Monterey Auto Week is its unofficial name and it’s also inaccurate. But since there’s no official name it’s the best name for all of the automotive shows, auctions, memorabilia displays — all encompassing vintage cars — about to unfold on the Monterey Peninsula.
The events are actually scheduled over nearly two weeks. But there’s no central organizing group for the varied activities that range from the infamous Concours d’Lemons to the famous Concours d’Elegance.
One highlight of this year will be the return of the Concours on the Avenue in Carmel. It was suspended after three years in for 2010 despite last-ditch effort by Carmel city officials to raise $200,000 from local businesses.
According to the Monterey County Herald, featured classes in 2011 will include American, Italian and British sports cars, luxury cars and family favorites, as well as hot rods, muscle and micro cars, historic racecars and motorcycles, and several classes of Porsche and Ferrari machines.
The event is free on Tuesday, Aug. 16. It will be held on Ocean Ave., (the main artery of the city) as well as several side streets. While jazz plays in the background, car owners will showoff their goods, Fiat to Ferrari, and mingle with the crowd.
Although more events are scheduled, here are some of the highlights, Tuesday, Aug. 16 through Sunday Aug. 21.
CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA CONCOURS ON THE AVENUE Tuesday, Ocean Avenue, Carmel. Free. (404) 237-2633. motorclubevents.com
AUTOMOBILIA MONTEREY Tuesday and Wednesday, Embassy Suites Hotel, Monterey. Admission fee. (831) 659-1551. automobiliamonterey.com
THE LITTLE CAR SHOW Wednesday, Downtown Pacific Grove. Free. (831) 384-1200. marinamotorsports.org
MOTORWORKS REVIVAL 2011 Wednesday, Monterey Jet Center, Monterey. Admission fee. mccallevents.com
BONHAMS & BUTTERFIELDS AUCTION Thursday and Friday, Quail Lodge Resort and Golf Club, Carmel. Free. (415) 391-4000. bonhams.com/quail
RUSSO & STEELE SPORTS AND MUSCLE AUCTION Thursday through Saturday, Marriott Hotel, Monterey. Admission fee. (602) 252-2697. russoandsteele.com
PEBBLE BEACH RETROAUTO Friday through Sunday, Pebble Beach Golf Links. Free. (831) 622-1700. pebblebeachconcours.net
RM AUCTIONS SPORTS AND CLASSICS OF MONTEREY Friday and Saturday, Portola Plaza Hotel and Monterey Conference Center, Monterey. Admission fee. (800) 211-4371. rmauctions.com
ROLEX MONTEREY MOTORSPORTS REUNION Friday through Sunday, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Salinas. Admission fee. (831) 242-8201. mazdaraceway.com
CONCORSO ITALIANO Friday, Laguna Seca Golf Ranch, Monterey. Admission fee. (425) 742-0632. concorso.com
PACIFIC GROVE AUTO RALLY AND CELEBRATION Friday, Pacific Grove. Registration fee. (831) 372-6585. pgautorally.org
LEGENDS OF THE AUTOBAHN Friday, Rancho Canada Gold Club, Carmel Valley. Registration fee; free for spectators. legendsoftheautobahn.org
THE QUAIL, A MOTORSPORTS GATHERING Friday, Quail Lodge Resort and Golf Club, Carmel. Admission fee. (877) 734-4628. quaillodgeevents.com
MIDAMERICA VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE AUCTION AND MARKETPLACE Friday through Sunday, Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach. Free. (651) 633-9655. midamericaauctions.com
CONCOURS D’LEMONS Saturday, Laguna Grande Park, Seaside. Free. (916) 207-4645. concoursdlemons.com
MECUM AUCTION Thursday through Saturday, Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa, Monterey. Free. (815) 568-8888. mecum.com
GOODING & COMPANY’S PEBBLE BEACH AUCTION Saturday and Sunday, Pebble Beach Equestrian Center, Pebble Beach. Admission fee. (310) 899-1960. goodingco.com
THE BARNYARD SHOPPING VILLAGE FERRARI EVENT Saturday, Barnyard Shopping Village, Carmel. Admission fee. (831) 624-8886. thebarnyard.com
PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS D’ÉLÉGANCE Sunday, Pebble Beach Golf Links. Admission fee. (831) 622-1700. pebblebeachconcours.net
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Article Last Updated: August 12, 2011.
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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.
Thanks for a thorough overview of a wonderful event. Nothing beats the Monterey Peninsula — except the Monterey Peninsula filled with elegant, notable, automobiles.