Over the course of the Annual Monterey Car Week in August, automotive manufacturers, connoisseurs, collectors, marketers, and enthusiastic spectators come from all around the world to the Monterey Peninsula to celebrate the ultimate in automotive design, engineering, and innovations among fellow aficionados.
The events unveiled to the public market pristine new car models and examples of the world’s finest and most unique vintage automobiles during a week dedicated to showcasing the very best of the best. Here is another year of exceptional offerings at various shows and events we attended at 2024 Monterey Car Week.
The 73rd Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
On August 18 at the 73rd Annual Concours D’elegance, 214 cars from 16 countries and 29 states pulled onto the competition field at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Thousands of spectators and a dozen judges viewed the cars and participated in the award ceremony at the ramp built on the 18th green in front of The Lodge.
This year, for the first time in its history, the judges awarded the Best of Show to a preservation car: a 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports presented by Fritz Burkard of The Pearl Collection in Zug, Switzerland. Concours Chairman Sandra Button noted at the award ceremony, “This storied Bugatti, the first Type 59 built, is a rare factory race car that recorded multiple Grand Prix victories at the hands of several important racing greats—and it also has ties to royalty.
Perhaps most importantly, it wears all of its history to this day, having been preserved in the livery it was given when redressed by King Leopold of Belgium.”
Thrilled owner Fritz Burkard exclaimed, “I’m so happy for the car, so happy for Bugatti. This car is incredible. It has so much history—one of the most successful Bugattis in history—and to win with this car means a lot to me.
For the first time, a Swiss wins, [the] first time a European wins, [the] first time a preservation car wins. It’s important that preservation also gets recognition because a car can only be once original. And it drives so beautifully.”
With this win, Bugatti and Mercedes-Benz are tied for the most Best of Show awards at Pebble Beach: 10 wins each. In the past, the Best of Show winners were vintage cars restored to 100 points perfection.
This year’s race for Best of Show featured other strong contenders, including the 1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Saoutchik Fastback Coupé presented by Robert Kudela of Chropyně in the Czech Republic; the 1934 Packard 1108 Twelve LeBaron Sport Phaeton presented by Harry Yeaggy of Cincinnati, Ohio; and, perhaps most surprisingly, the 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero Bertone Coupe which was presented by Phillip Sarofim of Beverly Hills, California, in a history-making display of wedge-shaped concepts and prototypes.
The competition got underway on Thursday when the majority of Concours entries participated in the 26th Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance which traces about 70 miles of scenic coastal roads. Entries that complete the Tour have the advantage if they tie in the Concours class competition.
Sir Michael Kadoorie, the owner of Peninsula Group and The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, won the special Alec Ulmann Trophy with his 1934 Hispano-Suiza J12 Vanvooren Cabriolet. And Concours d’Elegance veteran classic collector Arturo Keller’s 1906 Mercedes 70 HP Rothschild and Fils Triple Phaeton won the Class Award for second place in the A-1 Antique category.
Sadly, Keller passed away earlier this year. He attended the Concours every year since 1979, when I first met him, showing over 108 cars and winning 80 awards, including three Best of Show trophies. No one else has earned more awards.
The Pebble Beach Concours has been a nonprofit charity event since its start. It has already raised more than $3 million for charity this year, bringing the event’s total charitable donations to over $41 million to date.
Through the Pebble Beach Company Foundation, the primary charitable partner of the Concours, these funds will benefit nearly 100 local nonprofits focused on youth education, impacting the lives of more than 10,000 children annually in Monterey County.
Gooding & Company, the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance for the 20th year, hosted its largest auction to date, grossing over $105 million in sales. The top lot of the Pebble Beach Auctions was the award-winning, highly desirable 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider which sold for $14,030,000.
The 74th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will take place on Sunday, August 17, 2025, and celebrate the centennials of Chrysler and Invicta, the creations of Virgil Exner, and the 75th anniversary of Formula 1—with more features to be announced in the fall. Details on pebblebeachconcours.net.
The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering Presented by Peninsula Hotel Group
Among the Whirlwind of Events at Monterey Car Week is one known as the crown jewel: The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering. Since its inception, it has combined a lush setting on a golf course nestled against the Santa Lucia Range with exceptional cuisine and the finest examples of vintage sporting automobiles seen during the week.
For over 20 years, The Quail has presented an astonishing and exclusive experience for motorsport enthusiasts and collectors to enjoy rare collections of fine automobiles in a garden party setting on the rolling greens of Quail Lodge & Golf Club.
Guests enjoy exquisite motorcars on display and the impressive variety of six culinary pavilions featuring cuisine from California, Portugal, Mexico, Korea, Italy—plus the Osteria pizzas—the Quail Café, and Marianne’s Ice Creams.
The Quail’s 2024 awards included: Tribute to World Rally Cars, 100 Years of MG, 50th Anniversary of the Porsche 911 Turbo Type 930, 30th Anniversary of Koenigsegg Automotive, Pre-War Sports & Racing, Post-War Sports, Post-War Racing, the Evolution of the Supercar, the Great Ferraris, Custom Coachwork, and Sports and Racing Motorcycles, Car Park Concours d’Qualegance, Hagerty Drivers Foundation, Magneto Editor’s Choice, ArtCenter College of Design, Spirit of The Quail, and Rolex Best of Show.
The Quail is one of the most prestigious events at Monterey Car Week each year. The event celebrates the highest echelon of automotive excellence, featuring unveilings of new luxury cars, supercars, and hypercars, while showcasing the most significant classics influencing automotive history with their design, engineering, and innovation.
Winning Best of Show this year was a particularly incredible classic car, a 1937 Delahaye Type 135. The stunning car was inducted into the Rolex Circle of Champions on The Quail Golf Club’s greens. Originally made as an open-wheel race car, the Delahaye Type 135 has a 12-cylinder engine capable of 240 horsepower, incredible when it was made.
It’s believed to have been driven by Renee Dreyfus in the Prix du Million, the 1938 Pau Grand Prix, and the Cork Grand Prix. Eventually, it received new bodywork as a roadgoing sports car, covering its original racing components.
Other award-winning cars at this year’s The Quail included a 1949 MG TC which won the Spirit of The Quail award and the 1963 Jaguar E-type FHC which won the Hagerty Drivers Foundation Award.
Along with reveals and debuts of some of the world’s most anticipated and desirable new supercars and hypercars, incredible classics were spotlighted and celebrated at The Quail this year, and the award winners were truly special gems of the automotive industry.
Casa Ferrari: Ferrari’s Glamorous Outpost at Pebble Beach
Benvenuti a Casa Ferrari. Celebrating a momentous 70 years of Ferrari in America, the Italian carmaker transformed Pebble Beach Golf Links into a glamorous Maranello outpost for this year’s Concours d’Elegance.
The savviest Ferrari collectors and superfans could appreciate the nods to Ferrari’s milestones in America, but any guest with an eye to detail was impressed by the level of hospitality and elegance the Ferrari team delivered.
Access to Casa Ferrari required a VIP Scuderia Ferrari-etched lanyard, but guests with general tickets to the Concours could explore the lawn decorated with 70 iconic Ferraris from the past seven decades. Each with its own elegant design and unique story to tell, it was impossible to choose a favorite car from the lineup.
Given their historical significance, two deserve a special mention. The 365 GTB4, with its powerful, front-mounted V12 engine, famously won first, second, and third places at the 24 hours of Daytona in 1967, garnering its unofficial nickname, the Daytona. Inspired by that legendary Daytona, Ferrari’s latest supercar, the 12Cilindri, features the iconic, front-mounted V12 engine, top performing power, and high-tech specs.
With power output reaching 830 horsepower, and maximum revs reaching 9,500 revolutions per minute, the 12Cilindri has no competition on the road. As always, Ferrari designed the supercar with sport, class, and elegance in mind, drawing from aeronautical design evident in the 8-speed DCT gearbox and independent four-wheel steering.
If you are eager to add this model to your Ferrari collection, your next decision will be choosing between the 12Cilindri coupe and the 12Cilindri Spider which cleverly maintains the sleek, streamlined proportions with a reverse-opening bonnet design. Although initially debuted at the Miami Grand Prix in May, the Concours allowed the rest of the world to get an up-close look at Ferrari’s latest supercar next to the historic models that inspired it.
Matteo Torre, CEO of Ferrari North America, emphasized that this was the first global launch for the Maranello-based carmaker in the United States. With such a momentous unveiling, the 12Cilindri quite aptly celebrates Ferrari’s 70 years in the United States.
For Ferrari VIPs, the fun did not stop on the Pebble Beach Golf Links lawn. Through a private gate next to the supercar display, Ferrari’s top clientele could enter Casa Ferrari, a Maranello outpost decked out with Italian hospitality and glamor. Chic white couches and tables adorned with Ferrari red flower arrangements decorated the lawn.
Of course, there was plenty of room on the table to set down a slice of pizza, served pillowy and hot by the Una Pizza Napoletana team. Chef Anthony Mangieri garnered worldwide recognition for his pizzeria located in New York’s Lower East Side, winning the number 1 pizzeria in the world in 2022 and endless accolades from Esquire and the Michelin Guide to name just a few.
To cool off from the California sun, guests enjoyed a selection of beverages, including a tequila-based lemon spritz or a glass of Vermentino from the Antinori family’s estate in Bolgheri: Tenuta Guado al Tasso. For those who may be less familiar with Vermentino, it is a white grape varietal indigenous to the Tyrrhenian coast of Italy, which picks up minerality and aromatic qualities due to its proximity to the sea.
I chose to sip my glass of Vermentino on the Casa Ferrari terrace, overlooking a cinematic viewing stage which live-streamed the competition field throughout the afternoon. The only regret from my afternoon at Casa Ferrari was not driving away from the Concours d’Elegance in a 12Cilindri Spider of my own.
Bentley’s Remarkable Presentations and Hospitality at Monterey Car Week
Bentley Motors presented a trio of firsts, showcasing the breadth of the marque’s automotive diversity at Monterey Car Week.
The new, fourth-generation Continental GT Speed made its U.S. debut with a personalized example from Bentley’s bespoke and coachbuilding division, Mulliner, spearheading a fleet of more than 30 pre-production examples at the event. Journalists and customers were able to sample the new GT Speed on the road for the first time anywhere.
Also making its debut at Monterey Car Week was Bentley’s own 1961 S2 Drophead Coupe. Purchased from a French owner in 2022 as part of the work to rebuild the in-house Heritage Collection—one of just 15 examples created by Mulliner in the 1960s—the car was in very poor condition and took two years of extensive restoration to become the first Bentley ever entered into the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance by the marque itself.
The S2 Drophead Coupe is a forebear of the new Continental GT Speed Convertible in two distinct ways. The new Continental GT Speed family utilizes Bentley’s new Ultra Performance Hybrid powertrain—created around an all-new V8 engine paired to an electric motor—becoming the next member of a Bentley V8 bloodline which started with the S2 and which introduced a 6.23-litre V8 to replace the straight-six engine of the S1.
The latest project from the Mulliner’s Classic division, the Speed Six Continuation Series, was also used on the road for the first time. An exact continuation of the Speed Six which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1930, Speed Six “Car Zero” is a newly built example crafted by hand to the original drawings and using original materials and original manufacturing techniques.
The car was driven for several thousand miles during engineering, development, and sign-off, ahead of the trip to Monterey, to offer an authentic Speed Six experience to Mulliner customers who have ordered one of the 12 examples to be created.
I had a nice chat with Christophe Georges, Bentley Motors’ global sales and marketing director, about the impressive presence of Bentley at Monterey Car Week, which continues to be one of the most comprehensive of any brand.
Nearly 90 Bentleys were brought together on the Monterey Peninsula for the week, and Bentley hosted more than 3,000 customers and friends throughout different events.
The Quail formalized the arrival of the new Continental GT Speed in the USA, alongside a new Bentayga S Black Edition finished in satin silver with orange accents. Friday evening was Bentley’s return to Seal Rock for its iconic Beach Dinner in conjunction with brand partner The Macallan, where it was announced that the Bentley Environmental Foundation will fund a U.S. kelp forest initiative with its partner, SeaTrees, restoring vital carbon dioxide-absorbing kelp forests along key coastal sites.
There was also the Bentley hospitality villa near the Pebble Beach Lodge and Bentley’s famous Signature Party on Saturday night at Pebble Resorts’ The Beach & Tennis Club where hundreds of Bentley clients and guests danced the night away.
On Sunday, Bentley again hosted guests at the beach for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where a small group of Bentley executives served as honorary judges and the 1961 S2 Drophead was showcased, while a new Continental GTC Speed appeared on the Concept Lawn. Meanwhile, a pair of Mulliner designers hosted specification sessions with clients across the events, with scores of new Bentleys imagined.
As a proud owner of a Bentley Flying Spur, I am absolutely impressed by Bentley’s presentations and remarkable hospitality. My only regret is that I didn’t drive away with a new Continental GT Speed, which is the only super deluxe four-seater convertible sports car I would like to own.
Hispano-Suiza Celebrates 120th Anniversary with Debut of Carmen Sagrera
Celebrating 120 years of excellence in design and performance, Hispano-Suiza debuted its Carmen Sagrera to the American public at The Quail during Monterey Car Week. The Carmen Sagrera boasts a new design, 1,114 horsepower, and a 103-kilowatt-hour battery.
The 2024 Carmen Sagrera completes the range of its electric “hypercars” redefining the “gentleman driver” concept and marks the future design line of the brand with a total of 24 exclusive and limited Carmen Sagrera units available.
The design draws inspiration from the iconic 1938 Hispano-Suiza Xenia Dubonnet, also on display, which inspired the current range of Hispano Suiza hypercars. The Xenia was one of the most extravagant and aerodynamic cars of its time.
Founded in 1904, Hispano-Suiza is a historic Spanish automobile brand owned by four generations of the Suqué Mateu family and today continues under the great-grandson of the founder Miguel Suqué Mateu. Hispano-Suiza CEO Sergio Martinez said, “Presenting the Carmen Sagrera in the United States on our 120th anniversary is a significant milestone for us.”
Illustrating the company’s legacy, two Hispano-Suiza cars took top prizes at the 73rd Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The 1934 Hispano-Suiza 112 Vanvooren Cabriolet owned by the Honorable Sir Michael Kadoorie of Hong Kong took the Alec Ulmann Trophy Special Award as well as second place in the J-1 European Classic Touring Early category; the 1923 Hispano-Suiza H6B Fernandez et Darrin Cabriolet, owned by Sam and Emily Mann of Englewood, New Jersey, took first place in the touring category.
To step into the world of Hispano-Suiza is truly to enjoy the “pleasure of belonging to the unique.”
Lamborghini Presentation at Concours Lawn
Lamborghini wowed the crowds with its exclusive Lamborghini Lounge Monterey, a luxurious villa where the brand showcased its latest creations. The star of the event was the newly revealed Lamborghini Temerario, a supercar that sets a new standard in hybrid performance.
Presented in two vibrant configurations, Blu Marinus and Verde Mercurius, the Temerario is now available with the lightweight Alleggerita package, perfect for track stars. VIP guests had the opportunity to explore the Temerario’s state-of-the-art features through a mixed reality experience, combining virtual elements with the physical car.
In addition to the Temerario, Lamborghini displayed its fully hybridized lineup, including the Urus SE, the first PHEV version of their luxury Super SUV, and the Revuelto, a hybrid supercar with 1,001 horsepower.
Guests also experienced Lamborghini’s new collaboration with luxury audio brand Sonus Faber, which showed off an exclusive demo of the Revuelto’s bespoke in-car sound system. Lamborghini Squadra Corse further impressed with its showcase of three motor sports models, including the SC63—Lamborghini’s first hybrid race car prototype—the Huracán GT3 EVO2, and the Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2.
The highlight of Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance saw Lamborghini’s Temerario standing out with its ingenious design on the prestigious Concept Lawn in front of the Pebble Beach Lodge. Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann served as an honorary judges at the Concours.
Karma Automotive Unveils Innovation and Excellence
Headquartered in Irvine, California and the State’s first and only ultra luxury automaker, Karma Automotive manufactures electric and E-REV (extended-range electric vehicles).
They announced a bilateral collaboration with Intel Automotive to co-develop software-defined vehicle architecture (SDVA) which will underpin its upcoming vehicles, including the Karma Kaveya super coupe. Through the shared expertise from their respective industries, the companies will demonstrate and validate critical concepts for the advancement of open standards for SDVA which may be shared openly and commercially to support the transformation of the broader automotive industry.
The Karma Kaveya super coupe, with up to 1,000 horsepower, optional all-wheel drive, and a sub-three-second 0-60 miles per hour, will be priced from approximately $300,000 when it arrives in 2026. It is anticipated to be the world’s first vehicle developed from the ground up with true SDVA.
All future Karma automobiles to follow the Kaveya, including the potential production version of Karma Automotive’s “GT-UV” design study which made its global premiere at The Quail on August 16, will follow this same path, utilizing SDVA co-developed with Intel Automotive.
On August 15, I attended Karma’s exclusive dinner on the Vineyard Lawn at Carmel Valley Ranch, hosted by Karma Automotive President Marques McCammon who unveiled the new Karma Kaveya. “Karma Automotive, together with Intel Automotive, will realize SDVA’s full potential to create innovative, intelligent, and beautiful Karma automobiles which, in addition to delivering unparalleled driving dynamics, will be highly efficient and offer an exceptional ownership experience,” said McCammon.
“For Tier 1s and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) not quite ready to take the leap from the old way of doing things to the new, Karma Automotive will play as an ally, helping them make that transition with business-to-business SDVA solutions in the same way we do today with Karma Connect, our proprietary vehicle data management and over-the-air services platform, which presently provides services to the world’s second largest OEM.”
“At Intel Automotive, we can see that the industry is facing a perfect storm of unprecedented change. Intel has assisted other industries with such transformations in the past, and we’re honored to do the same in automotive,” said Jack Weast, vice president and general manager of Intel Automotive.
“Together, through this collaboration with Karma Automotive, we’re in a position to prepare the industry for the leap forward to SDVA without leaving anyone behind.” McCammon and Weast first aligned on the vision for the future of the automobile during their work as colleagues over a decade ago at Wind River, formerly a division of Intel.
Since the invention of the automobile in 1888, its architecture has remained relatively unchanged: power trains have become more powerful and efficient, and vehicle safety has greatly improved, but the format has stayed largely the same.
With the addition of each new feature from fuel injection and power windows to air-conditioning and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), today’s vehicle typically has over 100 electric control units (ECUs), each delivering a single function and requiring over a mile of copper cabling to connect.
Layer upon layer has been piled atop a foundation which can no longer support the future of the automobile. The solution may be found in the information technology industry which long ago moved away from single function devices to high-performance computing systems where multiple workloads run on a single, centralized system.
Similarly, SDVA looks at the vehicle systems as a whole and allows for the seamless movement of workloads between software-defined central “compute” systems and software-defined zonal “compute” sub-systems, ensuring maximum flexibility, optimal cost, and performance with significant energy efficiency benefits.
The Karma portfolio embodies California’s spirit of innovation and entrepreneurial boldness, reflected by the signature Comet Line which is the central hallmark of Karma’s new design language.
The third generation Karma Revero sport sedan, the world’s first luxury plug-in hybrid, will be introduced in late 2024 and offer luxury balanced with conscientiousness, delivered without compromise. The Gyesera four-seater is anticipated in 2025, and in 2026, the Karma Kaveya super coupe, with up to 1,000 horsepower and butterfly doors, will arrive.
Automobili Pininfarina B95 Gotham Launch
Nestled in the middle of the lawn at the QUAIL Lodge & Golf Club with The Peninsula Hotel’s Californian themed hospitality tent at one end and South Korean at the other was an unmissable car that looked like it had come straight from a comic book.
This is exactly the point of the new and unique “one-of-one” B95 Gotham which was inspired by Bruce Wayne, the alter ego of DC Comics superhero Batman. The creation is the first car from a groundbreaking collaboration with Warner Bros., which made a world debut at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering on August 16.
The car’s physical world premiere followed its virtual debut on April 30, when Italian ultra-luxury car maker Automobili Pininfarina launched its four bespoke, one-off vehicles during the partnership announcement.
The four were the B95 Gotham shown at The Quail, the Battista Gotham, the B95 Dark Knight, and the Battista Dark Knight. If, like me, you do not speak Italian, “Battista” is an Italian name that may be used as a given name or surname meaning “baptist” or “baptized” and often used to honor Saint John the Baptist who is said to have baptized Jesus Christ in the River Jordan.
Given this, it took me a little by surprise when Richard Yarrow, PR director for Automobili Pininfarina, spoke with a familiar British accent, making me feel much more at home on the Monterey Peninsula.
Richard kindly spent a generous amount of time taking me around all the little details of the car, explaining how the idea behind the partnership was to demonstrate the company’s ability to coach-build automobiles in whatever bespoke manner a customer would request—the fictional customer in this case being Bruce Wayne.
Yarrow proudly echoed the brand’s promise of “Dream Cars, Made Real.” As Dave Amantea, Chief Design Officer at Automobili Pininfarina, said, “The B95 Gotham exemplifies how we bring our brand promise to life for our clients.”
House of Range Rover, Maserati and The Luxury Collection
Sheltered within the Monterey cypress trees of POPPY Hills Golf Course, Poppy Lane was clearly the place to be during Monterey Car Week 2024 as the location of Range Rover House and The House of Maserati, both of which I had the pleasure of stepping into.
For the second year running, I have been lucky enough to make Range Rover House a second home during the week, last year helping to host the launch dinner for the 2023 Range Rover SV Carmel Edition and this year hosting an illustrious whisky tasting masterclass, the Four Corners of Scotland, with my team from J.P. Morgan Private Bank and partners at Chase Auto.
As always, the style and ambience of Range Rover House was the perfect setting for the Range Rover brand to debut the 2024 Range Rover SV Carmel Edition and the high-performance Range Rover Sport SV EDITION TWO. The guided exploration of the flavors and aromas of Scotland’s spirit and learning about the history of Scotch whisky from the Diageo Rare & Exceptional Private Client Team were purely added benefits.
The Carmel Edition is a highly exclusive offer, with only 17 units priced at $370,000. It was first offered to Range Rover House guests wanting the opportunity purchase the long wheel base Range Rover meticulously finished by the SV Bespoke team.
The Range Rover Carmel is powered by a 606-horsepower V8 twin turbo engine carefully curated with a unique combination of design elements, including a bespoke green satin exterior drawing inspiration from the picturesque landscape of lush woodlands and ocean cliffs along the coastal roads surrounding Carmel, California.
The high-performance Range Rover Sport SV EDITION TWO has a specially tuned 626hp twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 engine, making this Range Rover’s most powerful and fastest ever vehicle.
I spent a good amount of time admiring the Blue Nebula SV Ultra Metallic matte finish exterior across the weekend, experiencing it in both the famous golden light of a Californian sunset and the rolling Monterey fog that reminded me and my new right-hand drive comrade of our motherland. Needless to say, the car looked beautiful throughout, and it took restraint of the highest order not to put an order in for now.
It’s no secret that I have been a fan of Land Rovers since I learned to drive in a Land Rover Series III Lightweight at the age of eight in the fields of our farm in England. Therefore, the Land Rover Classic showcase of a curation of the vehicles belonging to Queen Elizabeth II at both Range Rover House and the show field of the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance was something very special to me.
Apparently, I was not alone in this view as the showcase and Land Rover Classic garden party on Sunday attracted some of the largest Land Rover collectors from around the globe. Queen Elizabeth’s association with Land Rover began shortly after the first Land Rover was produced in 1948, with the royal family being one of the earliest adopters of the vehicle due to its robust utility being particularly suited to the British countryside and royal estates.
The Queen was often seen driving Land Rovers herself on official and private occasions; some of the cars made it over to Carmel. Even in her later years, she continued to be seen behind the wheel of a Land Rover, demonstrating her enduring connection to the vehicle and brand. Rest in peace, ma’am.
Just down the road, Italian luxury and performance brand Maserati, the literal poster child of the 2024 Concours, celebrated 110 years of innovation, showcasing its storied past, present, and future across an array of activations during Monterey Car Week 2024.
The House of Maserati served as the home base for Maserati’s activities throughout the week, bringing a taste of la dolce vita hospitality to all who were lucky enough to visit.
Matt Rindon, head of PR & communications for Maserati North America, kindly invited me to introduce the officially launching Classiche department with an MC12 Special Edition to serve as a nod to the trident’s rich racing heritage.
Across the property was a diverse array of models including the all-electric Folgore line: GranTurismo Folgore, GranCabrio Folgore, and Grecale Folgore as well as the GranCabrio Trofeo and MC20 Cielo.
Kept completely under wraps until The Quail, Maserati unveiled its latest creation: a one-of-a-kind super sports car that represents a seamless fusion of the Maserati GT2’s racing heritage and the elegance of the Maserati MC20 halo car.
With a top speed surpassing 320 kilometers per hour, an increased 640hp, a reduction in weight by 60 kilograms, and an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in a mere 2.8 seconds, the debut is not something to be messed with and yet another reflection of the brand’s pursuit of excellence in automotive engineering.
My friends at the Luxury Collection, owned by Price Family Dealerships, the largest exotic and luxury vehicle dealership group in Northern California, hosted their annual Monterey Car Week in Carmel Valley at Gardener Ranch, a beautiful outdoor venue with endless amenities situated in the Carmel Valley.
Over the week, their clients from their three campuses in Los Gatos, Walnut Creek, and Palo Alto partnered with me to invite guests of J.P. Morgan Private Bank. The dealership brands include Aston Martin, Bentley, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati, McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Czinger, and Automobili Pininfarina, and they work with some of the highest level of car collectors.
Thursday’s customer appreciation party was a highlight of the week, providing guests with not only the opportunity to talk cars, but also live entertainment, dinner, caviar, Cazcanes tequila, AXR Napa Valley wine, and LOUIS XIII cognac.
I do not think that I am alone in my opinion that this was a luxurious end to a day that included Rolls-Royce drives in the Spectre, Cullinan, and Ghost in attendance with Chris Brownridge, the chief executive officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
My focal point of the week—and certainly that of the guests whom I invited to join me and Chase Auto at Gardener Ranch—was the Saturday spent driving with Aston Martin Los Gatos and Walnut Creek. As a Brit, I have had no choice but to be in awe of Aston Martin, along with the rest of the world, since the DB5 first appeared in the 1964 James Bond film, Goldfinger.
Aston Martin also feels somewhat related to the Jaguar Land Rover family as Ian Callum—who was the chief designer at Aston Martin between 1993 and 2001 and therefore responsible for some of the brand’s most iconic models including the DB7, Vanquish, and DB9—was also the director of design at Jaguar until 2019. I knew it could not just be a coincidence that the Jaguar F-Type looks a little more than a distant cousin of the Aston Martin lineup.
It was very difficult for not only me but everyone involved to contain their excitement when the team at the Luxury Collection gave us the keys to the 2025 Aston Martin Vantage, two DB12s, and two DBX707s.
This was a recipe for arguably one of the more exciting and colorful convoys blasting through the Carmel Valley hills with the thundering sound of turbocharged V8s sourced by Mercedes-AMG and tuned to perfection by Aston Martin.
There are 356 sleeps until Monterey Car Week 2025, but who’s counting?