A rare Tucker was among the gems spotted in downtown Carmel by the Sea during Monterey Car Week. Note the GT 40 in the background.
“Millionaires and billionaires everywhere, you have to see it to believe!” That’s how one veteran auto journalist described it when I arrived in the Monterey Peninsula during the famed week long car event leading up to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It truly was haute couture fashion, a constant parade of the most beautiful and expensive automobiles I’ve ever seen – driven by their owners from all over the world.
I was on the West Coast as part of a crew to film scenes for “Sirens of Chrome.” The feature film, which is due out in 2014, is a drama about the fast-paced and glamorous world of international auto shows. Our heads were turning every which way while cruising along Highway 1 in awe of the beautiful machines by Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, McLaren, Lotus, Aston Martin, among others.
We would find quite a collection of hot sports cars as well as rare models, such as a $1 million Tucker casually parked on a downtown street in Carmel by the Sea while their owners filled the restaurants or chatted with car enthusiasts snapping pictures.
Lamborghinis at Concorso Italiano had equally colorful vanity plates.
After getting a preview of the” jewelry on wheels,” we headed for “Concorso Italiano” at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch, the largest gathering of Italian vehicles under the sun. It had its own running of the bulls with Diablos that exploded with color and candid vanity plates. The Countach, which was not named after a bull breed, was another big attraction. With Lamborghini celebrating its 50th anniversary there was plenty to show off, including the 2014 Aventador, CEO Stephan Winklemann’s favorite Lamborghini as told to “Sirens of Chrome.” He paused for an interview next to a metallic version.
Jay Leno at the Concours d’Elegance has an impressive collection of rare exotic cars including ones with steam engines.
Pebble Beach would be our next stop along scenic 17-mile drive with the Pacific Coast waters crashing into the rocky landscape. It would serve as the “Hollywood” backdrop to the iconic car show, packed with vehicles parked row after row on the sprawling golf course. It was like a scene right out of the movie, “The Great Gatsby,” along with ladies with big hats and furs and gentlemen dressed in dapper suits.
The past also met the future. Among the eclectic mix was the Epitome Concept by Laraki of California, fitting for a James Bond movie.
Nevertheless, it is the classic and exotic cars of the past along with their fascinating stories and rich history that is so captivating, as well as the money owners are willing to spend for their coveted automobiles. The various auctions during the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance raised more than $300 million, and set a U.S. record with the $27.5 million sale of a 1967 Ferrari convertible NART Spyder at RM Auctions.
A trip to the Monterey Peninsula would not be complete without a short run, the day after, to Big Sur where our film crew captured some “beauty shots.” Our scenic route was punctuated with a number of exotic convertible sports cars on the winding highway. Who said the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance was over?
