Your Guide to Monterey Car Week

Every year the world’s greatest sports cars prepare for months to compete against each other. But it’s not their top speed that’s on display. It’s their style and elegance.

The year is 1950, and Phil Hill, who would go on to automotive glory as the only American-born driver to win the Formula One World Driver's Championship, sits behind the wheel of a Jaguar XK. Little does he know he'll become the first ever to win the Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance.

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Today, 69 years on, the Pebble Beach show is just one of the many that comprise Monterey Car Week, an annual celebration of the very best the car-world has to offer. A swift breeze sweeps across the land, mixing the ocean scent with the fumes of petrol exhaust. Year after year, gearheads and auto aficionados gather in central California to celebrate the ingenuity, elegance, and innovation of top sports cars. Classic style and modern technology are what Monterey Car Week is all about, so we’ve put together a guide to help you get the most out of the experience.

Old Meets New

Once a showcase for classic cars, the Pebble Beach show has evolved in recent years to become one of the most significant platforms for modern innovation. In 2018, Astin Martin made a splash by unveiling their concepts for the electric Lagonda Vision and Volante Vision at the Carmel-by-the-Sea performing arts center. Similarly, at the Quail, a show held across town, Infiniti released the concept for Prototype 10, another electric vehicle.

But while Monterey, in recent years, has developed into a news-worthy exhibition of the latest concepts -- both realistic and unachievable -- the main attraction is still mostly the classic cars on display.

Last year’s Best of Show winners include a 1951 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport at the Italiano Concorso and a 1953 Lancia Aurelia PF200C at the Quail Gathering. And visitors with a sense of humor also enjoy the Concourse d’Lemons, the annual showing of the worst of the worst.

What to Expect at This Year’s Show

Here are some of the highlights you can enjoy this August:

Monterey Car Week Kickoff: Experience 30 classic race cars as they gather on Alvarado Street in downtown Monterey. Mingle with drivers and listen to live jazz at the Cibo Ristorante Italiano on August 9, 2019, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

 Tour d’Elegance: See the world’s best sports cars in action along the fabled Pebble Beach, and take in the ups and downs of the hilly oceanside landscape on August 15, 2019, from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

The Quail: Enjoy classic cars and motorcycles on rolling greens at The Quail Lodge and Golf Club. The event is themed to feature Pre- and Post-War racing cars and to celebrate 70 years of the Iconic Porsche 356 on August 16, 2019, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Concorso Italiano: An exhibition of Italian ingenuity, hosting 1000 vehicles at the Black Horse Golf Club. The show highlights the best of Italian culture with music and fashion to match the elegant cars on August 17, 2019, from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance: Enjoy the elegance of classic cars at the high-end showcase on Aug 18, 2019, from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

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