Monterey Car Week Is a Five-Day Extravaganza of Automotive Aspiration
But the event asks: what kind of car enthusiast are you?
Monterey Car Week just concluded last weekend, and we learned quite a lot for this year’s iteration.
Each year, droves of car enthusiasts flock to Northern California for the annual Monterey Car Week held across the namesake town, as well as the neighboring town of Carmel, to witness the absolute best of the best in car culture. The range of automobiles that arrive are inherently wide, varying from niche tuner builds and modern classics to ultra-rare hypercars and historic racers. Because of this, this draws in an exceptionally broad range of enthusiasts, some of whom may be there for all the wrong reasons.
Ever since the conclusion of COVID-19, Monterey Car Week (which resumed in 2022 after the pandemic) gradually saw the attendance of car community individuals who were undeniably enthusiastic about the culture, but may not have fully grasped the atmosphere within Monterey and Carmel: wealthy, quiet, traditional, conservative. The population is low and their values are apparent in the town’s settings, with the previous years’s MCW iterations causing quite a bit of disruption to the serenity and sanity of the quaint countryside. Without going into too far into the nitty gritty of past instances, this year was noticeably more tame, with police, local security, and sanctioned organizers banding together to learn from the mistakes of 2025 and prior.
This being our fourth consecutive year as an invited media, we’ve come to the realization that Monterey Car Week is well divided, with events catering to a variety of car enthusiasts. It’s not a case of “there’s something for everyone;” quite opposite, in fact. Most of the events are private, invite only, highly exclusive and notoriously strict on guests.
The Quail
There are events before it, but in our opinion The Quail serves as the gateway into the week. Held annually at The Quail lodge, the grassy grounds are converted into a trade show of sorts, with exclusive booths for key automakers. This year, BMW ALPINA, Gunther Werks, BRABUS, Lamborghini, Acura and Koenigsegg commanded extra large audiences with their buildouts, each taking their space to show off new cars and concepts. The primary audience for the Quail remains to be media: journalists, writers, reviewers and content creators rush the booths, hoping to get their first glimpse and ultimately share it with their followers. It remains the most purposeful event of the week, and its ultra-steep price tag of $2,000+ USD assures it’ll stay that way.
Houses
Scattered throughout the week and county are automaker “houses” that serve as home base for car brands throughout the week. To get invited into the house would be a private invitation to understand the brand, view new products, speak with key figures within the company and more. After those initiatives, the automaker tends to also throw parties, again via curated guest lists. If you’re fortunate to attend any of the brand’s houses, expect hospitality like no other. This year we were privy to attend the BMW house, alongside Lamborghini’s and Bentley’s via private invite. Kith x BMW’s presence was upscale and sophisticated, while Lamborghini’s was impressive in grandeur and activations. Bentley’s – as like its previous years – is fun, fun, fun. Think The Great Gatsby with a live band playing Blink-182 songs. Memorable to say the least.
Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
For the true petrolheads, Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is the event they dream of. Classic racers, Le Mans legends, IMSA-prepped track cars and much more all hit the legendary Laguna Seca race track for competitive heats, with the general public present to hear, see and smell everything. Attendance to Motorsports Reunion also allows for a general access to paddocks where you can see these cars up close, learn about their histories (and even their previous owners), and truly take in all of what makes motorsport enthusiasts so passionate. If we were to encapsulate RMMU in one word, it’d be “education.”
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
Last but certainly not least is Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, which is the summit event of the week. Each year, thousands of people attend it to witness how the elite celebrate cars and car culture – via money. There’s barely anything on the Pebble Beach launch that’s under $1M USD, but if there is, it’s certain worth more now that it’s officially made it to Concours d’Elegance. Thankfully the tickets are much more affordable than The Quail, but even at $600 USD, it’s a bit of a teeth clench. Within Cd’E however are opportunities to witness the awards ceremony, some fine dining, promotional giveaways from auto brands, and even shopping.
If you ever have the opportunity to visit Monterey Car Week, and want to truly understand what it is to be “into cars,” try to find your way into these events either as +1s, invited media, or ticket holders. Sure, the free street events and car meets throughout the week spell out car culture as well, but we think it takes more than just a pretty paint job and a nice hard park on Ocean Ave. to really understand car culture. Just remember to be respectful, and don’t give the cops the satisfaction of pulling over another car.
