2014 Monterey Classic Motorsports Week

By Tony Prock

The largest classic car event in the world, Monterey’s Historic Motorsports Week is again upon us. Other places have historic car races, car tours, auctions or a Concours D’ Elegance, but the Monterey area has all these within the same nine days. Historic Week begins with the Pre-Reunion races on August 9, and ends with the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance and the Gooding Auction at Pebble Beach on Sunday, August 17. The featured marque this year is Maserati, which is celebrating 100 years.

With the various events spread out over the Peninsula, Pacific Grove hosts two events on Lighthouse Avenue. On Wednesday, the Little Car Show includes small cars with engine displacements up to 1600 cc, this year featuring German cars. The Friday Auto Rally features five blocks of sports and classic cars of various vintages. The show is followed by a tour around our beach, through Pebble Beach and Carmel.

Besides the two weekends of racing, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, there are 12 auto shows, three tours, memorabilia displays and sales, and six auction companies selling everything from antiques to woodies to modern classics. Many classic and exotic cars can be spotted anywhere on the Monterey Peninsula during that week, including hotel parking lots.

This year, there are a number of changes and additions to events. “Concorso Italiano” has moved to Saturday and is now located at the Black Horse Golf Course. The Friday “Legends of the Autobahn” has moved to the Pasadera County Club, and on Saturday, Pasadera features the new “Serata Italiano,” a gathering of Lamborghinis. Another new venture is the “Werks” show at Rancho Canada, featuring over 500 Porsches. Pebble Beach Automotive Week has added a Classic Car Forum, which this year includes Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jackie Stewart, Jochen Mass, Andrea Zagato as well as many others, designers and media – August 14-16 without fee at Spanish Bay. The Pebble Beach Retro Auto has also moved to Spanish Bay. Also new at Spanish Bay, is Classic Car Expo on the same dates.

As usual, I recommend beating the race crowds by attending the Pre-Reunion races on August 9-10, although there might be a small charge to enter the paddock. A number of the week’s other events are also free: Tuesday – Concours on the Avenue in Carmel; Wednesday – the Little Car Show in Pacific Grove; Crash d’Concours features “Pioneers of Retro Innovation” and will be on display at the Barnyard in Carmel on Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. or later; alsoThursday – Pebble Beach Concours tour down Highway 1 and back to Carmel; Friday – Pacific Grove Auto Rally and Show and Werks in Carmel; Saturday – Tour D’Lemons and the Barnyard Ferrari event (viewing only), and the Mecom Auctions starting on Thursday. And of course, most evenings, and especially on Thursday, you will find large gatherings at Baja Cantina in Carmel Valley.