Concours d'Elegance

Concept cars have long history at Pebble Beach

Concept vehicles, sometimes with variant names like show cars, prototypes and dream cars, are made by manufacturers for two related reasons. Car enthusiasts thrive on viewing new cars, the more outrageous the better. Carmakers also rely on concept cars to gauge the public interest in a new vehicle. Can it potentially advance from the bright lights of auto shows to dealership showrooms to public driveways? General Motors designer Harley Earl is generally credited with inventing the first concept, the Buick Y-Job, in the late 1930s. Earl took his increasingly popular concept on the road in the 1950s in Motorama shows across the country. The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance was part of the early concept scene, too. When the event debuted

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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

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Concours on the Avenue, Carmel, 2012: Jaguar to Muscle Cars, Maserati to Mercedes-Benz

Concours on the Avenue is an ideal way to begin Monterey Auto Week. It’s low-key with a great mix of automobiles parked on Ocean Ave., and adjoining side streets for a one-day, judged show. The beauty of the show, this year, held Aug. 14, is the combination of the cars and their  engaging owners eager to discuss their vehicles w — Bugatti to Buick, Ferrari to Ford Pinto — with the public. And it’s hard to go wrong with a car show stationed in Carmel. The weather was in the mid-60s and the sunshine, as per Monterey Peninsula tradition and right on time, arrived in late morning. Bruce Aldrich publisher of I’mTahoeLive,com, filmed and edited the video below. James Raia,

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Monterey Auto Week showcases all things cars, Ferrari to Ford, Bugatti to Bentley

Monterey Auto Week is the unofficial name of all things automotive on the Monterey Peninsula during the month of August. The name doesn’t make sense because combined the car-related activities last for about two weeks. The Concours d’Elegance, of course, is the most well-known event during Monterey Auto Week, but my favorite celebration of cars for the last few years has been the Concours on the Avenue. It’s a free, full-day gathering on Ocean Ave. and several side streets in Carmel where a vast collection of automobiles — Bentley to Volkswagen, Ferrari to Porsche — are on display and judged. The beauty of the event is that unlike some of the other events during Monterey Auto Week, the cars are

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Monterey Auto Week: Concours on the Avenue back in style

The Concours on the Avenue was an ideal way to begin Monterey Auto Week. The nearly 200 showcased cars and trucks ranged from new and vintage Ferrari models to collectors’ Mercedes-Benz sedans and Porsche cabriolets. The free one-day show in Carmel, which returned Aug. 16 after a one-year hiatus, offered arguably the most varied selection of cars scheduled in the weeklong automotive celebration. There were myriad muscle cars, iconic Packard and Rolls Royce models and restored Volkswagen bugs to attainable Volvo coupes all presented on Ocean Ave., the quaint city’s main “thoroughfare,” as well as several side streets. Officially, the Concours on the Avenue, was scheduled from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. But two hours earlier, many vehicles were already

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Monterey Auto Week: Concours d'Lemons to d'Elegance

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

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Carmel Concours on the Avenue is back, set for August 16

Monterey Auto Week 2011 in August, the yearly collection of car shows, vintage races, auctions and memorabilia, will also include the return of one of its unheralded, grand events — the Concours on the Avenue. According to a report in the Carmel Pine Cone, the car show presented on Ocean Ave. and various side streets in downtown Carmel, will be held August 16. The weekly newspaper reports owners Doug and Genie Freedman believe the daylong show will feature 175 collectible American and European cars and motorcycles from 1940 to 1989. The event was canceled in 2010 for lack of sponsorship and after a last-ditch effort by Carmel city officials to raise $200,000 from local businesses failed. “We’re excited,” Doug Freedman

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Monterey Auto Week: Best of show: Concours on the Avenue in Carmel

But since its debut in 2007, Concours on the Avenue in Carmel was the best thing about Monterey Auto Week. Compared to other activities, all with great appeal, the Concours on the Avenue had the most appeal, at least for me, because of its collective calm and coolness factors. How much better does it get than  attainable vintage cars, presented on Ocean Ave., and accompanying side streets in Carmel, jazz playing the background and at an extraordinarily fair price — free. Last year, Porsche and Ferrari were featured Monday, and the other marquees were exhibited Tuesday. This year, the one-day program will include Porsche and Ferrari and a post-WWII marquess on the same day. The concours will be limited to

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Monterey Auto Week, 2008: Auctions, Concours & Classics

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

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Blackhawk Museum, Danville, California

Golf to real estate, the Blackhawk Community represents different things to different people. For automotive enthusiasts, what matters is the Blackhawk Museum. It’s a testament to rare cars, Bentley to Ferrari, Packard to Duesenberg. But the museum, which opened in 1988 is more than place to gawk at some of the world’s finest cars. Instead, it’s an interactive part of the community. The museum has increasingly popular docent training program. It has also been pro-active with a three-level education program from students. The museum welcomed its 150,000th student last June. The student programs area divided into grades kindergarten through third, high school and college. For young students, a docent-led mini-tour and education program, available on Wednesday and Thursday, is provides

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