Hi is anyone proposing to attend this years Concours d'elegance?
It will be first if I decide to go. Is it worth attending?
Hi is anyone proposing to attend this years Concours d'elegance?
It will be first if I decide to go. Is it worth attending?
In a word……….Hell, Yes !!Originally Posted by Stuttgart
But I must add a qualifier: IF, after doing some research ( cost of attendance, featured marques, special displays, featured guests, etc. ) you still feel that what you are likely to see there would be of sufficient interest to you to justify the package cost of attending the Concours, then by all means, you need to go, eeven if it's just that one time. I think one needs to place attending the Concours in context / perspective with the other events that make up Monterey Car Week.
In my view there are two important considerations that emerge:
1. Things have changed profoundly over the past thirty or so years, and there simply is no denying or debating the fact that the Monterey Car Week experience has become an expensive affair.
2. When I first started regularly attending over thirty years ago, I would drive down on Thursday, go to the track ( Laguna Seca ) on Friday and / or Saturday and do the Concours on Sunday and drive home that day. Nowadays, I arrive Friday night, start the week with the Pre-Reunion on Saturday and fill every day of Car Week up to Sunday evening after the Concours with cars and more cars. I do not believe there is a any way one person can possibly see it all. Consequently, your trip should be based on a thoughtful, realistic & reasonable plan to see what truly interest you. In my view, the timing of the Concours at the end of the week represents the crown jewel of the weeks activities ( which is an entirely personal philosophy ) and is completely justifiable on all levels as a landmark 'bucket list ' item for any car aficionado.
If this is your first trip to Car Week, and if you have any reservations / doubts about attending the Concours on Sunday, you might give some thought to attending the 'Pebble Beach Tour', always held on Thursday of Car Week. Starts at the Equestrian Center on 17-Mile Drive at dawn and winds up for a mid-day break on Ocean Ave. in Carmel from about noon to 2-3PM. About 50 to 65% percent of the cars entered in the Sunday Concours are usually there, and both viewings are free………but that too comes with a qualifier: in my opinion, nothing can equal or replace the ambianbce, the great car and people-watching & the experience of the Concours itself - in the world of vintage / Classic / Collector cars there is nothing that equals the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
I think you would enjoy Car Week - in fact, i'll go so far as to offer you transportation to the Concours field on Sunday morning if you're staying within a reasonable distance of Carmel……..we can discuss details via PMs.
JZG
Before it became Ruprecht, my Porsche was a '70 911 T
Paying member No. 895 since 2006
" slavish adherence to originality wasn't for me, because the car wasn't as good as it could be."
Rob Dickinson's response when asked what motivated him to build Singers
Monterey Classic Car Week is an incredible event, and if you think it's something you'd like to attend, then when you get there you'll kick yourself for not coming before. Most of the time you'll be missing events you'd give your right arm to attend because you decided to go to something better.
The big problem is cost: the hotels know they can triple their normal rates and still fill every room to put the year in the black (but if they didn't there would be fewer hotels and you couldn't find a room at all). Some events are expensive (like the Pebble Beach Concours d'Élégance) and it's next to impossible to get a ticket to The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering. But many events are free!
The hotels really raise their rates on Friday and Saturday night so you can stay the whole week for maybe twice the cost of just the weekend.
To give you an idea of what you can do, here's an extract from my PCA Region's calendar. The TBDs indicate events from 2015 that have yet to confirm for 2016. Canepa usually confirms its "open house" late but they'll be open anyway.
Monday
8-Aug-16Pebble Beach Motoring Classic Kirkland, Washington Tuesday
9-Aug-16Pebble Beach Motoring Classic Depart Kirkland, Washington Wednesday
10-Aug-16Pebble Beach Motoring Classic enroute Thursday
11-Aug-16Pebble Beach Motoring Classic enroute Friday
12-Aug-16TBD: Car Week Kickoff Alvarado Street, Monterey Pebble Beach Motoring Classic enroute Saturday
13-Aug-16Rolex Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion Laguna Seca TBD: Canepa Cars & Coffee 4900 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley, CA 95066 TBD: Canepa Designs Open House Scotts Valley, CA Pebble Beach Motoring Classic enroute Sunday
14-Aug-16Rolex Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion Laguna Seca TBD: Canepa Designs Open House Scotts Valley, CA Pebble Beach Motoring Classic enroute Monday
15-Aug-16TBD: The Quail Rally Monterey County TBD: Canepa Designs Open House Scotts Valley, CA Pebble Beach Motoring Classic enroute Tuesday
16-Aug-16TBD: Canepa Designs Open House Scotts Valley, CA Automobilia Monterey The Embassy Suites Concours on the Avenue Ocean Ave, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA TBD: Classic Motorsports Magazine Cruise-In Folktale Winery, 8940 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel, CA 93923 Laguna Seca Twilight Bicycling Laguna Seca TBD: The Quail Rally Monterey County Pebble Beach Motoring Classic enroute Wednesday
17-Aug-16TBD: Canepa Designs Open House Scotts Valley, CA TBD: Porsche Zentrum 8000 Valley Greens Drive, Carmel, CA 93923 Automobilia Monterey The Embassy Suites Carmel Mission Classic San Carlos Borremeo de Carmello Mission TBD: Monterey Car Week's Rally Shoreline Community Church The Little Car Show Pacific Grove McCall's Motorworks Revival The Jet Center TBD: Quail Rally Monterey County Pebble Beach Motoring Classic Pebble Beach, CA Retro Auto The Inn at Spanish Bay ballrooms TBD: Cannery Row Auto & Yacht Auction Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa Thursday
18-Aug-16Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion Laguna Seca TBD: Dan's Drive to Hahn Winery Safeway Parking Lot, 104 Mid Valley Center, Carmel, CA 93923 TBD: Canepa Designs Open House Scotts Valley, CA TBD: Porsche Zentrum 8000 Valley Greens Drive, Carmel, CA 93923 Pebble Beach Tour d'Élégance Ocean Avenue, Carmel-by-the-Sea TBD: Baja Cantina Night 7166 Carmel Valley Road Carmel, California TBD: Chateâu Julien: Dine in Di-Vine Carmel, CA TBD: Italian Stampede Los Angeles to Monterey Mecum Auction Hyatt Regency, Monterey, CA Rick Cole Auctions Monterey Marriott Hotel Retro Auto The Inn at Spanish Bay ballrooms Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum The Inn at Spanish Bay ballrooms TBD: Cannery Row Auto & Yacht Auction Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa TBD: 100|OCT Night at the Auctions Monterey, CA Russo & Steele On the Waterfront by Fisherman’s Wharf, 290 Figueroa Street – Monterey, CA 93940 TBD: Jerry Seinfeld Golden State Theater, Monterey AIM for the Cures Dinner Pebble Beach
Last edited by NeunElf; 02-24-2016 at 09:23 AM. Reason: but
Jim Alton
Torrance, CA
Early 911S Registry # 237
1965 Porsche 911 coupe
1958 Porsche 356A cabriolet
Here's the big weekend--there's too much for a single post:
Friday
19-Aug-16Werks Reunion Rancho Cañada Golf Club, Carmel Valley, CA Legends of the Autobahn The Nicklaus Club-Monterey Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion Laguna Seca TBD: Porsche Zentrum 8000 Valley Greens Drive, Carmel, CA 93923 TBD: Canepa Designs Open House Scotts Valley, CA The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering Quail Golf Resort TBD: Cannery Row Auto & Yacht Auction Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa TBD: Pacific Grove Concours Auto Rally Downtown Pacific Grove TBD: Exotics on Cannery Row Cannery Row Classic Americana 25 Ford Rd, Carmel Valley CA Mecum Auction Hyatt Regency, Monterey, CA Rick Cole Auctions Monterey Marriott Hotel Retro Auto The Inn at Spanish Bay ballrooms Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum The Inn at Spanish Bay ballrooms Bonhams Auction Quail Lodge Russo & Steele On the Waterfront by Fisherman’s Wharf, 290 Figueroa Street – Monterey, CA 93940 RM Auction Portola Hotel, Monterey, CA Saturday
20-Aug-16TBD: Porsche Corral Laguna Seca Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion Laguna Seca TBD: Porsche Zentrum 8000 Valley Greens Drive, Carmel, CA 93923 Concorso Italiano Bayonet Black Horse, Seaside TBD: Canepa Designs Open House Scotts Valley, CA Concours d'LeMons Monterey Laguna Grande Park in Seaside, CA TBD: Barnyard Ferrari Event Barnyard Shopping Village, Carmel TBD: Serata Italiana (Lamborghini, members only) Nicklaus Club – Monterey, 100 Pasadera Drive, Monterey, CA 93940 Mecum Auction Hyatt Regency, Monterey, CA Rick Cole Auctions Monterey Marriott Hotel TBD: SCM Insiders' Seminar Gooding & Company Auction Pavilion Retro Auto The Inn at Spanish Bay ballrooms Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum The Inn at Spanish Bay ballrooms TBD: Cannery Row Auto & Yacht Auction Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa Russo & Steele On the Waterfront by Fisherman’s Wharf, 290 Figueroa Street – Monterey, CA 93940 Gooding Auction Pebble Beach Equestrian Center RM Auction Portola Hotel, Monterey, CA Sunday
21-Aug-16Pebble Beach Concours d'Élégance Pebble Beach TBD: Porsche Corral Laguna Seca Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion Laguna Seca TBD: Rick Cole Auctions Monterey Marriott Hotel Gooding Auction Pebble Beach Equestrian Center Monday
22-Aug-16TBD: Canepa Designs Open House Scotts Valley, CA TBD: Blackhawk Museum Open House Danville, CA Tuesday
23-Aug-16TBD: Canepa Designs Open House Scotts Valley, CA
Jim Alton
Torrance, CA
Early 911S Registry # 237
1965 Porsche 911 coupe
1958 Porsche 356A cabriolet
Thanks for posting all of this Jim!
John
1959 356 Coupe, 1600 Super, sold
1960 356 Roaster, race car, SCCA, sold
1960 356 Roadster, show car, sold.
1962 356 Cab, show car, sold.
1965 911 #301111, Red Book Vol 1 "Cover Car," owned 54 years.
1967 911 #307347, bare-bones, some road wear, a little surface rust, and a few dents..., owned 14 years.
1970 914/6GT, (Sold - ran the last three Rennsports)owned 30 years.
Photography Site: JohnStraubImageWorks.com
Registry #983
R Gruppe #741
By the way, some of the great free events include:
Tuesday, 16-Aug-16, Concours on the Avenue
Wednesday, 17-Aug-16, The Little Car Show
Thursday, 18-Aug-16, Pebble Beach Tour d'Élégance (many Pebble Beach cars park for lunch in Carmel)
Friday, 19-Aug-16, Werks Reunion
Werks Reunion is--of course--the all Porsche Concours d'Élégance. By the way, 356s and 912s are eligible to enter The Little Car Show.
For social climbers who are so misguided as to miss Werks Reunion, McCall events sometimes sells a handful of tickets for entry to both McCall's Motorworks Revival and The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering. These tickets might run about $ 1,000/head.
Jim Alton
Torrance, CA
Early 911S Registry # 237
1965 Porsche 911 coupe
1958 Porsche 356A cabriolet
For those that have a active, retired or current civilian federal ID card (military) can call the military Navy Lodge and get a suite for under $80 per day. That's what I did for RRV this past Sept.
It's center of all good things.
Vr,
Scott
Personally, I go about every 3 years. It is costly and crowded. Like John, I used to go long ago. It used to be possible just to walk out onto the green @ Pebble and watch the cars come in and be staged. Now, it's crowd-managed and everything costs more than you think it possibly could. It used to be possible to be at the Concours and at Laguna Seca on Sunday. Now it's best if you pick one. Unless you spring for a helicopter...
But there is no substitute. The quality of cars is unparalleled. The weekend has expanded to nearly 2 weeks. Consider it a bucket list activity. Expect to burn through $2,500 or more if you do 4 days and go to the big events.
techweenie.com
My parts fetcher: 2016 Tesla S | Currently building: 73 RSR tribute and 69 RS tribute
Techweenie,
Group of us will be attending from ABQ. Hope to see you there! Get reservations for the Baja Cantina on Thursday night. Exotic car nirvana.
Harry
Early 911s Registry Member # 3046
1970 911T w/3.2L
R Gruppe # 780
2003 Boxster S
2007 997.1 GT3
2018 Macan S
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