One of the most exciting times of year on the Monterey Peninsula in Northern California is the annual week-long auto extravaganza called Monterey Car Week, coming up this year from August 12-21, 2022. It’s one of my favorite opportunities to catch up with auto industry leaders (such as FIAT’s Ralph Gilles, Infiniti’s Alfonso Albaisa, MotorTrend’s Ed Loh, etc), notable car collectors (like Jay Leno), and celebrity auto experts (including Ant Anstead).
As a Monterey Peninsula native, I’ve had the pleasure of attending all types of events – from VIP events hosted by auto manufacturers (such as Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa-Romeo, Jaguar/LandRover, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz, and others) to global automobile debuts (by Acura, Cadillac, and more) to the classic car show known as Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
There are all types of fun-filled celebrations and events going on throughout the week. To help you plan ahead (whether you live locally or intend to visit our beautiful area), here are a number of public Car Week events that you can get tickets to or just enjoy for free. To learn more about what to wear to Car Week events, check out the Monterey Car Week Style Series on I&C. Plus, read past years’ car week guides to learn more about industry insiders’ commentary, the future of automobile design and production, and to get the insiders’ scoop on car week VIP celebrations.
Some call it the “Superbowl” of car events; I like to think of it as the New York Fashion Week for the car industry. Either way, Monterey Car Week is surely an epic destination to celebrate automotive inspiration & innovation.
What is Monterey Car Week?
Having exploded from its formative years (starting in the 1950’s) as a singular daytime event that elegantly showcased the world’s best historic automobiles known as Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, this globally-renowned lifestyle event has since transformed into a week-long extravaganza referred to as Monterey Car Week (including everything from auctions and historic car races to car shows and more).
While the prestigious Concours event still happens annually (on the final Sunday of Automotive Week), throughout the week preceding this prestigious event, the entire Monterey Peninsula turns into a dreamy oasis of the world’s most spectacular vehicles. From Carmel-by-the-Sea and Pebble Beach to Carmel Valley, Monterey and beyond – virtually every city around here takes part in car week celebrations.
To paint the picture for you – just imagine the sleepy, charming Monterey Peninsula suddenly resembling a scene from a glamorous, action-packed film shot somewhere like Monaco.
From multi-million dollar historic cars parked on pristine golf courses to bespoke hypercars spinning on illuminated platforms at swanky parties – everywhere you look during car week, you find yet another amazing sight to behold.
To say the Monterey Peninsula becomes a play place for the uber-wealthy and social elite during car week is an understatement. From private parties with billionaires at posh estates, jet centers, and resorts to inspiring public car forums, auto races, and test drives, when it’s car week around here, our social calendar goes into over-drive.
Monterey Car Week 2022 Schedule of Public Events
AUGUST 12, 2022
- Monterey Car Week Kick-Off
AUGUST 13, 2022
- Monterey Pre-Reunion
AUGUST 14, 2022
- Monterey Pre-Reunion
AUGUST 15, 2022
- Automobilia Monterey Expo
- The Porsche Monterey Classic
AUGUST 16, 2022
- Classic Motorsports Magazine Monterey Kickoff
- Automobilia Monterey Expo
- Concours on the Avenue *canceled this year
AUGUST 17, 2022
- Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
- Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction
- Carmel Mission Classic *canceled this year
- Hagerty Motorlux *formerly McCall’s Motorworks Revival
- Monterey Jet Center Auction *new auction this year
- Pebble Beach Motoring Classic
- Russo and Steele Auction *canceled this year
- Little Car Show
- Automobilia Monterey Expo
AUGUST 18, 2022
- Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction
- Legends of the Autobahn
- Monterey Jet Center Auction *new auction this year
- Mecum Monterey 2022 Auction
- Russo and Steele Auction *canceled this year
- Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum
- Pebble Beach RetroAuto
- Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance Presented by Rolex
- Prancing Ponies Women’s Car Show
- RM Sotheby’s Monterey
- Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
AUGUST 19, 2022
- Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction
- Mecum Monterey 2022 Auction
- Russo and Steele Auction *canceled this year
- Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach Auctions
- Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum
- Pebble Beach RetroAuto
- Pacific Grove Rotary Concours Auto Rally
- Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
- RM Sotheby’s Monterey
- The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering
- Werks Reunion
AUGUST 20, 2022
- Exotics on Broadway
- Mecum Monterey 2022 Auction
- Annual Ferrari Owners Club Gathering
- Concorso Italiano
- Concours d’LeMons
- Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach Auctions
- Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum
- Pebble Beach RetroAuto
- Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
- RM Sotheby’s Monterey
AUGUST 21, 2022
- Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
- Pebble Beach RetroAuto
My Monterey Car Week Journey: The Ride of a Lifetime
I’ve always had an affinity toward beauty (which is partly why I love cars). As a long-time auto enthusiast, to me – cars are an extension of our personal style and lifestyle.
While I’m not a mechanically inclined person (or for that matter interested in talking about torque and tension), what I appreciate about cars is how visionary design merges with ingenious engineering to create beauty in motion.
My love affair with cars began at an early age. I’d attribute my passion for automobiles partly to growing up in a family of luxury car enthusiasts combined with the fact that I started going to Car Week events as a young child. Not to mention – being just 20-minutes away from the renowned Laguna Seca raceway meant that I’d often spend Summer weekends watching the thrilling races, or for that matter – getting to zip around the track at over 100mph with a pro racecar driver (during one of the racing school events).
As my favorite annual event on the Monterey Peninsula, I’ve attended all types of car week events over the decades.
In the ’80s, I remember attending my first Concours d’Elegance with my family and being swept away by the romance of yesteryear. By the ’90s, we were bopping around to cool Car Week Kick-off Parties with Land-Rover and other contemporary car brands. In the early 2000s, I watched my first “real fashion show” at the stylish Lexus-Vogue Fashion Show, which debuted models strutting down the runway in Fall fashions alongside sleek new Lexus vehicles. And in recent years, I’ve been privy to awe-inspiring INFINITI-hosted concerts by chart-topping bands (like One Republic) and swanky VIP parties by Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, and Cadillac.
As an auto enthusiast, one of my favorite times of the year on the Monterey Peninsula is Monterey Car Week. From stunning supercars (that look like moving pieces of art) to sleek, sexy sports cars (that definitely tempt me to put the pedal to the metal), Monterey auto week is as fun as it sounds.
But it’s so much more than just the cars – part of my joy is connecting with the inspiring and interesting people who make the auto industry go round. I love learning about their backgrounds, the way they think, and what drives them. From illustrious car designer Ralph Gilles, (Chief Design Officer for Stellantis, which is a merger between PSA Group & Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) and his fun track-racing wife Doris Gilles to Celebrity IOU Joyride TV host & entrepreneur behind Radford Motors Ant Anstead, and Ed Loh (Editor-in-Chief of MotorTrend magazine), car week is the ultimate get-together for auto industry insiders.
After a week of car shows, parties, auctions, and races, the grand finale of Monterey Car Week always culminates with the crème de la crème of automotive celebrations.
To start off the festivities, the annual Tour d’Elegance puts auto collectors and spectators into high gear as the prized historic vehicles competing in the Concours get to go full throttle on a drive around the Monterey Peninsula. To cap things off, the weekend concludes with the highly-anticipated Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance – an elegant daytime fête and automobile competition on the famed 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Links.
From priceless automobiles to world-renowned car collectors, it’s easy to see why this spectacular display of rare and impeccable vintage automobiles is truly one of the most celebrated car shows on the planet.
To learn more, check out past years’ coverage of Monterey Car Week on Inspirations & Celebrations.