Car Week for All
Monterey on the Cheap
STORY | Richard James
Photography | Rafael Garcia and Richard James
You’ve just disembarked your jet at Monterey Regional Airport, your Koenigsegg Regera has been delivered after you shipped it across the country, and you’re sitting in the driver’s seat trying to decide what your first Monterey Car Week activity will be once you drop your matched set of luggage at the finest hotel on the peninsula.
Sure, you’ve got your Motorlux, The Quail, and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance tickets sorted. But in between that and the two auctions you’ve registered to bid at in search of your next multi-million dollar piece of automotive art, you’ve got a bit of time to check out some other things.
Wait, that’s not you? Oh, you’re the one who drove up in the not-quite-finished 30-year-old project car. Sure, it goes like hell, but the bodywork and paint aren’t quite there. Your accommodations are on the modest side, and even if your name got picked in the ticket lottery, the $1,500 price of admission to The Quail is well out of reach? Don’t worry, there are many ways to enjoy the Car Week atmosphere without dropping a lot of coin.
Born out of the Pebble Beach Concours in the ‘50s as a more social side to the Pebble Beach Road Races, other car-centric events began to pop up on the peninsula. But Car Week really began to take off in 1974 with the historic races at Laguna Seca, now known as the Monterey Motorsports Reunion. The week (really 10-plus days) currently includes dozens of shows, tours, and happenings. And while the pricey Pebble Beach and Quail events, along with the auctions, generate lots of buzz, many of the happenings have low entry fees and some are even free.
Many will assert that the best free event of the week is the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance, traditionally on Thursday. Not only do spectators get to view most of the vehicles that will be on display on the Golf Links on Sunday, you get to witness them in their natural habitat — on the road.
The Tour makes its way from Pebble Beach via 17- Mile Drive and Pacific Coast Highway to Carmel and back. There are many great spots to sit and watch the cars motor past, and the Tour features everything from pre-war Bugattis, Auburns, and Rolls-Royces to classic Ferraris as well as more modern exotic machinery.
And if you prefer to get a closer look, head to Pebble Beach near Concourse Village for the departure or return. Concours Village itself has some cool displays and even manufacturer test drives — all free, with the possible exception of a charge at the 17-Mile Drive gate.
Other free shows abound on the peninsula during the week: The Little Car Show in Pacific Grove, Woodies in the Woods, Astons on the Avenue, Concours d’Lemons, Legends of the Autobahn, Ferrari Owners Club Concours, Porsche Werks Reunion, Exotics on Broadway, and more. Some may incur a charge for parking, but admission is free.
Concourse for a Cause in downtown Carmel kicks things off on Tuesday. The event features a great variety of cars and a practical guarantee that one might see something they’ve never laid eyes on before.
During Car Week 2025, parked just off the main show venue on Ocean Avenue, a Koenigsegg Jesko Attack and a Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport were getting plenty of attention — at least until a nearby Lamborghini Diablo fired up its engine and snapped everyone’s heads in that direction. This illustrates one of the great beauties of Car Week: without ever attending an organized show, simply posting up in downtown Carmel or Monterey, or along 17-Mile Drive, you’re guaranteed to see, and hear, sometruly amazing and rare motor vehicles.
Some of the most rarefied pieces of automotive art can be found in the auctions — McLaren F1, Mercedes 300SL, or Ferrari 250 SWB prototype, anyone? — and you don’t have to be a registered bidder to see them. Most of R.M. Sotheby’s auction inventory is sitting outside the Portola Hotel in downtown Monterey. During the auction hours, spectators can see many of the cars moving in and out of the auditorium.
Now, if one had a little cash to spend, it gets even better. Most of the auctions offer a preview ticket to get up close and personal with the cars headed for sale. Sotheby’s, for example, is $60, and gets you in and out for three days. Avants members even had a free tour of the Pebble Beach Auctions put on by Gooding Christie’s. Check inventory for the auctions to determine which one has the types of cars you want to see. And there are other events that don’t break the bank — the Pre-Reunion, Monterey Motorsports Festival and The Paddock are premium shows that are reasonably priced.
Monterey Car Week may be known for glitz and glamor, high-dollar cars, and ritzy events, but the reality is that one doesn’t have to empty their wallet to soak in the atmosphere. Whatever one’s disposable income, there are car week activities for all, so check the 2026 schedule and make a plan.
