CLASSIC SHOWCASE • Fall 2026 Newsletter
CLASSIC SHOWCASE • Fall 2026 Newsletter
ABOUT MONTEREY CAR WEEK EVENTS
While Monterey Car Week is famous for headline auctions and record-setting sales, some of the week's most memorable experiences take place away from the auction block. In 2026, our team once again enjoyed a wide cross-section of shows and gatherings throughout the Monterey Peninsula, from the relaxed all-British atmosphere of Monterey British and the streets of Carmel for Concours for a Cause, to the opening-night spectacle of Motorlux and the world-class displays at The Quail. We have also included a brief look at the 75th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the traditional finale to an extraordinary week of automotive events.
On Monday, August 10, 2026, Monterey British returned to Carmel Valley Community Park for its second annual gathering, once again giving British-car enthusiasts an easygoing way to begin Monterey Car Week. The show brought together a colorful cross-section of British motoring, with Jaguars sharing the field with MGs, Triumphs, Austin-Healeys, Morgans, Minis, and other favorites in a relaxed setting that felt refreshingly different from some of the week's larger destination events.
Tom brought his 1950 Jaguar XK-120 Alloy Roadster to the show, providing a familiar Classic Showcase presence on the field. The lightweight early XK looked especially at home among the many British classics and attracted plenty of attention throughout the day from Jaguar enthusiasts and visitors. Following a very active 2026 concours season, Monterey British offered another opportunity to enjoy the Alloy Roadster in a less formal setting while catching up with friends and fellow collectors.
One of the things we continue to enjoy about Monterey British is its approachable atmosphere. The setting allows visitors to spend time with the cars, talk with owners, and appreciate everything from carefully restored examples to well-used drivers. As Monterey Car Week continued to grow around it, the event once again proved that a focused gathering with a strong sense of community can be every bit as enjoyable as the larger shows that follow later in the week.
On Tuesday, August 11, the team headed into Carmel-by-the-Sea for Concours for a Cause, a free public gathering that transformed Ocean Avenue into a lively display of collector cars during Monterey Car Week. With automobiles positioned through the heart of downtown Carmel, the event combined the energy of Car Week with the city's shops, restaurants, architecture, and steady stream of visitors moving from one display to the next.
The show presented an eclectic mix of classics, sports cars, exotics, and special-interest automobiles, creating plenty of variety as our team worked its way through the displays. Unlike a traditional concours set behind gates or on a formal show field, Concours for a Cause felt woven directly into the city. Cars, spectators, local businesses, and event volunteers all shared the same streets, giving the day a festive community atmosphere and providing countless opportunities for photography.
The event also lived up to its name by placing charitable giving at the center of the experience. Visitors could support participating nonprofit organizations while taking part in the public-voting component of the show. The combination of interesting cars, an exceptional Carmel setting, and a community-minded purpose made Concours for a Cause a welcome addition to our 2026 Monterey schedule—and a very different experience from the Pacific Grove event we had visited during last year's Car Week.
Motorlux returned to the Monterey Jet Center on Wednesday evening, August 12, once again serving as one of Monterey Car Week's signature opening-night celebrations. Presented by Hagerty, the event combined collector cars, aircraft, food, wine, and entertainment across the airport tarmac, with dramatically lit displays becoming even more impressive as daylight faded into evening.
The 2026 automotive themes gave guests plenty to explore. Le Pur Sang des Automobiles celebrated French machinery and Bugatti; The Coventry Collection highlighted British motoring; Dodici brought together notable Italian V12 automobiles; Chasing Cherry Blossoms focused on Japanese classics; Rally Madness celebrated rally competition; and Privé One showcased highly individualized and one-off creations. Aviation displays and hospitality areas were woven throughout the event, creating the distinctive mix of machinery and lifestyle that has become Motorlux's calling card.
Tom's 1950 Jaguar XK-120 Alloy Roadster was among the cars displayed during the evening. Under the lights of the Jet Center, the early alloy-bodied Jaguar provided a striking contrast to the modern supercars, competition machinery, and aircraft surrounding it. For our team, seeing the XK-120 take its place within one of Car Week's most visually impressive events was a particularly memorable part of the evening.
Beyond the cars themselves, Motorlux continued to deliver the social side of Monterey Car Week in a way few other events can match. Guests moved between themed automotive displays and aircraft while sampling food and beverages from participating restaurants, chefs, wineries, and spirits partners. The open tarmac, live entertainment, and evening lighting gave the event a completely different personality from the daytime concours gatherings that would follow later in the week.
Broad Arrow also used Motorlux to preview select automobiles before its Monterey auction. There was an important change for 2026, however: the actual Broad Arrow sale moved away from the Jet Center and was held the following two days at The Quail Golf Club in Carmel. That made Motorlux the opening preview and social gathering, while the auction action shifted to a new setting later in the week.
With its mixture of significant automobiles, aviation, food, hospitality, and the presence of Tom's XK-120, Motorlux provided an ideal transition into the busiest days of Car Week. It remains one of the week's most distinctive events and once again delivered no shortage of memorable scenes for our cameras.
The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering returned to Quail Lodge & Golf Club on Friday, August 14, bringing together more than 200 significant automobiles in the polished garden-party setting that has made the event one of Monterey Car Week's most anticipated stops. Our team spent the day exploring a field that mixed historic competition cars and important classics with modern supercars, limited-production models, and a steady stream of new vehicle debuts.
The 2026 featured classes gave the show an especially broad personality. Displays celebrated the 100th anniversary of Route 66, the Lamborghini Diablo, the legacy of Japanese GT cars, the Ferrari F40, and a special selection from the Bruce Meyer Collection. Elsewhere on the lawns, manufacturers and specialty builders introduced new cars and concepts, continuing The Quail's tradition of placing historic machinery and contemporary design side by side.
Among the most significant cars on the field was Bruce Meyer's 1957 Ferrari 625/250 Testarossa. The competition Ferrari, which recorded an impressive string of victories during the 1957 season before later receiving 250 Testa Rossa power, was ultimately selected as Best of Show. Other special honors included the Spirit of The Quail award for a 1965 Porsche 911 and the Hagerty Drivers Foundation Award for a 1962 Lincoln Continental.
As always, part of The Quail's appeal is the pace of the day. Even with an extraordinary concentration of important machinery, the event encourages visitors to slow down, revisit favorite displays, and take in the atmosphere. For our team, it provided another full day of photography and one of the most diverse collections of cars we encountered anywhere during the week.
The Quail also marked an important change to Monterey's auction landscape in 2026. Broad Arrow became the event's official auction partner and staged its Monterey sale at The Quail Golf Club on August 13 and 14, placing the auction activity directly alongside one of Car Week's premier automotive gatherings. Tom and the team visited the Broad Arrow presentation as part of their time at The Quail; we cover the sale itself, including its major results, separately in our Monterey auction recap.
Between the featured classes, manufacturer debuts, concours field, and the new Broad Arrow presence, there was something new around nearly every corner. The result was another memorable edition of The Quail and a fitting conclusion to the events our team attended in person during Monterey Car Week.
Sunday, August 16, 2026
The 75th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance brought Monterey Car Week to its traditional conclusion on Sunday, August 16, with 218 automobiles gathering on the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links. The field included 33 international entries representing 14 countries and 185 cars from 30 U.S. states, continuing the event's long tradition of bringing together exceptional automobiles from around the world.
For its anniversary year, Pebble Beach revisited several important chapters of automotive history. Ferrari served as the primary featured marque, with special attention given to competition cars associated with Chinetti and NART, while Vignale was celebrated as the featured coachbuilder. The 2026 class list also included Japanese Motorsport, Historic Jaguars, Pebble Beach Road Racers, Streamliner Coupés, Ferrari competition and grand touring machinery, and a curated look back at cars that have played a role in the Concours' own history.
Best of Show went to Harry Yeaggy's 1935 Duesenberg SSJ Special Speedster, one of just two SSJs produced and a car originally associated with Hollywood legend Clark Gable. Restored to its early black-lacquer and light-saddle presentation, the supercharged Duesenberg emerged from a group of finalists that also included a 1938 Delahaye 165 Figoni et Falaschi Cabriolet, a 1955 Ferrari 375 MM Pinin Farina Berlinetta, and a 1954 Ferrari 375 America Vignale Cabriolet.
There were several results of particular interest to Jaguar enthusiasts. A 1950 Jaguar XK120 Don Parkinson Special received the Phil Hill Cup, while a 1963 Jaguar E-Type Fixed Head Coupe earned the FIVA Postwar Trophy. Other headline awards ranged from the Dean Batchelor Trophy for Ken Miles' 1954 MG R2 "Flying Shingle" to the four major Elegance Awards recognizing a Duesenberg J, Talbot-Lago T150 C-SS, Bentley 4¼ Litre, and Fiat 8V Ghia Supersonic.
Although our team did not attend Pebble Beach this year, the Concours remains too important to the collector-car world—and to Monterey Car Week as a whole—to leave out of our recap. Its 75th anniversary provided a fitting close to another remarkable week on the Monterey Peninsula.
