Cruising through 10 days of Classic Car Week on the Monterey Peninsula

Throughout the year, the Monterey Peninsula is a festival by the sea. It’s a celebration of lights, of music, of whales, of food and wine, of art, of golf. Yet, for 10 days every August, the place becomes a racetrack, a road rally, a motorsports reunion, an automobile beauty pageant and, often, a parking lot.

More of a gridlock, really, of Hondas, Toyotas and Subarus, alongside Maseratis, Bentleys and Ferraris, inching along that bend in the road on Highway 1 that reveals the magnificent Monterey Bay. The automobiles riding on trailers will park on the greens at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and other classic car pageants.

This week, those just trying to get to work will get caught up in the parade unless you remember to head out early, leave late, or wind through surface streets along alternate routes.

Many of the guests who buy the $575 ticket that grants them access to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance premier automotive beauty pageant on Sunday, Aug. 20 don’t own a car worth more than $35,000. But they are looking forward to seeing the vintage vehicles of those who do. Spectators will take to the greens to witness one of the most beautiful spectacles in the world, when Figoni automobiles, in celebration of the marque’s centennial, and cars from the Mercedes-Benz S Series, which debuted in 1927 and continued until 1933, and 1953 Pegaso Z-102 touring cars, and Vanderbilt Cup era cars, among others, roll onto the 18th fairway, for the 72nd annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

First conducted in 1950, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is considered the world’s premier celebration of the automobile. Only the most exceptional and rare automobiles are invited to appear on the famed 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links each year, as connoisseurs of the art and technology of the automobile gather to see this year’s marques and celebrate those that achieve Best in Class and the pinnacle award, Best of Show.

The day-long Concours marks the culmination of what has evolved into an entire Classic Car Week, which now runs 10 days. Yet even those who don’t pony up $575 to attend the beauty pageant on the 18th green, can navigate days filled with fine art, fine food, fine wine, and fabulous automobiles all over town. You just have to know where to go, and when. For a complete list of events and an interactive map visit https://www.seemonterey.com/events/sporting/concours/

Some of the highlights

The cars are rolling into town now and many will be previewed at Friday’s Monterey Car Week Kick-Off, from 5-7 p.m. on Alvarado Street in downtown Monterey. Many of those historic race cars will next head to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for this weekend’s Pre-Reunion to get practice time for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, which starts Wednesday at Laguna Seca.

On Thursday, Aug. 17, it will cost nothing to station yourself along the road, perhaps with a folding chair and a flag, to get a glance at the classic cars that will compete for Best of Show as they parade by in the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance from 7 a.m. to noon. You just have to know where to stand.

The Tour d’Elegance is an annual driving event that showcases the elegance of the automobile in motion, while highlighting the early history of Pebble Beach. The parade of more than 150 classic cars traces portions of the original 17 Mile Drive, traverses nearby mountains and valleys, dips down Highway 1 and returns to Pebble  Beach. Tour participation is limited to Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance entrants, whose participation earns them a tiebreaker advantage on the show field, come Sunday. Spectating is open to everyone.