This year, the Monterey car week saw more of a mix between old and new than ever, with golf course lawns dotted with a gleaming candy-color assortment of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Porsches, and Bugattis of both the vintage and modern variety.
The pinnacle of the week, Sunday’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, came the morning after a controversial, botched Sotheby’s auction in which a 1939 Type 64 silver coupe failed to sell at all. The no-sale auction proved to be by far the most dramatic event of the week.
But that’s not to take away anything from the cars themselves. Bugatti, celebrating its 110-year anniversary, showed off the new Centodieci, a nearly $9 million vision in white inspired by the Bugatti EB110s from the 1990s, four of which were on the lawn during the Quail Motorsports Gathering event Friday morning.
Lotus, announcing its vision for the future under Chinese ownership, debuted the Evija, a $2.1 million electric hypercar said to achieve 1,972 horsepower and 200mph-plus top speeds. Meanwhile three examples of its retro-look Evora GT hummed around Carmel and the surrounding hills.
Aston Martin showed off its Valhalla, the latest of three new hypercars, while Sotheby’s devoted an entire night to the classic cars made by James Bond’s favorite British brand.
Bentley celebrated 100 years of auto-making by bringing in dozens of its old racing blowers—and showcased a massive EXP 100 GT concept car with scissor doors and spiky headlights.
And Lamborghini, amid dozens of Countachs and Miuras with the edgy looks of 1980s Miami, boasted a new art car and special edition Aventador models meant to commemorate historic wins at the Daytona and endurance races.
In short, there was something for everyone—and drama in spades.
Reporting by Hannah Elliott/Bloomberg