One of my destinations during Monterey Car Week 2019 was the RM Sotheby’s auction, which was held at the Monterey Conference Center. I paid $40 dollars admission to view the auction cars during the preview hours.
While I couldn’t document every car in the catalog, here are some highlights from the Monterey 2019 auction:
1994 McLaren F1 LM
The McLaren F1 is considered by many to be the “Greatest of All Time” of the supercar world. Just 106 of these amazing vehicles were built between 1992-1998. Of those, only 64 were road legal, and of those, only two were upgraded by the factory to “LeMans specifications.” This is one of those cars. As if the regular F1 weren’t special enough, the LeMans spec gets an unrestricted 680 hp engine (up from 618 hp in the standard F1), and a High Downforce Kit (HDK) with a revised nose with front fender vents and a huge rear wing.
For a car spotter like myself, seeing this car in person was the equivalent of finding the Holy Grail. It was an absolutely stunning example and perhaps the most outstanding vehicle of Monterey Car Week 2019. On the auction block, the car’s high bid was $18 million, slightly below the estimate of $20 to $25 million. With the buyer’s premium, the final sale price was $19,805,000. Congratulations to RM Sotheby’s and to the new owner!
2019 McLaren Senna (Serial No. 434/500)
McLaren’s latest hypercar, the Senna, is the latest and greatest in its lineage of “Ultimate Series” cars, which include the P1 and the F1. The Senna is limited to just 500 units worldwide. This one, car #434, is painted in Victory Grey with Papaya Spark accents. The car’s twin turbocharged 4.0L V8 engine produces 789 horsepower and was designed as a track-focused design with minimal comforts and amenities. The car did not meet its reserve price at the auction. Continue reading →
You may have noticed that today’s largest automotive events like Barrett-Jackson and SEMA are focused entirely on American muscle cars. Demand for restoring, modifying and owning these cars is increasing year after year, fueled by retirees seeking to re-live the days of their first car, or the one they always wanted. The popularity of these cars has even affected events like the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where fully half of the cars on the show field in 2019 were post-war.
But, one has to wonder: which cars of today will be desired by collectors fifty years from now? Well, attendees at the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance got some insight into the future of the collector car market at the second annual Japanese Automotive Invitational, sponsored by Infiniti and Motor Trend.
Located at the top of Peter Hay Hill at the Infiniti manufacturer’s booth, the Japanese Automotive Invitational brought together a collection of significant and historic automobiles from Japan. It was a car show within a car show as part of Monterey Car Week.
The exhibit featured an all-star cast of vehicles from Mazda, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Suzuki. Also present were some Japanese makes that are lesser-known in the U.S. such as Hino and Prince. While I didn’t have time to capture every car that was present, here are some highlights:
1963 Prince Skyline Sport at the Japanese Automotive Invitational during Monterey Car Week. Photo by: Trevor Freeman.
1967 Toyota 2000GT, one of several cars on display from notable Japanese car collector Michael Malamut. Photo by: Trevor Freeman.
1969 Nissan R382 Group 7 Race Car, powered by a 6.0L V12 engine producing 580 hp. Photo by: Trevor Freeman.
Bentley EXP 100 GT on the concept car lawn at the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Photo by: Trevor Freeman.
The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is the cornerstone event around which Monterey Car Week is based. It is the world’s premier automotive event, drawing attendees from all over the world. Now in its 69th year, the Pebble Beach Concours is a true competition of elegance, with honorary judges and class judges awarding points to the finest automobiles in each class. At this year’s event there was one word, one brand, on everyone’s mind: Bentley.
There was a buzz in the air about Bentley as I rode the shuttle bus from the parking area along 17 Mile Drive into the Concours event. I overheard people talking about Bentley as I waited in line to get my wristband. Stepping onto the Concept Car lawn near The Lodge at Pebble Beach, I was greeted with a flurry of activity around the latest and greatest concept car from Bentley: the EXP 100 GT. A constant flow of people were leaning over the barricades, mobile phones in hand, eager to get a snapshot of this exciting new car.
This cutting-edge automobile shows what a Bentley grand touring car might look like in the year 2035. A lot of people think that electric vehicles are the future of motoring, and Bentley is among them. The EXP 100 GT is an all-electric vehicle powered by four electric motors with torque-vectoring that produce a combined 1,400 horsepower and 1,106 lb-ft of torque. This enables the massive coupe to propel itself from 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds, and reach a top speed of 186 miles per hour. Bentley says the car’s battery pack has a range of 435 miles on a charge.
The EXP 100 GT has the stunning road presence one would expect from one of the world’s most prestigious automobile manufacturers. The coupe is nearly 20 feet long and 8 feet wide, with doors that are 6.5 feet long and open outwards and upwards in a butterfly-like way. The car retains the “Flying B” emblem on the hood, a signature design of Bentley going back to the beginning. A new take on Bentley’s design is the car’s front grille, which incorporates more than 6,000 individual LEDs.
But this is more than a pretty concept car designed to showcase a new design language for the brand. The EXP 100 GT is a truly “smart” automobile. An onboard system filters the cabin air, removing pollution and channeling it out to the tear to aid the car’s aerodynamics. The car also makes use of fiber optics to transfer natural light into the cabin, which can be re-played on future journeys.
The car’s interior is a palette of luxurious materials, from reclaimed 5,000 year old oak wood infused with copper, to a completely sustainable textile developed in Italy and stitched with a centuries-old Hand and Lock embroidery, to the Adaptive Biometric Seating that features an integrated temperature sensor and massage function. A Cumbria Crystal centerpiece made by artisan craftsmen in the UK adorns the car’s center console, and is one of the voice-activated AI consoles.
The EXP 100 GT offers fully autonomous driving as well as adaptive wheels that sense the road and adjust the ride quality to ensure a smooth, safe journey. Bentley has certainly packed plenty of 21st century technology into the car, demonstrating the innovation and commitment to quality that the brand has been known for over the past century.
1921 Bentley 3 Litre Harrison Open Two Seater Sports, the oldest known Bentley automobile in existence. Photo by: Trevor Freeman.
Also present at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours was a 1921 Bentley 3 Litre two-seater, which is the oldest original production Bentley in the world, and the first car that founder Walter Owen Bentley sold to a customer. The 98 year old automobile is stunningly original, down to its brass fittings and polished aluminum body. It is a testament to the build quality of these vehicles, many of which were built as competition cars for early motor racing events. The car is shown here on the awards ramp, where it received a special award from the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford (CARS Award), in addition to placing Second in its class.
Bentley 4 ½ Litre class at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Photo by: Trevor Freeman.
The 1921 3 Litre was one of fifty-five classic Bentley vehicles on display in six different classes at the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. A remarkable collection of Bentley automobiles from the 3 litre, 4 ½ litre, 6 ½ litre, and 8 litre eras were on display from throughout the company’s history. More than 15,000 attendees congregated on the 18th hole of Pebble Beach Golf Course on Concours Sunday to admire these exquisite vehicles.
While each vehicle has its own unique story and history, the judges felt that the 1931 Bentley 8 Litre Sports Tourer with Gurney Nutting coachwork deserved the coveted “Best of Show” award. Owned by the Honorable Sir Michael Kadoorie of Hong Kong, the car is the one of two short-chassis 8 Litre cars ever built with this particular body style, and the only one left in existence. The body of the other car was transferred to a Rolls Royce Phantom many years ago, making this car truly one of a kind.
1931 Bentley 8 Litre Gurney Nutting Sports Tourer wins Best of Show at the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Photo by Kimball Studios.
The Sports Tourer was guaranteed by W.O. Bentley to achieve a top speed of 100 miles per hour (regardless of what coachwork was fitted). This demonstrates Bentley’s enormous confidence in their 8 Litre, Speed Six engine with a new, lower chassis design.
A centenary celebration is an important milestone for any business, especially one that changes as rapidly as the automobile industry. The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance presented an impressive tribute to the engineering, heritage, and legacy of Bentley automobiles at their 2019 event. With such an illustrious history as well as some exciting new concepts for the future, I cannot wait to see what Bentley has in store for the next hundred years.
Automotive enthusiasts are getting ready for what is shaping up to be another exciting year in Monterey, California. Monterey Car Week traces its origins back to 1950 when a small car show and road race event were held on the peninsula. Here we are 69 years later, and this small, one-day gathering of collector car enthusiasts has grown into a week-long celebration of collector vehicles and the automotive lifestyle.
Monterey Car Week today is a multi-day spectacle of many different events including a tour d’elegance, vintage racing at Laguna Seca, multiple collector car auction events, road rallies, and of course, the Pebble Beach Concours itself, where one car takes home the prestigious “Best of Show” award each year.
Here’s a quick preview of what you can expect to see if you are planning to attend Monterey Car Week in 2019.
The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering
The Featured Themes for 2019
100 Years of Bentley Motors
25th Anniversary of the McLaren F1
A Tribute to the Electric Car Movement
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is the signature event of Monterey Car Week. Now in its 69th year, the competition will feature the usual classes of pre-war, post-war, unrestored, and other collector automobiles. However, there will be four special classes this year:
Bentley Centennial
Zagato Centennial
Bugatti Race & Touring Cars
Historic Hot Rod “Cover Cars”
The 100th anniversary of both Bentley and of Italian design house Zagato are sure to draw out the rarely seen and unique examples from both of these manufacturers. The Hot Rod “Cover Cars” class will offer some excitement for fans of American cars, similar to the American Dream Cars of the 1960s special class that was seen at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours event.
Nevada has a reputation for many things: casino gambling, entertainment, and tourism. But it’s also becoming a hotspot for the collector car world.
Barrett-Jackson has hosted a collector car auction in Las Vegas every year since 2008. The next auction is coming up October 3-5, 2019 at Mandalay Bay. Now in it’s 11th year, the Las Vegas auction features plenty of classic American and European cars to add to your collection.
Auction events like Barrett-Jackson are all about excitement and suspense, which is great fun. But what if you want a more relaxed, formal atmosphere to enjoy fine motorcars? Coming this October, collector car enthusiasts will get their chance at the inaugural Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance.
The Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance is not just a simple car show, it is a luxury lifestyle event.
Event founder Stuart Sobek is a collector car enthusiast and seasoned veteran of Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance for more than 30 years. According to an interview with Stuart on the Cars Yeah Podcast, his goal was to bring the prestige and excitement of the Concours environment to Las Vegas, and make it a world-class event.
The whole thing kicks off on October 25, 2019 with a dinner featuring cuisine presented by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck.
The following day is the Concours event on Saturday, October 26th, held on the green at the Dragon Ridge Country Club in Henderson, NV. Approximately 200 vehicles are scheduled to appear as part of the show. Check out the Las Vegas Concours on Facebook and Instagram for teaser pics of some of the cars that have already been confirmed to appear.
On Sunday morning, there is an amazing opportunity to see cars from the Concours in motion as they cruise down the Las Vegas Strip with a police escort for the inaugural Tour d’Elegance event. These classic vehicles motoring down one of the most famous roads in America should make for a very memorable sight!
And for those fortunate enough to stick around until Monday, it’s back to Dragon Ridge for a charity golf tournament – with a $500 entry fee – with proceeds benefiting the LVCE/ArtCenter Scholarship Fund.
This event has attracted some pretty big attention, with sponsors including Bellagio, Mercedes-Benz of Henderson, as well as the Petersen Automotive Museum, the Mullin Auto Museum, and the National Automobile Museum in Reno.
If you are interested in attending the Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance, tickets may be purchased online at www.lasvegasconcours.com. Be sure to check back in November for our coverage of the event!
This year, Toyota brought the whole Supra collection to the SEMA show, all in white which made it super easy to compare them all and choose a favorite, not that I needed that in order to pick one. I overhead a group people discussing which generation was their favorite and they all seemed pretty undecided.
For me, it’s hands down the Second Gen. The A60 was only produced from 1981 to 1985 but I still think of it as the main Supra. Let’s face it, the First Gen was pretty clumsy looking, the Third Gen resembles a poor man’s F-body or an FD RX-7 and the Fourth Gen is for just kids and the Hogan family.
I really can’t get enough of the exaggerated, low-poly shape of the Second Gen Supra. Since a picture is still worth at least a couple of hundred words these days, I took Toyota’s SEMA 2018 showing as an opportunity to try and get some angles of the car that really do it for me.
Toyota also had some other interesting stuff going on. I don’t think I’ve heard anything about hydrogen fuel cells since high school, but Toyota had a Tundra there that apparently runs on hydrogen and can make pizzas or something. I didn’t really stick around long enough to see it do anything though. I was too busy playing the free Ivan Stewart Super Off Road arcade machine and getting frustrated beyond belief. I’ve got to say- it was an excellent move on Toyota’s part to bring the game with them to the show but I think it should have been more prominently displayed. It was basically tucked into a corner, not even close to where the actual Ivan Stewart truck was. Either way, it was a cool idea, and I definitely spent longer at the Toyota booth than any of the other major manufacturers’ areas.It’s funny, I realized afterwards that I never really even took a close look at the new Supra. I spent all of my time on an outdated, underpowered car and an outdated, graphically underwhelming video game. I’m not sure what that says about me, but oh well. I’m going to go look at Celicas on Craigslist now.
The McLaren F1 is considered by many to be the “Greatest of All Time” of the supercar world. Just 106 of these amazing vehicles were built between 1992-1998. Of those, only 64 were road legal, and of those, only two were upgraded by the factory to “LeMans specifications.” This is one of those cars. As if the regular F1 weren’t special enough, the LeMans spec gets an unrestricted 680 hp engine (up from 618 hp in the standard F1), and a High Downforce Kit (HDK) with a revised nose with front fender vents and a huge rear wing.
McLaren’s latest hypercar, the Senna, is the latest and greatest in its lineage of “Ultimate Series” cars, which include the P1 and the F1. The Senna is limited to just 500 units worldwide. This one, car #434, is painted in Victory Grey with Papaya Spark accents. The car’s twin turbocharged 4.0L V8 engine produces 789 horsepower and was designed as a track-focused design with minimal comforts and amenities. The car did not meet its reserve price at the auction. Continue reading 
