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Cars of the past, present and future
Join us at Monterey Car Week in America, every automobile lover’s delight!
Germany may have invented the automobile, but it’s America that truly embraced it more than any other nation in the universe. And to understand America’s love affair with the car, you have to go to the most happening event in the car world, the Monterey Car Week.
Wheels up
As the name suggests, this week-long extravaganza, made up of a series of stand alone motoring events held in the last week of August around the spectacularly scenic surroundings of Monterey Bay, has a level of car craziness that’s off the scale. I must have seen more Bugattis, Ferraris and Lamborghinis in three days than in my entire life. This is the time rich car owners and car companies come together and roll out their finest set of wheels.
The car week culminates with the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance held on the pristine 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Course right on the edge of the Pacific ocean. You couldn’t get a better setting for what is without a doubt the best display of cars from every era. Car collectors from all over the world bring their vintage and classic cars to compete in what is the most famous beauty contest for heritage cars.
Hooray for India!
It was great to see a slice of India on the Pebble Beach greens. Eleven Indian collectors shipped their cars to take part in this year’s event. Their level of restoration was world class and many of them walked home with trophies. Taking top honours was Amir Jetha’s 1935 Rolls Royce Phantom II Continental Coupe by specialist coach builder, Gurney Nutting. Mumbai-based Jetha did India proud by winning the ‘Motor Cars of the Raj’ class and he also bagged the prize for the best Rolls Royce of the show. I’ve never been a fan of old cars but now I’m completely hooked!
The Pebble Beach Concours isn’t only about old cars though. It’s also the place manufacturers woo the uber rich by launching exotic cars at eye watering prices. Bugatti unveiled the made-for-the-track Divo at 5 million euros ( ₹40 crore) a pop. If you were to import this hyper car into India that figure would rise to over ₹100 crore with customs duties paid. I did say everything here is off the scale!
There are more ‘affordable’ cars though like the Heritage edition Ford GT painted in Gulf Oil livery to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ford’s epic Le Mans win with the lubricant major. Only 50 of these will be made and most have found owners willing to pay the asking price upwards of US$ 550,000.
Forward zoom
What’s unique about the Pebble Beach Concours is that you can see cars from the past, present and future. There’s a dedicated lawn for futuristic concepts that will blow your mind. This year Mercedes-Benz unveiled its outrageous-looking 750hp EQ Silver Arrow electric concept car. The Mercedes EQ pays homage to the 1938 ‘Silver Arrow’ racing car but is also a peek into the German luxury brand’s future range of all-electric performance cars.
Every luxury brand is present at Pebble Beach. They can’t afford not to be here because it’s here that the maddest and richest car nuts congregate every year. Pebble Beach has made every other motor show I’ve been to feel boring in comparison.
Hormazd Sorabjee is one of the most senior and much loved auto journalists in India, and is editor of Autocar India
Sunday Drive appears every fortnight
From HT Brunch, September 23 , 2018
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