Tag Archives: monterey car week

Exotics on Broadway 2019 Highlights

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One of the highlights of Monterey Car Week 2019 was attending Exotics on Broadway (formerly Exotics on Cannery Row). This event is notable as the most-attended event of Car Week, being that it is both free and open to the public. More than 30,000 people showed up for this year’s event, according to the organizers.

For car enthusiasts, you might delight in seeing an exotic car in your town as you go about your daily life. A Ferrari 458 Italia, a Lamborghini Huracan, an Audi R8, or an AMG Mercedes would be a notable sighting on any other day of the year. But at Exotics on Broadway, these cars are almost as common as Honda Accords.

It’s hard to appreciate these mid-range sports and exotic cars in the presence of so many unicorns – the elite, multi million-dollar, super limited production hypercars cars you’ve read about online, but have never seen in person. Exotics on Broadway brings together the best of the best – Pagani, Koenigsegg, Bugatti, McLaren, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Saleen, Hennessey, and many other top brands. To see so many dream cars all gathered in one place is pretty overwhelming.

I apologize for not being able to include photos of every Porsche GT3RS, Nissan GTR, or Lamborghini Aventador. A quick Google search reveals that as of 2018, Lamborghini has produced more than 8,000 Aventadors since the car’s release in 2011, and more than 11,000 Huracan vehicles. The featured cars at Exotics on Broadway are so rare, that they may number in the low hundreds of examples built. Only 349 examples of the Ferrari F50 were ever made, and there were three of them at this event. Cars from Pagani and Koenigsegg are even rarer, with specific models numbering in the dozens worldwide.

And there wasn’t just one of them. I counted a half-dozen Pagani models, mostly Huayras and one yellow Zonda R. There were several Koenigsegg Ageras, a CCX, and the brand new Jesko on display. Everywhere you looked, there was another amazing car to behold. There was even a beautiful blue Lamborghini Centenario coupe, 1 of just 20 in the world. It it no exaggeration to say that this event was like going to supercar heaven.

I hope you enjoy these photos from the 2019 Exotics on Broadway event in Seaside, California.

Koenigsegg Jesko


Unveiled in early 2019 at the Geneva Motor Show, the Jesko is the latest and greatest creation from Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg. Designed as the replacement for the Agera, the new Jesko features a more spacious interior, more powerful engine, and improved aerodynamics. The car is currently on a worldwide press tour and also appeared at The Quail Motorsports Gathering during Car Week. The approximate price is $2.8 million.

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Concours d’Lemons 2019 Highlights

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Every year in August, thousands of automotive enthusiasts congregate on the Monterey Peninsula for an event that has come to be known as Monterey Car Week. It’s not just ONE car show – it is numerous car events. There are multiple classic car auctions, vintage racing at Laguna Seca, casual car shows, tour d’elegance events, all culminating with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Sunday.

The underlying theme of all of these events is: wealth. Collector cars are not cheap to own or maintain, and certainly not cheap to restore. Even traveling to Monterey to admire them as a spectator is no small expense. The Monterey airport is small and flights are comparatively expensive. Lodging and other accommodations skyrocket during Car Week. Many of the shows themselves have admission fees, and that’s if you can even get in (I have been denied twice by a certain Motorsports Gathering).

Many of the cars on the lawn at Pebble Beach – Packards, Duesenbergs, Rolls Royce, and others, are cars that were owned by wealthy families during the first half of the 20th century. Today, these cars are being cared for and looked after by other wealthy families. The cost of owning, repairing, or restoring a pre-war classic car is well beyond the reach of the average middle-class American, and these events are a constant reminder of wealth – those who have it, and those who do not.

But in all of the formality of Monterey Car Week, an event emerged that bucks tradition. This event also celebrates a love of automobiles – the oddball, mundane, and the truly awful of the automotive world. It is free to everyone, and showcases cars that truly, anyone could afford. This event is the Concours d’Lemons, a light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek event that showcases the weird and wonderful cars of the world. Instead of droning on, I think it would be better to share some pictures of the 2019 event, which demonstrates the camaraderie and spirit of fun that this event was founded upon.

1972 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

This 1972 Karmann Ghia is so rusted out that the tow straps are actually necessary to hold the car together. At the time of writing, this car is currently offered for sale by Dodi Auto Sales of Monterey, CA for $1,200. This car would be unwelcome at any other car show, but fits in perfectly at the Concours d’Lemons.

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RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2019 Auction Highlights and Results

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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 →

Japanese Automotive Invitational at Pebble Beach 2019

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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.

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Monterey Car Week 2019 Preview

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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.

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Videos from Monterey Car Week 2017

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For one amazing week in August, California’s central coast swells with excitement as thousands of automotive enthusiasts migrate towards Monterey from all corners of the globe. Monterey Car Week, as it has come to be known, is a collection of events that celebrate car culture. From a vintage road rally to vintage racing at Laguna Seca, to the latest in high-tech hypercars and the glamour of preservation, there’s nothing quite like it anywhere else in the world.

In August 2017, Generation High Output was in Monterey to attend three big car show events. The first one, Exotics on Cannery Row, was focused on modern supercars and featured the largest gathering of Koenigsegg vehicles in North America. The following day, we visited the Concours d’Lemons in Seaside, which is a delightful, tongue-in-cheek event that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Finally, we attended the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, which featured an incredible 70th Anniversary celebration of Ferrari automobiles.

We made these videos to bring the experience of Monterey Car Week to you. We hope you enjoy them!

Exotics on Cannery Row 2017

Concours d’Lemons 2017

Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2017

Vintage Cars Leaving Pebble Beach Show Field 2017