I'm standing behind five-time LeMans winner Derek Bell at a bus stop. He's by himself waiting for the same shuttle that will take us back to our hotel from the final and by-far grandest event of the weekend: the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The shuttle finally arrives and I plop down next to Mr. Bell, securing the final seat aboard. It's not exactly a secret, but Mr. Bell is an incredibly nice man and we chat about the cars we saw on the 18th fairway. Quite bluntly, though, he isn't interested in the high-dollar road-going cars.
"We never had Duesenbergs in England," he says. "No, I like the race cars obviously. Love the Ferraris. Actually, did you see the King George car?"
Actually, it was my favorite of the show. Built in 1910 for King George V, this unrestored Daimler is an incredible 17 feet long and 7 feet tall, and like other pre-war cars, demonstrates the nascent stages and evolution of the automobile. As crude as it may seem with its wooden cabin, leather fenders and 9.4-liter 57-hp straight-6, it was touted at the time as an example of "the Great Power of the Reign of King George V."
Indeed, both the car and my shuttle-bound conversation with Derek Bell perfectly encapsulated a weekend filled with surreal moments and enriched by a neverending stream of tangible history.
TOP LEFT to RIGHT: Derek Bell waiting for the bus. "My" Bentley in the Laguna Seca parking lot. The overwhelming first glimpse of the Quail. BOTTOM LEFT to RIGHT: The only place you'll struggle to find your Veyron in a parking lot. Two of many Gullwing Mercedes on display during the several events. The 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' replica Aston Martin DBS complete with rifle and a plaque signed by one-time Bond George Lazenby.
The surreal began quite early with my means of transport for the event. A 2012 Continental GT courtesy of Bentley is quite obviously not what Jeremy Clarkson would refer to as "scum class," and I won't pretend to be coy: it was an incredible experience. As was having said Bentley at my disposal for my subsequent visits to the Quail concours-style event and the Monterey Historics races. This episode may seem like boasting, and indeed the entire weekend could be construed as such, but I mention it without a sense of entitlement and rather a humble appreciation for the chance to enjoy a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
And without question, Monterey Historics weekend is an opportunity that any person with an appreciation for automotive history must enjoy at least once in a lifetime -- and you certainly don't need a Bentley to do it.
My first day was spent at the Quail, a much smaller event than the Pebble Beach Concours, which is nevertheless completely overwhelming when you emerge onto its golf course fairway from the tented entrance. How? Well, have you ever been walking down the street talking with your wife or girlfriend and are suddenly halted mid-sentence by some special car driving by? It's somewhat akin to the dog in Up! when he sees a squirrel. Any way, that's essentially the same reaction I got but multiplied by every car on display. No matter where I looked ... "squirrel!"
The rows of Jaguar E-Types (celebrating its 50th anniversary), the Ferrari Americas, the 10-plus Bugatti Veyrons (talk about surreal), the Aston Martin DB5, the Lamborghini 350GT, two gullwing Mercedes, the list goes on and on. And these are just the cars in the show itself -- the parking lot is filled with just as many special cars. I also suppose there's an element of people watching and hob-knobbing with the rich folk who inhabit the event, but how could I possibly notice when there's a perfect 1969 Aston Martin DBS complete with a James Bond rifle in the glove box, a plaque with George Lazenby's signature and the soundtrack from "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" playing on the radio. With that, I was officially in my own personal car heaven.
TOP LEFT to RIGHT: King George V's Daimler-Knight limousine from 1910. The rotary aircraft engine that powers the Adams-Farwell. The crank shaft stays still and the engine rotates around it. Just one of the cars many wonderful quirks, such as tiller controls that can be moved between the front and back seats. BOTTOM LEFT to RIGHT: Mercedes-Benz was honored for its 125th anniversary. Its first car, and indeed the very first car period, was the Patentwagen of which this is a replica. About 10 years later Carl Benz had enhanced his horseless carriage-making abilities to this 1893 Benz Viktoria that took home first place in the Mercedes-Benz preservation class. By 1969, Mercedes had moved forward rather significantly to create the behemoth 600 Grosser Landaulet, one of 10 produced. This one belonged to Romanian despot Nicolae Ceausescu.
But then I suppose Pebble Beach would have to be some form of car-based existence north of heaven. Is there an automotive divinity expert who can assist me? While the cars at Quail are gorgeous, meticulously restored and certainly rare, they generally seem like a rental car fleet compared to those at the main event. Every single car at Pebble is one of 14, or the only one painted gold, or the prototype car first unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show, or a car powered by a rotary aircraft engine, or a car owned by Queen Elizabeth's grandfather.
I found that during my days at the Quail, Pebble and in the paddock at the Historics races, I wasn't so much utilizing my major in journalism, but rather adding a class to my minor in history. I suppose this is my essay. Since Carl Benz unveiled his Patentwagen 125 years ago, the automobile has been a part of the western world's human story, and although a vast majority of the cars on display were vastly expensive and enjoyed by a select privileged few, they usually represented the pinnacle of engineering and design of their respective times. They would eventually influence the "real" cars "real" people drove and inevitably the cars we drive today. These are historical artifacts, not opulent displays of outlandish wealth.
When viewed through this prism of history, the Monterey Historics weekend means so much more than simply the people I saw, or the fancy car I drove, or even the kind racing legend who shared a bus ride with me. It is a truly special event that I'm honored and truly grateful for the opportunity to experience.
James Riswick, Automotive Editor
Kurt Niebuhr's Photo Gallery of Pictures from the Concours that are actually good
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