Start booking for next year’s Monterey

1932 Bugatti Type 41 Royale Binder Coupe de Ville at Pebble Beach

Here’s a look back at some of the action this year, with a few tips on how to start planning for next year and what to expect when you get there.

First, the Monterey Peninsula Event is no longer just for the serious car collector; it now brings in motorcycle collectors and enthusiasts, too. At this year’s show, in fact, most every event included a very significant motorcycle display.

As well, Monterey has become a big family event and spectator sport.

Lineup of the 1932 Dietrich V-windshields at Pebble Beach,
representing every body style, including the victoria convertible,
convertible sedan, phaeton, coupe, convertible coupe and four
door sedan.

The Auctions
This year Mecum Auction joined the line-up of great auctions for the first time and they had a beautiful venue at the Hyatt Regency in Monterey for the event. Having years of experience Mecum was very organized and had a wonderful selection of vehicles.

Russo & Steele was at the Marriott in downtown and the cars were available for viewing just a block away in a parking garage.

RM Auction probably had the most convenient and lovely location at the Portola Hotel with the featured cars actually on display in the lobby and conference centers in addition to a very large courtyard behind the hotel. The courtyard has a chain link fence so tourists and other non-car collectors could enjoy viewing the cars from a short distance, while serious car collectors and bidders had a view unobstructed by crowds. As usual, there was an assortment of antique, classic sports and special interest and the RM Auctions staff was very professional and friendly.

Gooding & Company Auction is always worth the trip to Pebble Beach because they feature some very impressive cars. Theirs is a white tent auction and verity is part of the show. Taking in the Gooding auction is a good combination after viewing the cars at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. 

Bonham’s Auction is located at the Quail Lodge and is a little challenging to get to because it occurs simultaneously with the Quail Lodge event and parking is somewhat of a hike. It is a smaller venue than the others but there’s an active bidding crowd.

So how do you decide which auction to go to with so many to choose from? First, it is really important to do your homework and decide how much you want to spend and research the vehicle you are interested in.

Do you want to invest a million dollars into one car, or do you want to buy 10 $100,000 cars or four $250,000 cars? The cars available at the auctions range in price and there are actually some really great buys. Make sure you request the catalogs of featured cars at the auctions well in advance or go online to the auction companies’ websites. 

Most auction companies go out of their way to make sure the vehicles have proper provenance. This year, Russo & Steele actually had a sheet prepared that indicated when the cars were anticipated to go through the auction. This is extremely helpful if there is more than one car at other auctions you are interested in! 

Of course there is also online bidding and the call center available to bid on the car of your choice. 

And if you’re selling a car, plan a good six months in advance to make sure the car is entered and promoted properly. Contact the auction houses for details about their procedures and timelines. 

Shows
After the auctions are scheduled it is a must to make a decision which of the amazing car events you want to attend!

The main event will always be the Sunday show, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It has to be one of the finest shows anywhere and happens on the beautiful Pebble Beach golf course on the bay.

Another must-see is the vintage car races at Laguna Seca Raceway. The Raceway is a challenge to get to because of traffic and the location of the event, but seeing the vintage race cars in action are more than worth the effort! Bring comfortable walking (hiking?) shoes and appropriate clothing because you can be cold one minute and baking the next…hats and sunglasses are a critical clothing requirement.

Quail Lodge has a very nice presentation of cars and is fairly organized but is also quite pricey so it usually eliminates a lot of would-be tourists. 

This year, the Concorso Italian, under new ownership, was moved to the Laguna Seca Golf Ranch, which provided a more pleasant setting and turned out to be a major success. The Italian style cars were presented beautifully on the lush golf course setting and was spacious for easy viewing with no overcrowding.

Getting there
Getting to Monterey can be quite a challenge, as it seems there are no direct routes and you either have to fly into San Francisco or LAX and get a connecting flight to Monterey Airport. The good thing is that the Monterey Airport is very conveniently located to all the events.

Now is the time to book those reservations!
Do your homework in advance and book EARLY for your airfare tickets, consignment, hotel, rental cars, etc. because everything books up fast. 

Now is the time – yes, 12 months in advance – to be part of the world’s greatest car weekend.

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[Article posted by oldcarsweekly.com]

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