By Stefan Gavell

I ALWAYS FIND AUGUST TO BE A BIT OF A DEAD MONTH FOR CLASSIC CARS. ‘’Name’’ events are mostly done by mid-July, and even local car show offerings slow down as owners head for the shore or mountains. The exception, of course, is the Pebble Beach Concours, which I had never attended, due to distance and conflicting vacation plans. This year, however, I was going to be spending time with my daughter who lives in Colorado and, realizing that California is a relatively short hop away, it occurred to me that this might be finally the year to make the trek. I called several of my collector car buddies, some who had attended in the past, to find out if they would be going, and to my delight one, a noted collector, was going to be auctioning off several cars and welcomed me to join him.

Flying into San Francisco from Denver was a relative breeze, as was the 1.5-hour drive down Route 101 through Silicon Valley, and then traversing over to the storied Route 1, which leads to Monterey. 

“Pebble Beach’’ is not just a car show but a whole week of automotive events taking place between Monterey and Carmel and culminating in the Concours d’Elegance on Sunday at the famed golf venue.  According to my Uber driver, it is the busiest time of year on the Peninsula, and hotel room availability and prices certainly reflected this. Not having planned ahead, I paid a relatively exorbitant price for a middling motel room in Seaside, just north of Monterey, but an easy 15-minute drive to most of the activities. However, event parking was surprisingly affordable, unlike take-away coffees.

As I arrived on Thursday, I missed many of the exhibits and activities, including the procession of Concours entrants (Tour d’Elegance) along 17-Mile Drive, a gorgeous route along the peninsula near the golf course, which is also, I am told, a great opportunity to see the cars gratis. I did, however, manage to see the three major auctions (RM Sotheby’s, Goodings, and Bonhams), catch some historic racing at the Laguna Seca raceway, as well as the Concours itself. 

All provided great opportunities for Alfa viewing, not to mention Italian cars in general. A few of my highlights:

The track at Laguna Seca was turned over to historic racing for the week. Besides wandering through the paddocks featuring a 100th anniversary celebration of LeMans winning and competing cars (including the famous Cadillac Le Monstre campaigned by Briggs Cunningham), the racing included everything from saloon (sedan) cars to CanAm and F1 racers from the ‘70s and ‘80s. Alfa Giulias in all varieties dominated the saloon event, joined by some BMW 1600s, 2002s, and the odd English Austin. Unfortunately, a Giulia Berlina (sporting Carrera Panamericana livery) lost its oil, leading to a GTA (copy or not?) spin into the barriers, resulting in yellow flags and eventually a premature end to the race. There were also a number of gorgeous Giulietta Sprint SZs and a TZ getting ready for action.

At the auctions, Alfas were well represented, with Bonhams featuring a number of Giuliettas and Giulias, including a lovely Giulietta Veloce Sprint lightweight and my personal favorite, an Alfaholics restomodded 220 HP Junior Zagato. Older Alfas featured at RM Sotheby’s included a 1931 Touring-bodied 1750 coupe, and a selection from the Oscar Davis collection. I particularly regretted not having brought my wallet to bid on a lovely late Touring-bodied 6C 2500 cabriolet, owned originally by a Texas oilman, as well as a one-off prototype Pininfarina-bodied Lancia Appia cabriolet, both of which sold well under estimate. Classic Ferraris and Porsches, on the other hand, continue to be the flavors du jour, judging from the bidding action. If I could walk away with one car from the auctions, it would have to be the Vignale-bodied 1954 Ferrari 375 America Cabriolet. My other auction favorite: 1955 Maserati A6G Zagato Spyder. No-expense spared Alfa Auction favorite: 6C 2500 Supergioiello Coupé.

The Concours on Sunday was, as expected, an exceptional event. The day started misty and cool, as usual on the Peninsula, followed by gentle sunshine. The crowd was well-dressed and, in the case of the American classic owners, often in period costume. Champagne flowed and car celebrities (from the usual cable TV shows) were easily spotted. Friends told me there were a number of real Hollywood celebs as well, but those escaped my eye. The major luxury manufacturers and e-start-ups had displays as well, but the focus was on classics ranging from the well-known (Packards and Lincolns) to the obscure (Mcfarlans) in the case of the Americans.  For Italian car fans, there were vast displays of Ferraris (including one, impressively tatty in the “preservation class”), as as well as a wonderful selection of Fiat Otto Vus and 8V powered Siatas.  

For Alfisti, there was a class of magnificent 8Cs, as well as marvelous special-bodied 6Cs and 1900s. Unfortunately, I had to leave to catch my plane before the judging finished, but this year’s overall winner was a wonderful Figoni-bodied Duesenberg. If it had been me, I would have picked the 1956 Talbot-Maserati Barchetta. But with such a cornucopia of automotive wonders, there was truly something for everyone.

To sum up, is it worth it? If you are on a budget, you will need to lock up your accommodation early, soak up the atmosphere and focus on the events earlier in the week such as the Tour d’Elegance and the multitude of side events. If not, the sky is the limit. Don’t forget your paddle for the auctions!