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.
If you were to ask a room full of automotive enthusiasts which car company is the most famous in the world, you can bet that Ferrari would be at or near the top of the list. No other manufacturer has produced quite the same number of iconic sports and racing cars as Ferrari. The company is celebrating its 70th Anniversary this year, with events planned all over the world.
From Edinbrugh and Belfast to China and Singapore, Ferrari’s 70th Anniversary is truly a global celebration of motoring. I was fortunate enough to attend the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours in Monterey, Californa, where Ferrari had assembled an amazing collection of 70 automobiles in honor of their big anniversary. Here is a selection of photos I took at the Monterey event that I wanted to share with you.
Ferrari 70th Anniversary Celebration at Pebble Beach
2017 LaFerrari Aperta supercar
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO s/n 3445 belongs to billionaire Chris Cox
There are no shortage of beautiful American-made cars, but I believe that when Americans and Italians combine their talents to build a car, the results are truly magic. There are numerous examples from history such as the Hudson Italia, an American car that wore a body designed by Carrozzeria Touring. Another example is the DeTomaso Mangusta and the Pantera, designed by Ghia and powered by Ford V8 engines. Though they were not hugely successful, the Stutz Blackhawk and the Chrysler TC by Maserati also paired American powertrains with Italian-designed bodies.
At the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, I discovered another car that followed the “American powertrain + Italian design” formula. Designated as a 1969 Farago CF428 coupe, this car was a one-off prototype created by Paul Farago and Sergio Coggiola, formerly of Ghia. Coggiola and Farago were two designers who formed Carrozzeria Coggiola in 1969.
Their first project was from none other than John DeLorean, who was at the time head of the highly successful Pontiac division over at General Motors. DeLorean wanted a concept car that would grab attention for Pontiac, something exciting that could be used to promote the brand. A 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix with a 428 cubic inch V8 was appropriated for the project.
Though it maintains its Pontiac drivetrain and chassis, the resulting coupe is a low-slung, wedge-shaped car that looks like a more refined, sophisticated Pontiac that just spent a semester studying abroad. The extreme angle of the windshield and seamless integration of the roof into the rear deck reminds me of the Ford Mustang Mach I with the Sportsroof body style. Though the sheet metal has been changed dramatically from a Grand Prix, the car retains its Pontiac door handles, tail lights, and interior.
The car was displayed at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance by its owner Frank Campanale of Michigan, who is a relative of Farago. The car captured the 3rd Place win in its category of “American Dream Cars of the 1960s,” a well-deserved honor.
After this project, Paul Farago went on to work with Virgil Exener from Chrysler on the Stutz Blackhawk, which also used a Pontiac drivetrain. He also worked on the Maserati Ghibli, which bears a stunning resemblance with its long hood and short deck.
This car never made it into production, but I find it fascinating to see what a 1970s collaboration between Pontiac and Italian designers would have looked like.
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!
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.
