It’s often simply called Monterey Auto Week. No one organization oversees all of the activities, and it’s possible to attend perhaps only half of the events. The Concours d’Elegance, the grandfather of celebration, has been around for more than 50 years. And it’s still the grand finale to the festivities Sunday, Aug. 17.
But there’s plenty else to do, parties to rallys, auctions to the many other concours events that have begun to flourish in recent years. Add it all up, and it’s automotive sensory overload.
Last year, I attended The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering, at Quail Lodge for the first time. I also spent three three days at the historic races at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey.
In addition to meeting car owners and celebrities (including Jay Leno) at The Quail, I reintroduced myself to Bobby Rahal after the Legends of Indy event at Laguna Seca.
Years ago, Rahal, the three-time Indy 500 winner, invited me into his motorhome on the infield of Laguna Seca. We talked about golf for an assignment I had for the now-defunct magazine, Golf Illustrated.
Rahal didn’t remember me. Of course, I remembered him and told him upon our second meeting how I remembered how nice he was to a young reporter — more than 25 years ago.
Monterey Auto Week is all about meeting people, talking to car enthusiasts, driving fine automobiles, and for some people, buying cars. I’ve included few images from the 2007 event. They’re a good representation of some of the great vehicles on the Monterey Peninsula during mid-August. But there’s still a problem: How does one pick what events to attend?
Article Last Updated: August 10, 2008.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
