The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Story and photos by Brandes Elitch
There is one event that might be called “The Pebble Beach of Motorcycles.” That is The Quail MotoFest, now in its fifteenth year. The original idea came from Brooke Roner and Jared Zaugg in 2006: to create a high class, premier judged event for motorcycles, and they said that they based it on the Pebble Beach show. They chose the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Half Moon Bay, certainly a high-class venue.
Story and photos by Brandes Elitch
The tagline from The Quail Motorcycle Gathering is “the world’s preeminent motorcycling celebration.” This is not an exaggeration. This is due to the hard work, dedication, vision, and contacts from two individuals that are responsible for this show. [Read more…] about The Quail Motorcycle Gathering 2024
Bert: “…but, is the shadow really black ENOUGH?”
Nigel: “Oh, I see what you mean – there’s a sort of greyishness to it…”
Morton: “And, of course the main part, the LARGEST part, has the greenish tinge of the turf to consider: Zoysia – Fescue…?”
Herbert to Thorndyke (Standing): “Vincent who?”
Our caption winner is Rick Hayden who wins a year’s subscription to VeloceToday!
Story and photos by Brandes Elitch
If you were seriously interested, really interested, in motorcycle history and design, where would you like to go if time and money were not an issue? There were over 2500 bike manufacturers since 1900 and of course you would like to see many of them.
Most collectors, restorers and historians would mention the famous Isle of Man TT, held in late May/early June. I suspect this would be first on most peoples’ lists.
1967 Italjet Vampire (competition off road category) owned by Marc Crocetti who volunteered to help with this article. His bikes all have number 71.
Story and Photos by Brandes Elitch
The 12th Annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering was held at the Quail Lodge resort in Carmel Valley, California on May 14, 2022. Because of the pandemic, it could not be held for the two previous years. It was good to be back. This is a world-class motorcycle event, likely THE world-class motorcycle event. [Read more…] about The Quail Motorcycle Gathering 2022
Story by Brandes Elitch
Photos by Steve Snyder
In last year’s column about this show, I wrote, “The program says that ‘what began as a small gathering of enthusiasts has grown into one of the premier celebrations of motorcycling in the country’, and this is an understatement. There may be other events, such as Daytona Bike Week, but there is no other motorcycle show like this or anything close, anywhere else in the country.” [Read more…] about The Quail Motorcycle Gathering, May 5, 2018
Story by Brandes Elitch
Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt unless otherwise noted
The fifteenth edition of The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, was held on August 15, 2017, at the Quail Lodge and Golf Club, located in Carmel Valley, California, a few hours south of San Francisco. About 225 automobiles and motorcycles were exhibited in what has been described elsewhere as a garden party atmosphere, carefully planned and curated by Gordon McCall https://velocetoday.com/gordon-mccall-authenticity-and-continuity/ and his staff. This is an exceptional event, and in this brief article I will try to convey why this is the case. [Read more…] about The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering 2017
1957 Mondial GP is the author’s first focus bike.
Story by Brandes Elitch, photos by David Fetherston
On May 6, about 3000 motorcycle enthusiasts gathered at the Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel Valley, California for the 9th annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering. Carmel Valley is a surprisingly rustic and rural stretch of road that runs from Carmel Village on the bay to Salinas inland. The program states that “what began as a small gathering of enthusiasts has grown into one of the premier celebrations of motorcycling in the country,” and this is an understatement. There may be other “events” such as Daytona Bike Week, but there is no other motorcycle show like this or anything close, anywhere in the country. On the green in back of the Lodge were about 350 motorcycles, scooters, and bicycles, with a special tribute to 50th anniversary of the Norton Commando. [Read more…] about The Quail Motorcycle Gathering 2017
Photographer Paul d’Orleans took this image of Gordon McCall with his BSA Rickman Matisse road racer in the background.
Story by Brandes Elitch
If you have attended the Monterey Car Week in August, you are likely familiar with Gordon McCall. For 25 years, he and his wife Molly have he has hosted the first “really big show” that kicks off the week: the McCall Motorworks Revival held at the Monterey Jet Center. The event, which hosts 3000 guests, is really a party, but a very carefully planned one. Gordon says he got this from his mother, who was an epic entertainer from the East Coast. He adds, “Nobody knows how to entertain like an East Coaster, not social climbing but socializing.” The Revival combines very special new and old planes, cars, and motorcycles in an extraordinarily elegant way. Every single detail is choreographed.
'If you can't run with the Big Dogs, get off the road!' A Big Dog with a 1975 Laverda 750 SF2, owned by Jon Martino
By Brandes Elitch
Photos by Petya Elitch
“The world of motorcycles has all the ingredients of a good enriching drama: heroic deeds, political intrigue, design brilliance, cut-throat business practices, quirky characters, national tensions, cultural biases, eros, and thanatos.” – Paul d’Orleans
In previous columns, I’ve covered the Monterey Historics, the week long series of racing, shows, club events, and exhibitions culminating with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. I’ve covered an event called “The Legends of the Motorcycle,” held for 3 years at the Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay, CA. In May, I attended for the first time The Quail Motorcycle Gathering, the sixth iteration of this event, which seems to have stepped into the void when the Legends event was unfortunately discontinued. There are many concours events for the automobile, but to my knowledge this is the only world-class motorcycle event. Perhaps someday someone somewhere might try to duplicate it. However, it would be tough to beat the ambiance of the Monterey Peninsula, in this case a luxury resort with a championship golf course set on 850 acres in Carmel Valley. [Read more…] about The Quail Motorcycle Gathering 2014