Monterey locals can breathe a sigh of relief as yet another hectic Car Week has come to a close. The narrow streets full of noisy supercars and classic cruisers of all types can return to their normal state now that those pesky tourists have all returned home. Depending on whether you’re a car buff or not, Monterey Car Week could be heaven on earth, or a week full of revving engines and long waits at your favorite downtown restaurant. For Revs, Car Week is an annual opportunity to bring cars out of the galleries to share with the public and to exercise some of the racing cars.
This year, that meant sending six cars to the peninsula: the 1965 Ferrari 250 LM, 1964 Alfa Romeo GTZ, 1930 Bentley 6 ½ liter Speed Six, 1926 Bentley 3.0 liter “100 mph” Super Sport, 1919 Ballot L5/8, and the Mercedes-Benz W154 Grand Prix Car. The cars were divided between the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca, and the lawn at Pebble Beach.
The Monterey Pre-Reunion and Motorsports Reunion feature racing classes that include everything from pre-war Bugatti’s to fire breathing IMSA GTP prototypes. In fact, IMSA was the featured marque of this year’s event. With IMSA being a sanctioning body, more than manufacturer or “marque,” there was a plethora of different cars and classes to choose from. Iconic cars from IMSA’s 50 years of racing were in attendance, such as the Porsche 935s, BMW 3.0 CSL “Batmobiles,” and numerous Porsche 962 variants, among others.
If IMSA’s back catalog wasn’t enough to get excited about, the Reunion included popular staples in vintage racing like the Masters Historic Formula One cars and the 1966-1972 Trans-Am group. From the Revs stable, the Ferrari 250 LM competed in the “over 2500cc GT” category with more powerful Cobras and Corvettes; while the Alfa Romeo GTZ was placed in the highly competitive “under 2500cc GT” class. Both cars performed well over the consecutive weekends with driver Gunnar Jeannette behind the wheel.
A short drive (without traffic) from Laguna Seca and located on the seafront, is the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The Concours celebrated several anniversaries this year including Bentley’s Centenary, with one of the most impressive gathering of Bentley’s of all time. Revs contributed to the lineup with our 6 ½ liter Speed Six and 3.0 liter Super Sport. The 1919 Ballot L5/8 was also out on the show field and garnered its own fair share of attention. The Mercedes-Benz W-154 was on display in the Mercedes Pavilion as part of their “125 Years of Motorsport” celebration.
Below is a collection of images from Laguna Seca and Pebble Beach that capture the feel of both events and highlight some stand out cars. Thanks to all of the event organizers for hosting another year of successful events!
The 1964 Alfa Romeo GTZ warming up in the pits before one of the under 2500cc GT races.
Driving duties for the Ferrari 250 LM and Alfa Romeo GTZ were assigned to experienced driver Gunnar Jeannette.
An iconic 1981 Porsche 935 being chased down 1977 Greenwood Corvette.
The Dominant AAR Eagle Mk III originally debuted at Laguna Seca in 1991 where it finished 7th overall.
It’s not every day that get to see a 1928 Bentley 4 ½ liter navigating the Corkscrew.
The 1966-1972 Trans-Am group participate in a number of historic racing events throughout the year, always putting on a great show.
A 1911 Fiat S74 complete with a riding mechanic cresting the hill at the end of the Rahal Straight.
The Monterey Motorsports Reunion is a great place to see rare cars like this 1959 Ferrari 250 TR being driven at speed.
Gunnar Jeannette, driving the 1964 Alfa Romeo GTZ, picking up a position in one of the under 2500cc races.
The unmistakable sound of the four-rotor Wankel engine powering the Mazda RX7-92P could be heard across the track.
The iconic 1975 BMW 3.0 CSL “Batmobile” chasing down one of the Greenwood Corvettes.
The 1965 Ferrari 250 LM with Gunnar Jeannette at the wheel exiting turn five.
One of the great things about vintage racing for spectators is the ability to watch the cars move around and slide much more than modern race cars.
A gaggle of cars entering turn ten in the 1955-1964 GT class.
A 1958 Porsche 356 Speedster heading back down the hill toward turn 10.
A 1964 Porsche 904 GTS leading a 1966 Bizzarrini GT America.
The 1976 Porsche 935 at the top of the Corkscrew.
A group of cars in the over 2500cc GT category rounding turn nine.
Another group that is present at several historic racing events is the Masters Historic Formula One cars.
The Ferrari 250 LM was up against more powerful Cobras and Corvettes in the over 2500cc GT Class but performed well overall, given the horsepower disadvantage.
A 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza driving into Pebble Beach at dawn. This car pulled double-duty racing at Laguna Seca for the Motorsports Reunion on Saturday before arriving at Pebble on Sunday.
Guides helped navigate cars to their assigned spaces on the show field.
Bentley’s centenary was celebrated this year at Pebble Beach, meaning rare Bentley’s from around the world gathered to take part in the celebration.
The 1930 Bentley 6 ½ liter Speed Six from Miles Collier Collections at Revs Institute.
The most expensive new car ever sold was present on the concept lawn this year: the Bugatti La Voiture Noire, which sold for $19,000,000.
Judges, including Gordan Murray, speaking with Restoration Specialist Tim Bair about the 1919 Ballot.
A historic trio of 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Grand Prix Cars.
The 1926 Bentley 3.0 liter “100 mph” Super Sports on the show field.
Bentleys spanning as far as the eye could see were gathered along the coastline, one of the most impressive gatherings of Bentleys ever.
The reconstructed 1932 Mercedes-Benz SSKL streamliner.
A car that had a crowd around it all day was the Howmet TX turbine car that competed at Le Mans in 1968.
The Howmet is powered by a turbine engine usually found in helicopters and produces around 350 horsepower.
Another popular car was the Lamborghini Miura SVJ.
Spectators were drawn to the racing inspired sports car and some of its quirky features like this wing mounted on the rear clam shell near the center of the car.
James Glickenhaus brought his ex-Maranello Concessionaires Ferrari 412P out, which has been lightly modified for occasional road use.
A rare 1935 Bugatti Type 50B Grand Prix Car.
Hot Rods were present at this year’s concours in the form of magazine cover cars.
Bentley wasn’t the only brand celebrating its 100th anniversary, the Italian design house Zagato is also turning 100.
A class was dedicated specifically to Zagato-designed cars.
This 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Zagato Berlinetta Speciale would go on to win an award for the “Most Elegant Sports Car.”
This 1907 Thomas Flyer Model 35 is the very car that won the 1908 New York to Paris race.
It was another car that was popular among spectators all day as they were captivated by some of the unique details and overall condition of the car.
A 1954 Ferrari 735 S Monza Scaglietti Spyder that would go on to win the Enzo Ferrari Trophy.
The view down the 18th fairway around midday.
The three Ballots present at the show were brought up together in celebration of the marque.
The winner of the Chairman’s Trophy was the Howmet TX. If you look closely you can see the heat haze from the exhaust of the turbine engine.
Best of Show went to the 1931 Benetley 8 Liter Gurney Nutting Sports Tourer.
Winning Best of Show is a great reason to break out the champagne and celebrate.
