The mood within the automotive industry remains subdued—and that’s also true in the United States. Look closely, and you’ll sense it even at Monterey Car Week, the high point of the motoring calendar. Over 100,000 fans attend in constant enthusiasm, and any carmaker with something to prove turns up the volume. No traditional motor show can compete.
Events like this on the Californian coast are exactly what Europe wishes it had: unmatched atmosphere, vibrant car culture, and a shared joy for all things automotive. Each year, during the third week of August, Monterey Car Week draws well over 100,000 fans from across the globe to the west coast of the USA, turning the otherwise serene region surrounding the luxury enclave of Pebble Beach into something bursting at the seams. For one intense week, enthusiasts blast along 17-Mile Drive, Cannery Row, and the Cabrillo Highway in tuned supercars from Lamborghini, Porsche, Ferrari, Koenigsegg, Bugatti, Aston Martin, McLaren, and Corvette—all hoping to steal the spotlight alongside their dream machines.
It’s a festival for all stripes of enthusiast. Classic car devotees celebrate across countless concours events, while supercar club members parade their newest and rarest acquisitions. Nowhere else can car spotters feast on so many one-offs, hypercars, and ultra-exclusive classics. Rimac Nevera, Lamborghini Revuelto, Ferrari 250 GTO, Porsche Carrera GT, Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing, Bentley Blower—all these multimillion-euro dream cars become part of the everyday scenery for a few days. Crowds gather along traffic-choked access roads, especially outside luxury hotels, to admire them. Fans of German engineering gather at Legends of the Autobahn, while Italian car lovers spend two days at Concorso Italiano. Those arriving in rust buckets or beaters head to the wonderfully tongue-in-cheek Concours de Lemons in Seaside, drop by Exotics on Broadway, or attend one of many fan meets in the valley. Peter, for instance, has driven his 1981 Mercedes 380 SEL all the way from Austin to Pacific Grove—as he does every year. “There’s nothing like this anywhere else,” beams the 34-year-old Texan, who’s sleeping inland to save money—$200 a night for a basic motel. High-end hotels easily fetch $1,000 a night or more.
The mood is vibrant, and the crowds bigger than in years past. Well before the official weekend, the triangle between Big Sur, Monterey, and the Laguna Seca racetrack is bursting at the seams. Despite help from volunteers, local authorities, and careful scheduling, daytime traffic often grinds to a halt. The most popular events remain The Quail and the grand Concours d’Elegance on the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links, where pre-war classics are presented alongside modern showstoppers. But behind the smiles of car-obsessed kids and seasoned collectors, a quieter truth emerges: most European premium manufacturers—and especially the Germans—are noticeably absent, particularly from the high-end Pebble Beach events.
Not so Lamborghini. They used The Quail to unveil the €3 million Fenomeno, their latest limited-run hypercar. “Monterey Car Week and The Quail are the perfect place to showcase our novelties,” explains CEO Stephan Winkelmann. “Nowhere else do the surroundings, weather, market, and clientele align quite like they do here.”
This absence of German, British, and Korean brands has left the stage open—not just to niche players like Czinger, Singer, Pagani, Alpina, Ruf, or Meyers Manx—but also to Lexus, Honda, Bentley, and Cadillac, all soaking up the sunshine between the putting greens and auction tents. Even top auction houses like RM Sotheby’s, Mecum, and Gooding & Co. are adjusting to a shifting market.
Pre-war and ’50s/’60s classics are no longer a guaranteed sell to younger audiences. Instead, ’80s and ’90s icons like the Lancia Delta Integrale, Porsche 959, and limited-edition Ferraris now fetch record sums.
For those outbid at auction, salvation might lie on Del Monte Avenue in Monterey, where cult dealer Dodi can have your vintage Porsche shipped home within days—or you might spot your next car on a hotel forecourt with a hand-written For Sale sign in the window.
