A Look Back at the Best of Monterey Car Week 2017

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Another Monterey Car Week has passed, but not before attendees made special memories and got to see exclusive, high-dollar cars up close and personal. This year?s event, which ran from Friday, August 18 to Saturday, August 26, marked the 60th anniversary of the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The last full week in August provided a range of activities for auto enthusiasts to attend, including:

• Concours de Lemons
• Legend of the Autobahn Concours
• McCalls Motorworks Revival
• Pebble Beach Concours d?Elegance
• Quail Motorsports Gathering
• Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
• Werks Reunion

Naturally, each of these events had their own special highlights. For the Pebble Beach Concours d?Elegance, it was the unveiling of the world?s oldest sports car. Built in 1903, the Mercedes Simplex 40 HP Tonneau has the dual distinction of being one of the world?s first Mercedes.

The Auctions

Six auction houses displayed their finest vehicles throughout Monterey Car Week, with four of them remaining until the last day. Day two of the auctions brought in the most lucrative sales with 28 cars selling for more than one million dollars each. The week?s biggest sales included an Aston Martin sold for 22.5 million dollars, a McFarlen F.1 at 15.6 million dollars, and a Porsche for just over 14 million dollars. These sales represent the priciest British cars ever sold in an auction format.

Fun at McCall?s Motorworks Revival

This invitation-only event kicks off the Monterey Car Week every year. It has evolved over the years from a small backyard get-together to a fancy charity event where invited guests pay hundreds of dollars per plate to benefit the 11-99 Foundation of the California Highway Patrol. Genesis, an offshoot of Hyundai, hosted the event for 2017.

Cars featured in the event ran the gamut from electric vehicles to warbirds from the World War II era to a 918 Spyder by Porsche. One car that seemed to stand out compared to the others was a Datsun 510. However, it made sense for the car to be there considering its owner entered it in the 1969 Baja 1000 Race.

And the Winner Is?

Monterey Car Week is already a unique and exciting event, but ending it with the Pebble Beach Concours d?Elegance makes it even more so. This event showcases the best the world of antique and luxury vehicles has to offer. Participants shipped their cars in from as far away as Bangkok, Beijing, and Thailand and presented the vehicles in full regalia from their respective historic period.

Bellevue, Washington resident Bruce McCaw took home the biggest prize for his 1929 S Barker Tourer manufactured by Mercedes-Benz. Much to the delight of the crowd, McCaw drove the car onto the stage to accept his award. His brother, John, finished as a runner-up and another brother, Craig, also attended and participated in Concours d?Elegance.

The next Pebble Beach Concours d?Elegance takes place on Sunday, August 26, 2018. Organizers moved events back one week to accommodate the United States Amateur Golf Championship held on the same grounds. All events should move back to the third week in August for 2019.