Above is the Carmel Bay Company’s display, created by stylist Sandra Griswold. Sandra knows all the right people in the collector car hobby and got her pictures from author/photographer John Lamm. She also arranged a Lamm book signing at the store during the Concours. Credit: Keith Bleumel
By Michael T. Lynch
The Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours on the Avenue
The three major shows of the Monterey Peninsula automobile festival week have established distinctive personalities. The newcomer among them (2007), the CCoA has the widest range of vehicles, including hot rods (there was a vintage dragster this year), mini cars, motorcycles and other unexpected treasures, as well as the classics and vintage racers. The show had its first overseas entrant this year and a Good Humor ice cream truck even won a prize.
The event is open to the public without charge and has the feel of a an ultra-sophisticated street fair. Since the event is set among appealing and architecturally distinguished shops and restaurants, no unsightly merchandise booths or food vendors are necessary. Carmelites, many of whom have house guests for car week, welcome car people from around the world as well as those from neighboring communities. The main street of the village is closed as are several side streets and a park to create a unique show field.
In 1997, a group of Americans including your scribe and Doug and Genie Freedman, founders of the Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours on the Avenue, attended Ferrari’s 50th Anniversary celebrations in Rome, Maranello and Modena. In Ferrari’s home town, it seemed every shop window had some Ferrari memorabilia in it. The smaller ones featured pictures of the great racing drivers and cars of the hometown firm’s first half century. The more prosperous often had pictures of the shop owners in one or more of the Ferraris they owned and mementos such as models, service manuals or key fobs. These displays added immeasurably to the atmosphere of the anniversary celebration.
When the Doug and Genie began their Carmel event, they set up a separate Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours in the Windows to encourage a similar ambience in Carmel. A jury judges the entries and a prizes are awarded. The merchants have responded creatively and the contest adds to the excitement of the week.
A jewel-like Italian on Ocean Avenue. This OSCA S 750 TN belonging to the Mallya Collection was entered by Luigi Chinetti for the Rodriguez brothers at Le Mans in 1959. These little OSCAs dominated Class H Modified in SCCA racing and won the 750cc sports class in many European events. Credit: Monterey County Visitors and Convention Bureau
The attention to detail at the Carmel Concours is well-known. In order to expand the show field into Devendorf Park on Ocean Avenue there was a small problem. The entry was a few steps above grade on Ocean. This slick temporary ramp was built to get the cars in in the morning and out in the afternoon, while not detracting from the aesthetics of the setting during the day. The Fiat 500 Topolino belongs to Denny LeVett, a great supporter of the event. Credit: Monterey County Visitors and Convention Bureau
The Quail – A Motorsports Gathering
If the Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours on the Avenue is an over-the-top street fair, The Quail, the first edition of which was in 2003, is an English Garden Party. The thrust is sporting and racing cars and motorcycles, with a dash of luxury here and there. The show is on the driving range of the Quail Resort and Golf Club, set in a valley of the Santa Lucia range just a few leisurely minutes from the Pacific. Because of its inland location, it often avoids the coastal fog of Carmel and Pebble Beach.
This year, the event had special displays of vehicles appropriate for the 50th Anniversary of Daytona International Speedway, the 30th Anniversary of BMW’s M Division and the Cars of Bill Devin, the Southern California innovater who made it possible to go fast on a budget. The final special class honored Hans-Joachim Stuck, a second generation racer and two-time winner of not only Le Mans, but the World Sports Car Championship and the German Touring Car Championship.
With a strictly limited attendance, the few vendors are of the highest quality and the cuisine is legendary. The food pavillions are linked to the homelands of great sporting manufacturers, in this year’s case, Italy and France. Another featured Florida cuisine in honor of Daytona and there is always a selection from Qual Lodge’s neighbors in Carmel Valley, home to fine vineyards and producers of organic produce and other artisanal food products.
The Quail is as much about lifestyle as it is about cars. Here, a model poses in front of host Sir Michael Kadoorie’s Bugatti T57S. While making the photo, I was transported back to the 1930s, when auto manufacturers and coachbuilders often hired coutiers to design outfits for models that were coordinated with the cars, in order to gain attention at important gatherings of the sporting set. The cars in the background are part of another Quail tradition, the Historics to Quail Run. Each year a group of cars from the Monterey Historic Automobile Races drives from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to The Quail with a police escort, allowing the drivers and guests to join the Quail attendees for lunch. This year’s cars was from the prewar classes. Credit: Michael T. Lynch
Richard Charlesworth, the Director of Royal and VIP Relations at Bentley Motors, moonlights as the Master of Ceremonies at The Quail. Here, amid models, Champagne Louis Roederer, hedges and fresh flowers, Mr. Charlesworth congratulates Peter and Merle Mullin upon winning the Quail Trophy with their Delahaye 135 Figoni et Falaschi Drophead. The trophy signifies a car that represents the essense of sports and racing automobiles and reflects the spirit of The Quail – A Motorsports Gathering. Credit: The Quail
One of the signature features of The Quail is the food. Not only is The Quail menu the finest of the week, but you get to sit in chairs next to tables with tablecloths and enjoy your meal with cloth napkins and metal utensils. No need to soil an expensive dress or pair of trousers sitting on a damp lawn somewhere. Credit: Michael T. Lynch
The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
Compared to the other events of the week, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is the older sister. She’s a serious Grand Dame. Not serious like the hushed announcers who will be covering the U.S. Open golf tournament when it returns to Pebble Beach in June 2010, but serious about presentation of the vehicles on her grounds.
Begun in 1950, the centerpiece event of the week lays on an astounding collection of classes, including motorcycles for the first time this year. Some of the special classes included a Tribute to Stirling Moss on achieving his 80th birthday, Mercedes Silver Arrow Grand Prix cars of the 1930s through the 1950s, Zagato 60 Years of Design, Ferrari Barchettas, Ferrari 250 TR/59s (all four made), two Bugatti classes, one for Type 57s with special coachwork, four Bentley classes, including one for Bentley Team and Race Cars, and 100 Years of Audi, which featured marques from the 30s including Horch, Audi and Wanderer. There was also an ultra-rare 1939 Auto Union Type D Grand Prix car.
The field overlooks Stillwater Cove and one has to decide to concentrate on the cars or the celebrities, since there’s hardly time to see all of both.
Our hats are off to the organizers for their continued ability to attract a nonpareil field. Like fine wine, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance seems to continue to improve with age.
Pebble is known for its special displays. One of this year’s was 10 Ferrari Barchettas, including the first one made and the one that won the Mille Miglia and Le Mans in 1949. The car with the racing number on the fin above the tail won a 24-hour race at Spa that same year. Credit: Michael T. Lynch
Obviously, the cars shown at Pebble Beach migrate to other shows as well. However, it’s likely you will see more stuff there that you haven’t seen before than anywere else. This is an ATS 2500 GTS Allemano Coupe fitted with a rare 3-liter engine and entered by Richard and Ginger Powers. Some of the ATS firm’s employees were ex-Ferrari but the financing collapsed and after abortive attempts at F1 and sports car racing, ATS disappeared into history after building less than 20 sports cars. Credit: Michael T. Lynch
From Grand Classics to Grand Touring, Pebble Beach features the primo examples of the best. This is Lee and Joan Herrington’s Ferrari 250 GT LWB Zagato Berlinetta. Credit: Autoblog
Pebble Beach likes to have the best of the best. If you’re going to have some Bugatti cognoscenti around, why not have an example of the most famous of all Bugattis, a Royale. Just to remind us of the level of spectacle of which Pebble Beach has long been capable, this T41 Binder Coupe de Ville has been here before. In 1985, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance assembled all 6 Royales built, in an amazing display. This year Bugatti enthusiasts saw the introduction of the Veyron Grand Sport Sang Bleu at Pebble. Credit: Pebble Beach Concours
Great article by Michael T. Lynch.
Thanks,
Good story, Mike. I will have to look up nonpariel. I thought that was a piece of chocolate with little white dots on it.
I was always amazed so few Carmel merchants had car related things in the window when the town is chock-a-block with car people for a full week, so applaud the organizer’s efforts. The lady with attire somewhat matching the car reminds me–doesn’t Lord March and one of his Goodwood events require
even spectators to wear “period” clothes (his own daughter once wearing a WWII Wren uniform) I wish Pebble Beach could do that–just when I am enjoying the period look I see some guy with a hot rod T-shirt…Didn’t ladies in concours before WWII even sometimes dye their pet poodle to match their outfit and car (Or would the animal rights activists might object to that…)
Anyways can you publish more pictures–I like the composition as well as the informative captions.
Wouldn’t a hot rod T-shirt be appropriate period attire for the Hot Rod and Custom classes?
Thank you very much Michael T.,
For bringing the excitement & special interest of Monterey Week to those of us who couldn’t get there this year. You capture the WOW! of this car extravaganza – Fantastic – sam 🙂