Follow the most esteemed car shows, from the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance to classic-car auctions to the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, all without setting foot in California.
- Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (August 21)
- Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion (August 17–20)
- Legends of the Autobahn (August 18)
- The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering (August 19)
- Bid on a Classic (August 19–20)
- Concours d’Lemons California (August 20)
Each year, a panel of self-proclaimed experts denies 800 very wealthy people the right to park their old cars on a lawn. They’re denied entry to the nation’s most exclusive car show, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. For the rest of us, we might feel bad that we’re scrolling instead of strolling the fabled lawn. It’s true that a few of us from Car and Driver will be there to report back on all the action and the cars, because it’s what we do. And again this year, we’ll also be live-blogging the entire weekend here on our site.
But we’re not like the 200 owners who compete with the fanciest, most pristine automobiles in the country. Winning a Pebble ribbon is a social and economic triumph among collectors, whose cars receive an instant jump in their assessed values and whose mailboxes will receive invitations to private events we could never enter.
The rest of us, however, can still enjoy the automotive cornucopia of Car Week from the comfort of home. Follow us here and at @caranddriver on Instagram for the inside scoop, and also try the options below.
Pebble Beach Motoring Classic (August 8-17)
Many of the Pebble cars won’t drive more than a mile from their enclosed trailer to the lawn, but those on the Pebble Beach Motoring Classic run for 1500. Starting August 8, a group of 30 cars will start from Kirkland, Washington, and take nine leisurely days to reach Monterey, California. If you live along the route, you may spot them. Last year’s entry fee was $14,000, and given that the entrants are real owners who likely are busy just keeping these antiques running, you probably won’t see them on Instagram.
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (August 21)
Without spending $525 per ticket and lots more on hotels and food, you can stream the Concours d’Elegance starting at 1:15 p.m. Pacific time on August 21. Bookmark the official Pebble Beach livestream and settle in for a few hours. No one will charge you $25 for a cocktail or kick you out of the VIP section. Follow on social media using these tags: #PebbleBeach and #PebbleBeachConcours.
Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion (August 17–20)
The rarest Le Mans race cars will lap Laguna Seca over four days between August 17 and August 20. These cars are the featured marque for 2022 and are divided into four classes spanning 1923 through 2005. That’s in addition to historic Formula 1 and Trans Am racers. Radwood will also be there on August 19 with about 50 cars. You can stream the races live on YouTube (this is the 2021 stream) or follow on social using these tags: #RolexReunion #MontereyCarWeek #WeatherTechRaceway #Radwood.
Legends of the Autobahn (August 18)
A trio of Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz clubs host their own all-German show on August 18 at the nearby Pacific Grove Golf Links. Follow these tags and accounts: #legendsoftheautobahn @bmwcca @audiclubna @mercedesbenzclubofamerica.
The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering (August 19)
The Quail positions itself as the glitziest of Pebble events, and it’s plenty sparkly, even if the main reason everyone’s there—the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance—is happening two days later. There’s a reason for the confidence: The Quail is impeccable. Follow #thequail on August 19.
Bid on a Classic (August 19–20)
Gooding & Company is the exclusive auction house at Pebble Beach. Last year, buyers blew $107 million in one day (one-fifth of that total went to one car, a 1995 McLaren F1). The bidding isn’t televised, but if you sign up as a registered bidder, you can watch online and bid while you’re boiling macaroni. A stipulation: You’ll need a letter of guarantee from a bank willing to pay any debt you’re unable to finance. That’s not something a neighborhood credit union will underwrite, and Gooding will ask a lot more questions before they accept an application. Also, be prepared: Any bid is final and any winning auction price must add a 12 percent buyer’s premium for cars under $250,000. Add another 10 percent to the balance if it’s over that amount. Then the car ships to your home. Easy!
Concorso Italiano (August 20)
In person, you can eat lasagna on a golf course next to a sea of 1000 Italian cars. This is the 35th year, and no doubt people will be posting about it. Find the show at the Bayonet Golf Course on August 20. Follow @concorsoitaliano and #concorsoitaliano.
Concours d’Lemons California (August 20)
Hagerty has bought out concours and car shows across the country, from Greenwich to Amelia Island, from Radwood to the Concours d’Lemons. We say this because the Lemons guys are not quite the rambling band of misfits they started out as. Hey, cash rules. But the cars at this show are still trash, deliberately so. Follow @concoursdlemons and #concoursdlemons on August 20.
Keyword: How to See the Pebble Beach Concours and Monterey Car Week without Leaving Home