Concours on the Avenue: rare cars, rare owners

Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar and Woodys, the classic surf cars, were featured among the rare cars  and unheralded automobiles Tuesday during the Concours on the Avenue on the streets of downtown Carmel.

The first major showcase in the weeklong celebration of automobiles on the Monterey Peninsula progressed August 12 as it has throughout its now eight-year tenure. The crowd of humans and dogs was well behaved . . . perhaps only outdone by the enthusiasm of car owners. They polished their cars, revved their machines’ engines and eagerly talked about their prized possessions.

Plenty of pristine Porsche 911 and 356s lined Ocean Avenue and side streets. There were enough Ferrari offerings to comprise a well-stocked dealership.

TheWeeklyDriver appreciates Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar and the craftsmanship of iconic Woodys, but several unique cars specifically caught our attention.

We noted a bright red Bianchina, the minicar made by the Italian automaker Autobianchi and based on the Fiat 500. We sought to speak to its owner and returned several times throughout the day. Alas, no one seemed to have seen the owner with his or his vehicle.

We had better luck speaking with Alex Tiboken, the 21-year-old presenter of a 1964 Mercedes-Benz 300 SE. Tiboken worked with his father for years restoring the classic sedan. He drove overnight to the Concours on the Avenue from Los Angeles the night before the show to honor of his recently deceased father.

TheWeeklyDriver also spoken with Eric Ouwersloot, the owner of a rare Enzmann. The Swiss automobile, manufactured from 1957 until the late 1960s, doesn’t have doors or a roof and fewer than 100 were made. Ouwersloot said he owns the only example of the car in the United States.

We also took time to appreciate old British sports car to Shelby Cobras and Volkswagen vans to Ford Mustangs. We watched owners shine their machines. We watched beautiful women watching those beautiful machines.

It all added up to another fine day in Carmel By-The-Sea at the car show we’ve always viewed as the most enjoyable showcase of automobiles during Monterey Auto Week.