3 July 2025
Bay Area

A Stylish Guide to Monterey Car Week – For People Who Love the Scene, Not Just the Cars

Every August, the Monterey Peninsula becomes something else entirely. A 1950s Ferrari threads through downtown Carmel. People drink Champagne in the fog at 9am. Someone’s walking across a golf course in Gucci loafers like it’s completely normal – because, here, it is.

This isn’t just a car show. It’s a scene. A schedule-breaking, crowd-dodging, cocktail-in-hand kind of week – and if you’re doing it right, you’ll end up sunburned, dusty, full of oysters, and unexpectedly emotional about a 1960s tail light.

Here’s how to do Monterey Car Week beautifully.

So what Is Monterey Car Week?

It’s not one event – it’s a whole ecosystem of overlapping shows, auctions, rallies, and invitation-only gatherings spread across Carmel, Pebble Beach, Pacific Grove, and Monterey. The core of it runs Monday through Sunday, always the third week in August, with Concours Sunday closing the show.

If you’re new, here are the big ones to know:

• Concours d’Elegance (Sunday) – The main event, held at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Big hats, serious cars, real money. Think Met Gala for classic cars – and the people who collect them.

• The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering (Friday) – By invitation or pricey ticket only. Intimate, curated, and extremely well-dressed garden party of your dreams. Probably the best food and people-watching all week.

• Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion (Laguna Seca) – A vintage race at speed. Smells like oil and old leather. Excellent for photos, and totally worth it even if you don’t know the difference between a McLaren and a Mazda.

• Carmel Concours on the Avenue – Free and walkable. Charming without the velvet rope. Held downtown midweek – it’s the gateway drug.

• RM Sotheby’s, Bonhams, Broad Arrow Auctions – Bidding theaters full of quiet tension and sharp tailoring. Even if you’re not bidding, it’s worth going just to feel the stakes in the room.

Some are free to walk through. Some require tickets – and some are invite-only. But all of them deliver some version of the same thing: vintage luxury and the people who live for it.

Other shows I always make time for

Some of the best events are the ones you don’t see on the press releases.

  • Concorso Italiano – Held at Bayonet Golf Course. All Italian marques, all day. Ridiculously photogenic.
  • Breakfast Club Rally’s Monterey Drive – A younger scene. You’ll see modified 911s, slick jumpsuits, and everyone’s dog.
  • Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance – On Thursday, the Concours cars hit Highway 1. Stand anywhere along the route (especially near Bixby Bridge) and watch $100M in machinery roll by.
  • Werks Reunion – If you even sort of like Porsches, go. If you don’t, go anyway.
  • The Little Car Show in Pacific Grove – Pint-sized classics under 1,600cc. Feels like a Wes Anderson short.
  • Motorlux – Glamorous rebrand of McCall’s Motorworks Revival held on the grounds of the Monterey Jet Center. Food and fashion-forward now, still jet-set energy.
  • Prancing Ponies – All-women owners, all makes. Smart, stylish, important.
  • Concours d’Lemons – The opposite of Concours. Think rust, duct tape, and cars that should’ve died in the ’80s. It’s perfect.

Inside the Mansions: Brand Activations & Private Parties

Beyond the official shows and auctions, much of Car Week happens behind gated driveways. Nearly every major car brand — from Bugatti to Bentley — rents out a villa, estate, or hilltop mansion for the week. By day, they run invite-only hospitality lounges with espresso bars, design previews, and test drives. By night, those same spaces turn into candlelit dinner parties, DJ sets, or rooftop cocktails under the Monterey fog.

Getting in isn’t easy. Most of these activations are reserved for existing clients, collectors, or friends of the brand. Sometimes you’ll get in through a plus-one. Sometimes it’s your seatmate on the shuttle who hands you a pass. It’s part luck, part timing, and part knowing the right person.

The most coveted:

  • The Range Rover House – Clean lines, whisky tastings, a fleet of the queen’s vehicles parked in the driveway. Peak luxury.
  • Ferrari House – Ultra-exclusive, always stunning, often where the serious money goes to socialize.
  • Lamborghini’s Night Parties – Big energy. Think open bars, guest DJs, and every hot car parked out front like it’s a casting call.

Even if you’re not invited, you’ll feel the ripple effect — the buzz, the traffic, the clusters of linen-clad insiders getting picked up by blacked-out shuttles. Just knowing where they are puts you one step closer next year.

Where to stay (and how to not ruin your schedule)

Hotels book out months in advance. Pricing makes no sense. And driving across town mid-afternoon will absolutely test your spirit.

Pacific Grove – Quiet, central, underrated. A favorite of mine personally.

Carmel-by-the-Sea – Picturesque but almost always overcast and in-demand. Charming if you can swing it – and booked six months ago!

Monterey – Central and practical. Not the prettiest, but you’ll get places faster.

Carmel Valley – Hot, sunny, and relaxed — but the drive into town during Car Week can take over an hour.

Seaside or Marina – More affordable, but the traffic’s brutal. Only do it if you’re okay staying out for the day and not returning between events.

Pack for the entire day. Assume you won’t make it back to your room. Bring layers, sunscreen, chargers, and anything you’ll wish you had by 6pm.

What to wear

The range is wide. You’ll see everything from linen suiting to logo tees and board shorts. Aim for somewhere in the middle: polished but unfussy, ready to walk and camera-friendly.

Flats are essential — you’ll be walking miles across uneven ground. Structured sandals, loafers, or fashion sneakers all work. Avoid stilettos even if you’re getting dropped off at The Quail valet.

Layer like you mean it — the coast stays cold and misty while Carmel Valley bakes. A trench, denim jacket, or cardigan is non-negotiable.

Sunglasses, sunscreen, and a crossbody bag are your daytime power trio.

If you’re doing a full-day itinerary, pack a small pouch with wipes, touch-up makeup, and a charger. Treat your bag like a mini daypack.

Concours Sunday is the dressiest — people go full derby. But for most events, stylish and relaxed wins.

Where to eat between events

You don’t need to do a tasting menu every night. The best meals are usually casual, timed badly, and eaten with strangers.

Favorites:

  • Wild Plum (Monterey) – Low-key breakfast, great coffee, zero scene.
  • Stationaery (Carmel) – Excellent for a slow morning and watching the parade of linen.
  • Edwin’s Kaona (Monterey) – Tropical drinks and live music — good energy, not pretentious.
  • The Bench at Pebble Beach – View-heavy, better than it needs to be. Ideal for people-watching between shows.
  • Akaoni (Carmel) – Unassuming, perfect omakase. Book it.
  • Chez Noir (Carmel) – Elevated, coastal, very pretty. You need a reservation or a plan B.
  • Little Napoli (Carmel) – Loud, fun, and unhinged in the right way. Great for groups.
  • Lucia at Bernardus (Carmel Valley) – If you find yourself valley-side, this is the move.
  • Lunch on the terrace feels cinematic.
  • Passionfish (Pacific Grove) – Clean, seasonal, wine-forward. A classic.

A few last things no one tells you

  • Carmel village stays foggy. Carmel Valley doesn’t. Pack like you’re going to two different cities.
  • Everything takes longer than you think. Parking. Driving. Even walking through Pebble.
  • You’ll end up at at least one event you didn’t plan on — always say yes to the invite. That’s where the best stories come from.
  • It’s okay to not know what you’re looking at. Ask someone. The people who truly love these cars want to talk about them.
  • Flats. Again. Seriously.

If you’re sticking around

Car Week might be the main event — but Monterey is a perfect launch point for a longer California trip. After the crowds clear, take the scenic route and wind things down with something slower:

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