PEBBLE BEACH – For those wondering what Monterey Car Week is like, one passerby said it perfectly: “look at awesome cars and look at people looking at awesome cars.”
Thursday’s Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance saw over 150 entrants ready to take the drive to Big Sur and back. Drivers, spectators and car restorers oohed and awed at the classics, some of which were over 120 years old. Drivers lined up at 7 a.m. on the lot and spent the next two and a half hours sizing up their soon-to-be road companions before setting off at 9:30 a.m.
All of the classic cars had unique backstories, including a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB that has a personal history with its namesake, Enzo Ferrari. According to Jim Trofitter who works on the car, it was originally purchased by John Frankenheimer, director of the 1966 film Grand Prix.
Because of Frankheimer’s work with the brand, Ferrari ended up giving the director a $1,000 discount on the car which was “absolutely unheard of,” according to Trofitter. The car has never been fully restored but impeccably maintained and was purchased by its current owners in 2016. “It’s just a great car, it drives really nice. I think (the tour) will go great,” said Trofitter.
A few cars down the road was the 1922 Leach 22 A Seven Passenger Sedanette presented by the Petersen Automotive Museum. There were 275 models of this car made and the museum owns the last surviving one, according to Dana Williamson, conservator of the museum’s collection.
The car previously resided at the Los Angeles National History Museum and was obtained by Robert Petersen, who went on to found the Los Angeles-based nonprofit which is home to one of the largest collections of automobiles in the world.
The 70-mile drive might seem like a lot for a classic like the Leach, but Williamson said he thinks the car will do fine on the trip. “She’s 102-years-old, but she’s running well,” he said.
Dave Reabe works for the owner of the 1953 Nardi which was based on a 203 Chassis. The car is one of three known to exist. It’s also a Frua body design, recognizable by its rounded lines. This year’s Concours d’Elegance will feature a class on Pietro Frua’s iconic Italian designs as well as his work with the Maserati.
Reabe described the vehicle as “really rare, really neat (and) really fun.” John Breslow, owner of the car, is also in town this week to participate in the 50th annual Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, an opportunity for owners to test their vehicle’s racing capabilities.
According to Reabe, Breslow and his 1953 Nardi are set to race against a 1965 Alfa Romeo GTA. Breslow’s son-in-law is also participating in the race, with a classic 1965 Austin Mini Cooper. Reabe expects the race to be “neck and neck.”
Car Week isn’t only about the cars – the people play a big part, too. Reabe is from Scottsdale, Arizona and for him, this is almost a reunion for old friends.
“There’s all sorts of people along the peripherals of the car world,” he said. “Whether it’s the people that do international shipping for you, or they do maintenance or they do parts. It’s a real small world, so you know lots of the people and you only see them once a year and (Car Week) is where you meet up. I’ve seen probably a dozen people already in the last hour that I haven’t seen in a long time.”
Many of the people walking around on Thursday were long-time Car Week participants. Greg Henkels spent his morning volunteering for the fourth time, but he’s attended events for 50 years. His family has been restoring Lincoln’s since the 1950s and in 1987, he showed his 1934 Lincoln. His brother showed a 1928 Lincoln in 2007.
“I just love coming here every year and my wife loves me to leave so here I am,” said Henkels, who travels to Monterey every year from San Diego. “I know so many people and have so much fun.”
Self-proclaimed “used car mechanic” Jason Shane displayed a completely opposite set of emotions than Henkels. A day before the tour, Shane got the dreaded phone call no Car Week participant wants to receive: the car he worked on was damaged in transit. The 1939 Packard now has a scratched front fender. Shane stood a few feet away from the car, hoping there would be no more bumps in the road (figuratively and literally speaking).
14 years ago, Shane got a phone call from his dad asking if he wanted to restore cars. Shane said “sure,” and that was it. “It found me, literally,” he said. While it’s hard to pick a favorite car he’s worked on, he said “the one that keeps running is my favorite.”
First-time Tour d’Elegance driver Lorenzo Triana was behind the wheel and ready to go in his 1957 Mercedes Benz 300SL Roadster 15 minutes before the green “GO!” sign was in the air.
“I’m very excited (and) very nervous, actually. It’s very humbling when you see all the other cars but it’s just a fantastic experience.” He purchased the car in 1985 but only started the major restoration around five years ago.
According to Triana, his Roadster was the only one ordered from the factory without bumpers, most likely because the original owners were racing the car. Now, 67 years later, Triana “just wants to make sure it starts, which it will, but those are just the kinds of things we worry about.”
Triana’s vehicle and many others will be parked on the 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Links Sunday afternoon. Collectors will be competing to be named Best of Show as experts critique each car’s history, mechanics and elegance.
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