Monterey Week 2019: Day-by-day event guide

Back to its regular mid-August slot after last year’s accommodation of the US Amateur Championship, the annual get-together on the Monterey Peninsula is a highlight of the classic motoring calendar. Here’s the K500 guide to all the action.

Saturday 10 August – Sunday 11 August

Monterey Pre-Reunion, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

A great start to 10 days on the Peninsula. Hundreds of cars will contest a variety of races prior to the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, including those for 1955-1961 Sports Racing; 1966-1972 Trans-Am; 1966-1985 Masters Historic Formula One; 1973-1981 FIA, IMSA, GT, GTX, AAGT; 1947-1955 Sports Racing and GT cars; 1955-1964 GT; 2 Liter Sports Racers thru 1984 and 1981-1991 IMSA GTO/GTU.

A peek at the entry list reveals desirable machinery that includes: Aston Martin DB3S, Jaguar D-type, Maserati Tipo 61 ‘Birdcage’, many Porsche 935s, a BMW 3.5 CSL driven by Brian Redman, the Revs Institute Ferrari 250 LM with Gunnar Jeannette at the wheel and much, much more.
 
And all for 40 bucks a day ($70 for a weekend pass) with free parking and paddock access.

See www.WeatherTechraceway.com
 

Tuesday 13 August

Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours on the Avenue

Always entertaining, a relaxing way of getting into Monterey Week. The focus is usually on post-War classics with emphasis on Porsche 1948 to 1989 and Ferrari 1947 to 1989. It’s always an eclectic mix of American Woodies, Shelby Mustangs, 1960s Ferraris, Porsches from Speedsters to 1973 RSs, and other unusual and desirable machinery.

Last year’s Best of Show was the 1966 Lamborghini 400 GT ‘Interim’ owned by Robert Ross of Canoga Park, California.

See www.carmelconcours.com

Monday 12 – Wednesday 14 August

Automobilia Monterey, Ballroom of The Embassy Suites, Canyon Del Rey, Seaside, CA 93955

One of our favourites. Tony Singer brings around 45 international dealers of automobilia, posters, badges, models and rare books together for a ‘Mini Rétromobile’, held just 20 minutes or so from Carmel, just off Highway 1 and with easy parking. There’s always something to tease the dollars from your wallet and remember there are no reproductions, everything is original.

Admission is $20.00, good for all days.

See www.automobiliamonterey.com

Wednesday 14 August

Gordon McCall's Motorworks Revival, Monterey Jet Center, 300 Sky Park Drive, Monterey CA 93940

Now in its 28th year, Gordon McCall’s Motorworks Revival is the first of the week’s evening events, and there might still be time left to buy a VIP ticket. The party starts at 17:00, and for those who can stand the pace… goes on to 22:00, with gates closing to entry at 21:00. Expect to see a mix of new supercars, executive jets, WW2 warbirds, watches and designer jewellery, and many of the classics likely to be at auction, on the concours lawn or on The Track later that week.

See www.mccallevents.com

Thursday 15 August

Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance presented by Rolex

The police-escorted cavalcade of cars entered in Sunday’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is not mandatory for Concours entries. Some cars are just too extreme to drive on the road but, come Sunday, it’s normal that if two cars tie on points it will be the car that entered the Tour that gets the nod from the judges.

The organisers of Sunday’s event play their cards close to their chests, but from seven o’clock Thursday morning on Portola Road in Pebble Beach, pretty well the full line-up of concours cars is revealed, all ready to take part in the Tour. Last year that included a 250 Testa Rossa and a 1960s Indy car single-seater… on a period flat-bed trailer. It’s anything goes and the Highway Patrol motorcycle outriders make sure that nothing gets in the way.

Barring the forest fires or landslips that have shortened previous Tours, the route from the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center runs out to Carmel Valley on 17-Mile Drive then returns by Highway 1 to a turnaround at the Ripplewood Resort and a drive back on 1 to Carmel for lunch.

Most view the Tour from a lay-by on Highway 1, but if you can find a parking slot (tricky!) the lunch stop in Carmel is fun. Waves of cars start from Pebble Beach at nine o’clock prompt.

See www.pebblebeachconcours.net

Pebble Beach RetroAuto™

Held from Thursday 15 August to Saturday 17 August, Pebble Beach’s highly rated automobilia event is held in the ballrooms of The Inn at Spanish Bay, 09:30 to 17:30. Entry is free.

See www.pebblebeachconcours.net

Bonhams auction, Quail Lodge. Auction at 14:00 (preview Wednesday, Thursday, Friday). See www.bonhams.com

RM Sotheby’s An Evening With Aston Martin auction at the Portola Hotel & Spa and Monterey Conference Center. Auction at 17:30 (preview Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday). See www.rmauctions.com

Friday 16 August

Bonhams auction, Quail Lodge. Auction at 10:00 (preview Wednesday, Thursday, Friday). See www.bonhams.com

'The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering', Quail Lodge, Carmel Valley

The tickets are hot and if you haven’t got one now, well, it’s a case of taking a ladder, going along to Bonhams and seeing what you’ve missed over the fence. A highlight is the lunchtime visit by police-escorted cars from the WeatherTech Raceway, Laguna Seca – yes, even Lola T70s and GT40s…

Featured themes for 2019 include 100 Years of Bentley Motors, 25th Anniversary of the McLaren F1 and a Tribute to the Electric Car Movement.

See www.peninsula.com/en/signature-events/events/motorsports

RM Sotheby’s auction at the Portola Hotel & Spa and Monterey Conference Center. Auction at 17:30 (preview Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday). See www.rmauctions.com

Gooding & Co auction at the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center, Pebble Beach. Auction at 17:00 (preview Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday).  See www.goodingco.com
 

Saturday 17 August

Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, from 15 August to 18 August.

Saturday is the traditional day for visiting The Track, the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, a sinuous course set in the desert a few miles inland from the coast. The big plus to European eyes is the range of cars that never make it across the Pond.

Many cars will have stayed there all week so it's everything good about the Pre-Reunion with extra pizzazz. Good news for us out-of-towners this year is the inclusion of the 1966-1972 Trans Am cars (Group 3A) that will race on Saturday morning and afternoon. An early visit that day before heading back to the auction scene offers Trans Am, 1980s sports-racing cars (Porsche 962s, Jaguars, Nissans, etc.) and IMSA/FIA GTs from 1973 to 1981, the Porsche 935s, Chevy Monzas and Greenwood Corvettes.

Do check out the timetable and make your plans. It starts off chilly, then can get very, very hot – take plenty of layers, water and sun-block. We can’t wait – it’s a highlight of the week.

See www.WeatherTechraceway.com

Concorso Italiano®, Bayonet Golf Course, Seaside, from 09:30 to 16:00.

A big event for those interested in all things Italian, be they cars from Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini, or food, fashion and wine. More of a modern car event and less ‘old school’ than others – gold chains, stilettos and cigars not always a prerequisite.

See www.concorso.com

Concours d'Lemons, Seaside City Hall, 440 Harcourt Ave, Seaside, 93955 CA. From 08:00 to 13:30.

Celebrating the “oddball, mundane and truly awful”, if something like the Wayne’s World AMC Pacer floats your boat, this is the event for you. Not worthy!

Classes this year include ‘Rueful Britannia, Pre ’66 Award’, cars challenging for ‘The Royal Order of MoT Failure’ and ‘Malcom’s McLarens’, a class for the Bertone X1/9, Subaru 360, Yugo and Bricklin SV.

Strangely, it does come recommended.

See www.concoursdlemons.com

RM Sotheby’s auction at the Portola Hotel & Spa and Monterey Conference Center. Auction at 17:30 (preview Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday). See www.rmauctions.com

Gooding & Co auction at Pebble Beach Equestrian Center. Auction at 11:00 (preview Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday).  See www.goodingco.com

Sunday 18 August

Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

For many the Fairway to Heaven, it’s the event that in 1950 first set the Monterey Week ball rolling. Winning at Pebble is the pinnacle of achievement on the concours field and we guarantee that the cars lined up on the famous 18th Fairway will be the best of their type in the world.

Will a post-War car ever win again after Jon Shirley’s 1954 Ferrari 375 MM Scaglietti Coupé scooped Best of Show in 2014? Who knows. In 2018 it was David Sydorick’s 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta, which subsequently did the double at Villa d’Este this May.

This year, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will include the following marques and special classes: Bentley Centennial; Zagato Centennial; Bugatti Race and Touring Cars; Historic Hot Rod ‘Cover Cars’; Thomas Flyers; Ballot and the Lamborghini Miura. Plus, the usual classes for Duesenberg, Pre- and Post-War Preservation, Ferraris, American Classics, Antiques and many more.

The action starts early for the famous ‘Dawn Patrol’ at 05:30 for entrants. At 10:30 the Field is open to spectators, and the awards are presented from 13:30 onwards. It all finishes around 17:00 when Best of Show is announced.

See www.pebblebeachconcours.net

Monterey Week 2019 auction schedule:

Mecum – sales Thursday 15 August to Saturday 17 August. Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa, 1 Old Golf Course Road, Monterey, CA 93940. Gates open at 08:00. See www.mecum.com

Worldwide Auctioneers – sale Thursday 15 August. Pacific Golf Municipal Golf Links 77 Asilomar Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA 93950. Auction at 17:00 (preview Tuesday and Wednesday). See www.worldwide-auctioneers.com

Russo & Steele – sales Thursday 15 August to Saturday 17 August.  Downtown Monterey on the waterfront by Fisherman’s Wharf, 290 Figueroa Street, Monterey, CA 93940. Auctions at 17:00. See www.russoandsteele.com

Bonhams – sales Thursday 15 August, Friday 16 August. Quail Lodge, 8205 Valley Greens Dr, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923. Auctions at 14:00 Thursday, 10:00 Friday (preview Wednesday, Thursday, Friday). See www.bonhams.com

Gooding & Co – sales Friday 16 August, Saturday 17 August. Pebble Beach Equestrian Center, Corner of Stevenson Drive and Portola Road, Pebble Beach CA 93953. Auctions at 17:00 Friday , 11:00 Saturday (preview Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday).  See www.goodingco.com

RM Sotheby’s – sales Thursday 15 August, Friday 16 August, Saturday 17 August. Portola Hotel & Spa and Monterey Conference Center, 2 Portola Plaza, Monterey, CA 93940. Auctions at 17:30 (preview Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday). See www.rmauctions.com

You can download a complete lotlist of all cars offered by Bonhams, Gooding & Co and RM Sotheby's sorted by make and model HERE.

Photos by K500/Tim Scott of Fluid Images/'Thomas'