a Ferrari 121 LM. This prompted the construction of a permanent circuit not far away on the site of a disused military area between Monterey and Salinas, named Laguna Seca, which held its first race at the end of 1957. The combination of races (in modern cars) at Laguna Seca and of the Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach continued until 1974. In that year, the collector Steve Earle organised the first races for historic cars on the Laguna Seca circuit, with its famously treacherous ‘corkscrew’ bend. This marriage between historic racing cars and classic cars exhibited in competition is what imbues the weekend with its unique character. In addition, the ‘honoured marque’ of the year is often the same for both the historic races and for the Concours, thus doubling the attraction for fans. Over the years an event that began simply as a weekend has transformed into a week-long programme of events, beginning the previous weekend with the Pre-Historic Races at Laguna Seca. What’s not to like? Of course the main focus is on two aspects: the historic races at Laguna Seca (which begin on the Friday with the trials, followed by the races on Saturday and Sunday), and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (which is held on Sunday and is preceded by the Tour d’Elegance on the Thursday, in which approximately two-thirds of the Concours participants take part). Even at the risk of a messy divorce, these two experiences are not to be missed…

Over the years, however, a number of additional events – beginning on the Tuesday – have been added that are just as compelling. When organising a trip to Monterey Car Week you need to bear in mind that the week begins in a fairly calm manner, but that the diary fills as the week builds to a compelling crescendo. In the end it is physically impossible to attend all the events, so choose wisely.

In addition, the Monterey Peninsula alone is worth the trip – with Carmel and Monterey among the most visited tourist destinations on the California coast. Golflovers will be pleased to note the region is also home to some of the most famous fairways in the USA. So our advice is to arrive early and enjoy your stay: visit Carmel (with its art galleries, shops and restaurants) and Monterey (with its famous Cannery Row and the more touristy Fisherman’s Wharf), and then drive along the famous 17-Mile Drive and visit Monterey Aquarium, the biggest in the world. As for the car events themselves, I can give some solid advice on the event schedule having attended this splendid occasion for the past 20 years. Tuesday is the day for the Carmel-by-the-Sea-Concours, which allows you a view of interesting and rare European and American cars – like ‘muscle cars’ and ‘hot rods’ – which don’t qualify or are too modern for Pebble Beach. Entrance is free; the event is held in Carmel.
Alternatively, there is Automobilia, at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Seaside. This is a sale-exhibition, open on Wednesday, to which around 50 specialised traders and antique dealers – some of them from Europe – bring books, photographs, posters and memorabilia. Collectors can easily spend hours at the show. Wednesday and Thursday see the start of the display of around 800 cars offered for sale by auction; sales are held over two or three successive sessions from Thursday through to Sunday evening.

These are the biggest sales of the year and reveal trends in demand and prices for the following year. Towards the end of Thursday morning you need to go to Carmel, where the cars taking part in the Pebble Beach Concours Tour stop for a couple of hours along Ocean Avenue. As well as the opportunity to get an early look at them, you can hear their engines and see them moving. It’s guaranteed to be impressive. But the week really gets under way on the Friday, with two events running at the same time: ‘The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering’ and the Concorso Italian. The former is held at the prestigious Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Club on Carmel Valley Road and is the most exclusive event of the week. Tickets, which also include lunch with a wide range of different kinds of cuisine, cost $400. In 2009 the 3000 tickets available sold out two months before the event.
The Concorso Italiano has always been a ‘must’ yet in recent years its image has lost some lustre due to a series of unsuccessful changes of venue. Thanks to this year’s new location at the Laguna Seca Golf Ranch, it seems to have rediscovered its verve and to have found favour with the public once again. The fascination of the event lies in the fact that you can find every kind of Italian car and motorbike there – not only Ferrari and luxury models but extremely rare or even forgotten vehicles.

On Saturday you mustn’t miss Laguna Seca. The paddock is open and you can get up close and personal to the cars and drivers of the past. Lovers of photography can enjoy a wonderful time snapping the most important and diverse racing cars imaginable. Plus there are hundreds of memorabilia stalls providing serious temptation. Sunday is dedicated in its entirety to the Concours. The display takes place on the green of the 18th hole overlooking Stillwater Cove. Between 200 and 240 cars are chosen to participate in the world’s most prestigious Concours, divided into classes according to period, type and/or constructor or coachbuilder. There are always two or three classes devoted to Ferrari. In 2009 there was the 166 MM Barchetta Touring class, with 10 examples on show from throughout the US, Hong Kong and Italy. This was no smoke and mirrors trick; they were all real, each bearing tiny differences you wouldn’t notice without being up close. The second special class was devoted to the TR 59, one of Fantuzzi’s great masterpieces, and the first Ferrari fitted with disc brakes. Only five were ever manufactured, of which four survive. And all four of them were at the show – a clear demonstration of the event’s standing. Among the special classes in 2009 there were also those devoted to Bugatti, Audi and Morgan; to cars with bodywork by Zagato (for the 90th anniversary of the Milanese coachbuilder); to Bentley and, finally, to Porsche, the ‘honoured marque’ at Laguna Seca. For the first time, there was also a class devoted to motorcycles. The Concours alone probably merits an entire article. Suffice to say that the major collectors and restorers spend years trying to win their own class; and these winners then compete for the most prestigious prize, Best of Show, which is the Olympic gold medal of the car collectors’ world. When you read the list of judges and winners of Best of Show you’ll discover a ‘Who’s Who’ of this rarefied world. During the Concours there is also a noted event within an event. This is the raffle, with elegant cars, jewels and exotic holidays as prizes, and all proceeds going to charity. The MC is US television personality and committed car enthusiast, Jay Leno. On Sunday, still at Pebble Beach, you can have a look at RetroAuto (an exhibition of automobilia) at the AFAS tent (where works by the leading figures in automobile art are displayed). And at the end of this week, for whomever would like to buy a car and become part of the Pebble Beach phenomenon, there’s the Gooding & Company auction. There’s no shortage of choice, and every year Ferrari organise hospitality for their customers. If you decide to go, let us know.

Finally, after all the serious stuff, those in need of some light relief might like to check out the Concours d’LeMons (that’s right, lemons). The antithesis of Pebble Beach, this celebration of the worst in automotive culture is held at Toro Park, not far from Laguna Seca, where a prize is awarded to ‘Worst in Show – Fright Pig Supremo’! It’s not for the faint-hearted, so be warned if you are a little delicate…

A guide to Monterey car week
What to see and do, and where to stay and eat during the ‘super bowl of the car collector world’…

Monterey is about 120 miles (192km) south of San Francisco (approx. 2½ hours’ drive) and about 350 miles (560km) north of LA (approx. seven hours’ drive). Monterey Airport has connections with San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Denver and Las Vegas. If you’ve never been to California, we’d advise you to set off from LA, leaving yourself two days for the journey, and drive the old Highway One – the Pacific Coast Highway or PCH – along the coast instead of the busier 101 that runs inland. Stop at Hearst Castle at San Simeon to visit the house of newspaper tycoon William Hearst, or Pismo Beach, a national park where you can hire quad-bikes and scamper around on the dunes. After stopping in Monterey for the week, we advise travelling to San Francisco via Half Moon Bay.

Where to stay:

In Monterey there are hotels, inns and motels for all budgets. Please bear in mind that rates for the car competition weekend are the highest in the year and rooms are only let for a minimum of four nights. It’s advisable to book some months in advance. If you’re taking children with you, the advice is to stay in Monterey as the town is at the heart of everything that happens. It’s also convenient as you can walk to various tourist attractions. Apart from the Aquarium, Cannery Row and Fisherman’s Wharf, you can go whalewatching and cycling. In Monterey the hotels we recommend are the Portola Plaza or the Marriott, near Fisherman’s Wharf. If you’re looking for something a little more romantic, book one of the delightful inns that overlook the ocean at Pacific Grove, such as the Green Gables Inn and the Seven Gables Inn. Romantics will find the village of Carmel delightful. It developed in the early 20th century thanks to the bohemians, artists and writers that abandoned San Francisco after the1906 earthquake and sought refuge in this quiet locality. If you decide to stay there, we suggest the Cypress Inn, the Pine Inn, or La Playa Hotel.

Where to eat:

There are several restaurants on Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey, some with stalls outside for a light meal, and Tarpy’s Roadhouse on the road to Laguna Seca. In Carmel we recommend Cantinetta Luca, Il Fornaio, Terry’s Lounge at the Cypress Inn, Christopher’s Restaurant and L’Aubergine. Naturally, there are always restaurants and snack bars where the actual event is held.