Driving the Giro and Going to Monterey
#63
08-17-2010, 03:58 PM
I personally didn't take any but others with me may have so I'll see what I can find.
#65
08-17-2010, 04:47 PM
Day 8
This day turned out to be one of my favorites because it was so packed with different things to see and do. Once again, I had to get up early to get the car cleaned up only this time it was a lot less work because I got a spot in the covered parking area and didn’t have to deal with the ocean mist from the night before. One of the neatest things that happens in Carmel By the Sea on Saturday is the exotic cruising that takes place along Ocean Ave. The stores along the street get the city to reserve the parking stalls and the merchants along Ocean wave in the exotics as stalls open up.
By noon the entire Ocean Avenue is an almost continuous stream of exotic and rare cars. This year, the nice folks at The Club at Red Haute put out a red carpet and through prior arrangements set a time for me to park in front of their store so it was a straight shot in to park. Roy brought his gold Diablo and Ben A brought his Carrera GT. It was very fun to just stand on the street and watch the parade of interesting cars go by.
There was an old, bald fat guy with long hair who showed up with six of his cars all parked along Ocean Avenue that included a bright yellow RR Drophead Coupe, the same car I saw last year at Quail, a white California, a 458, Drophead convertible, a Phantom and I can’t remember what else, all with dealer plates. He was busy arranging his cars and when he finally stopped I tried to strike up a conversation and ask if he was a dealer and he wasn’t particularly friendly. He said he borrowed the dealer plates while he was in town. Huh? Six cars and no plates? I think one had Florida plates. He was from New Jersey and someone commented that it was typical of east coast car owners to not engage in conversation about cars at Monterey. I can’t relate to the thinking of bringing cars down to Ocean Avenue to put on display and not want to talk cars. Awkward. It was one of the strangest non-conversations of the entire week. It would be like me bringing my SV to Exotics at Redmond Town Center and not want to talk about it.
At 3:00 PM we headed over to the Bugatti demo area to do our scheduled demo drives. Two of us drove and I decided to pass on my slot because it was the exact same Grand Sport I drove in Seattle and driving it on 17 Mile Loop in mostly stop and go traffic didn’t sound like a good way to spend my time when I had so many other things to see. The RR guys were also there, and that was far more interesting and they were extremely nice and pleasant to chat with.
Some dealers have their egos in check and are actually nice to everyone and others couldn’t be bigger snobs. Few of them can afford exotics personally yet they try and project this image of themselves as they think the wealthy project back. If you’re not in the mold, forget it. We were all invited back to attend the Bugatti reception that evening to see the Super Sport and so we agreed to squeeze it between other events.
After Bugatti, we drove the back way out through Monterey and back to the hotel and completely missed all the very heavy traffic in Carmel. We were now on a very rushed schedule to do three things in one night. First, I got a chance to see the full size model of the next Ultimate Aero in the private showing at a house overlooking the ocean. I’d love to write more about what I saw but it will have to wait a little longer. We next rushed back to the Bugatti Super Speed reception. All of us were in jeans, not really dressed for a suit and tie event. We showed up at the Bugatti reception and some jerk of a woman told us it was a private party and assumed we shouldn’t be there rather than should. The party was a giant turnoff to those I was with who could definitely afford the car. We stayed just a few minutes before we had to go our separate ways. Hope and I had to run to the Lamborghini dinner, something I wasn’t looking forward to that evening as I was very tired and preoccupied with car logistics.
I think I hit the wall of just too much car stuff in one day. Last yearl, the dinner more closely resembled a memorial and it was tedious. None of the friends who went last year were interested in going this year. The event was much improved over last year. There is a small cabal who want to take the brand in a snobbier direction and that’s just not the brand either. I didn’t take pictures because I was so busy talking to people I’ve not seen in a long time.
My car won third in best Lamborghini at Concorso and it one first as best Murciélago in Lamborghini Club of America. I wasn’t expecting any awards and I didn’t know how to put it into context so it was a bit of an awkward moment for me as I really wasn’t there to do anything but see and participate in car events so I couldn’t have been more surprised. BTW, the judges were just nice guys. I didn’t even know they were judging the cars until someone asked me to check the lights. The light bulb in my head went off at the exact same time.
This day turned out to be one of my favorites because it was so packed with different things to see and do. Once again, I had to get up early to get the car cleaned up only this time it was a lot less work because I got a spot in the covered parking area and didn’t have to deal with the ocean mist from the night before. One of the neatest things that happens in Carmel By the Sea on Saturday is the exotic cruising that takes place along Ocean Ave. The stores along the street get the city to reserve the parking stalls and the merchants along Ocean wave in the exotics as stalls open up.
By noon the entire Ocean Avenue is an almost continuous stream of exotic and rare cars. This year, the nice folks at The Club at Red Haute put out a red carpet and through prior arrangements set a time for me to park in front of their store so it was a straight shot in to park. Roy brought his gold Diablo and Ben A brought his Carrera GT. It was very fun to just stand on the street and watch the parade of interesting cars go by.
There was an old, bald fat guy with long hair who showed up with six of his cars all parked along Ocean Avenue that included a bright yellow RR Drophead Coupe, the same car I saw last year at Quail, a white California, a 458, Drophead convertible, a Phantom and I can’t remember what else, all with dealer plates. He was busy arranging his cars and when he finally stopped I tried to strike up a conversation and ask if he was a dealer and he wasn’t particularly friendly. He said he borrowed the dealer plates while he was in town. Huh? Six cars and no plates? I think one had Florida plates. He was from New Jersey and someone commented that it was typical of east coast car owners to not engage in conversation about cars at Monterey. I can’t relate to the thinking of bringing cars down to Ocean Avenue to put on display and not want to talk cars. Awkward. It was one of the strangest non-conversations of the entire week. It would be like me bringing my SV to Exotics at Redmond Town Center and not want to talk about it.
At 3:00 PM we headed over to the Bugatti demo area to do our scheduled demo drives. Two of us drove and I decided to pass on my slot because it was the exact same Grand Sport I drove in Seattle and driving it on 17 Mile Loop in mostly stop and go traffic didn’t sound like a good way to spend my time when I had so many other things to see. The RR guys were also there, and that was far more interesting and they were extremely nice and pleasant to chat with.
Some dealers have their egos in check and are actually nice to everyone and others couldn’t be bigger snobs. Few of them can afford exotics personally yet they try and project this image of themselves as they think the wealthy project back. If you’re not in the mold, forget it. We were all invited back to attend the Bugatti reception that evening to see the Super Sport and so we agreed to squeeze it between other events.
After Bugatti, we drove the back way out through Monterey and back to the hotel and completely missed all the very heavy traffic in Carmel. We were now on a very rushed schedule to do three things in one night. First, I got a chance to see the full size model of the next Ultimate Aero in the private showing at a house overlooking the ocean. I’d love to write more about what I saw but it will have to wait a little longer. We next rushed back to the Bugatti Super Speed reception. All of us were in jeans, not really dressed for a suit and tie event. We showed up at the Bugatti reception and some jerk of a woman told us it was a private party and assumed we shouldn’t be there rather than should. The party was a giant turnoff to those I was with who could definitely afford the car. We stayed just a few minutes before we had to go our separate ways. Hope and I had to run to the Lamborghini dinner, something I wasn’t looking forward to that evening as I was very tired and preoccupied with car logistics.
I think I hit the wall of just too much car stuff in one day. Last yearl, the dinner more closely resembled a memorial and it was tedious. None of the friends who went last year were interested in going this year. The event was much improved over last year. There is a small cabal who want to take the brand in a snobbier direction and that’s just not the brand either. I didn’t take pictures because I was so busy talking to people I’ve not seen in a long time.
My car won third in best Lamborghini at Concorso and it one first as best Murciélago in Lamborghini Club of America. I wasn’t expecting any awards and I didn’t know how to put it into context so it was a bit of an awkward moment for me as I really wasn’t there to do anything but see and participate in car events so I couldn’t have been more surprised. BTW, the judges were just nice guys. I didn’t even know they were judging the cars until someone asked me to check the lights. The light bulb in my head went off at the exact same time.
#67
08-17-2010, 08:00 PM
Day 8 Continued
Day 8 turned out to be one of the most exhausting just because we had to be in so many different places. One of the nicest parts of the day was just walking around Carmel By the Sea. I think next year I’ll spend more time in Carmel and a lot less at other events. The people were friendly, the shops were interesting, and overall it was the widest spectrum of people and car watching anywhere and the food is terrific.
Day 9
Time for the big day, the grand finale, the reason all the other shows got their legs in the first place; the Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance. By now I’m very worn out, but this is the show that caps the whole week.
I decided to wear a white linen suit with the right shirt and shoes to look the part for the day. This is the one and only time during the whole week when it’s fun to dress up and doesn’t feel pretentious because when I say dress up, it’s fun to go over the top just to have something different to wear. I have a hard time taking formality seriously and it was just a day to have a good time. The really funny thing about wearing the white linen suit, is that nobody recognized me. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing.
First, there was the Lamborghini Club of America breakfast followed by a shuttle ride down to the show. Traffic was horrible, as usual, on the way to Pebble Beach and it’s far from an ideal place for car shows. The elevation changes are tough on some of the old cars and it’s common to see some real beauty broken down by the side of the road. I think we forget just how reliable cars have become. Remember service stations? Hoses and belts hung on the walls and ceilings in the gas stations? It seemed like every corner had an auto parts store built into a gas station. The broken down cars were not because they were necessarily old, they were broken down because that’s what cars did when I was a kid. We’ve come such a long way.
It didn’t take any time to get through the gates and it didn’t seem like there were nearly as many people as other years. We immediately walked over to see what’s new in cars. First stop, the LFA. I’ve written extensively about Lexus writing the book about how NOT to market an exotic car. They couldn’t look like a bigger bunch of fools to me. A quick recap- First it was stated that Lexus will be selecting buyers from a long list of prospective buyers. Next, it was that Lexus will not allow the purchase of an LFA and only a two payment lease to set the bar, and to keep out speculators. Then, it was Lexus will allow for monthly payments. Then it was the realization that cars are not sold out, followed by a big sales campaign. Finally, it was you can actually buy the car, but Lexus has first rights on resale. The marketing folks have turned me off to the brand, and I’ve owned four.
Next to the LFA was the McLaren. First, it didn’t wow me in any way. It may have been the color. It didn’t look like anything special and even looked dated. They claim something like 2,500 buyers for the car. I don’t believe it. It seems priced right but producing and supporting a large number of cars is an entirely different matter than building a handful.
There were two new cars that stuck out at Pebble Beach, the new Porsche 918 that is actually very nice looking in person and looks like a giant step forward, and the Bertone Alfa Romeo Pandion concept car. What made the Pandion so cool was the overall creativity, from the silver crystal rear to the creative use of materials and technology. I loved this car because it was a refreshing leap into the unexpected. I kept going back to see it again and again. It’s just different in every way. I got to see the doors open and close and I loved every bit of the mechanical movement.
I think car manufacturers continue to play it way too safe and end up with rather watered-down cars. So often they look like a design by committee where each department has a hand in something and you end up with nothing that actually flows from end to end. It could be that I’m just getting bored which is in part why I liked the Alfa Pandion so much. It was fresh. I think people are going to be surprised by what’s next for SSC too. A lot of it has to do with different design considerations when you’re starting to push closer to 300 MPH. Their new Ultimate Aero will be the first manufacturer to design with those ultrahigh speeds in mind so stay tuned.
From there, we moved onto the actual show cars and they will never disappoint. I’ve had people tell me that owning a green Lamborghini seems ‘in your face’ but the reality is that nothing on the road today is anywhere near as outrageous as cars of the past. In fact Lamborghinis and Ferraris of today look tame by comparison. What’s even more apparent when you walk around is that the more outrageous the car, the more likely it’s remained preserved for future generations. Funny how that works. When I think about the roads back then, and how difficult it was to get anywhere on paved roads, I have greater appreciation for what they overcame.
We never ran into anyone with a bad attitude at Pebble Beach. The closest thing we got was the guy with all the cars at Carmel. Even the folks in the Rolls Royce hospitality suite were all nice. There was one pencil-thin woman who worked for Rolls who was as snooty as they come, but that was it. Everyone else was about as normal as they come. Like the Lamborghini event, I couldn’t tell an owner from someone in support. I couldn’t tell the RR owners from anyone else at the event because they too come from a broad cross section of backgrounds and personalities. Last year the RR suite felt stuffy by comparison. This time it was really pleasant and I think it was just a different mix. The introduction of the Ghost may have had a lot to do with it, bringing new faces into the brand.
Thankfully, we didn’t have any traffic during our return to the hotel and we were all happy to be done with car shows. It was time to relax before packing for home. Hope and I headed for a quiet dinner down at Cannery Row while others scattered to relax after a very busy week. It was nice to just sit without having to rush anywhere.
Day 8 turned out to be one of the most exhausting just because we had to be in so many different places. One of the nicest parts of the day was just walking around Carmel By the Sea. I think next year I’ll spend more time in Carmel and a lot less at other events. The people were friendly, the shops were interesting, and overall it was the widest spectrum of people and car watching anywhere and the food is terrific.
Day 9
Time for the big day, the grand finale, the reason all the other shows got their legs in the first place; the Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance. By now I’m very worn out, but this is the show that caps the whole week.
I decided to wear a white linen suit with the right shirt and shoes to look the part for the day. This is the one and only time during the whole week when it’s fun to dress up and doesn’t feel pretentious because when I say dress up, it’s fun to go over the top just to have something different to wear. I have a hard time taking formality seriously and it was just a day to have a good time. The really funny thing about wearing the white linen suit, is that nobody recognized me. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing.
First, there was the Lamborghini Club of America breakfast followed by a shuttle ride down to the show. Traffic was horrible, as usual, on the way to Pebble Beach and it’s far from an ideal place for car shows. The elevation changes are tough on some of the old cars and it’s common to see some real beauty broken down by the side of the road. I think we forget just how reliable cars have become. Remember service stations? Hoses and belts hung on the walls and ceilings in the gas stations? It seemed like every corner had an auto parts store built into a gas station. The broken down cars were not because they were necessarily old, they were broken down because that’s what cars did when I was a kid. We’ve come such a long way.
It didn’t take any time to get through the gates and it didn’t seem like there were nearly as many people as other years. We immediately walked over to see what’s new in cars. First stop, the LFA. I’ve written extensively about Lexus writing the book about how NOT to market an exotic car. They couldn’t look like a bigger bunch of fools to me. A quick recap- First it was stated that Lexus will be selecting buyers from a long list of prospective buyers. Next, it was that Lexus will not allow the purchase of an LFA and only a two payment lease to set the bar, and to keep out speculators. Then, it was Lexus will allow for monthly payments. Then it was the realization that cars are not sold out, followed by a big sales campaign. Finally, it was you can actually buy the car, but Lexus has first rights on resale. The marketing folks have turned me off to the brand, and I’ve owned four.
Next to the LFA was the McLaren. First, it didn’t wow me in any way. It may have been the color. It didn’t look like anything special and even looked dated. They claim something like 2,500 buyers for the car. I don’t believe it. It seems priced right but producing and supporting a large number of cars is an entirely different matter than building a handful.
There were two new cars that stuck out at Pebble Beach, the new Porsche 918 that is actually very nice looking in person and looks like a giant step forward, and the Bertone Alfa Romeo Pandion concept car. What made the Pandion so cool was the overall creativity, from the silver crystal rear to the creative use of materials and technology. I loved this car because it was a refreshing leap into the unexpected. I kept going back to see it again and again. It’s just different in every way. I got to see the doors open and close and I loved every bit of the mechanical movement.
I think car manufacturers continue to play it way too safe and end up with rather watered-down cars. So often they look like a design by committee where each department has a hand in something and you end up with nothing that actually flows from end to end. It could be that I’m just getting bored which is in part why I liked the Alfa Pandion so much. It was fresh. I think people are going to be surprised by what’s next for SSC too. A lot of it has to do with different design considerations when you’re starting to push closer to 300 MPH. Their new Ultimate Aero will be the first manufacturer to design with those ultrahigh speeds in mind so stay tuned.
From there, we moved onto the actual show cars and they will never disappoint. I’ve had people tell me that owning a green Lamborghini seems ‘in your face’ but the reality is that nothing on the road today is anywhere near as outrageous as cars of the past. In fact Lamborghinis and Ferraris of today look tame by comparison. What’s even more apparent when you walk around is that the more outrageous the car, the more likely it’s remained preserved for future generations. Funny how that works. When I think about the roads back then, and how difficult it was to get anywhere on paved roads, I have greater appreciation for what they overcame.
We never ran into anyone with a bad attitude at Pebble Beach. The closest thing we got was the guy with all the cars at Carmel. Even the folks in the Rolls Royce hospitality suite were all nice. There was one pencil-thin woman who worked for Rolls who was as snooty as they come, but that was it. Everyone else was about as normal as they come. Like the Lamborghini event, I couldn’t tell an owner from someone in support. I couldn’t tell the RR owners from anyone else at the event because they too come from a broad cross section of backgrounds and personalities. Last year the RR suite felt stuffy by comparison. This time it was really pleasant and I think it was just a different mix. The introduction of the Ghost may have had a lot to do with it, bringing new faces into the brand.
Thankfully, we didn’t have any traffic during our return to the hotel and we were all happy to be done with car shows. It was time to relax before packing for home. Hope and I headed for a quiet dinner down at Cannery Row while others scattered to relax after a very busy week. It was nice to just sit without having to rush anywhere.
#69
08-18-2010, 02:37 AM
Day 10
Time to begin the trek home. Once again it was a logistics nightmare getting everyone’s stuff over to the Fairmont where the cars would be loaded for home. We had some people flying out, others with cars, others without, etc., and some with luggage capability and others without, so by the time we loaded up the Lexus we looked like Sherpas packing for a climb.
This time there were six cars on the transport for Seattle, two SVs, one Diablo, one CGT, one F360, and one Ultimate Aero, all from Seattle. We began the load up at about noon and were on our way to Seattle by 3:00 PM.
Our original plan was to spend a couple of days driving up the coast and instead we bagged it. We were all missing our dogs, and we had an easy shot home. The temp in Monterey when we left at around 9:00 AM was 57 degrees. It was only about ten degrees warmer in San Jose but by the time we got to I5, the temp shot up to 95 and remained close to that well into the evening. We had to make one last stop at In-N-Out in Redding, their farthest north location, before continuing on our way home. We did our best to avoid rest stops because there is something very creepy about them at night. Out of the corner of my eye I’m constantly looking for a guy in a hockey mask with a chain saw and so we did our best to confine our stops to well lit lots. We did make one wrong turn in Albany when we intended to hit a gas station and wound up near some prison grounds and a lot of dire warning signs. I couldn’t help but laugh because it looked like the beginning of a low budget horror film, complete with the boldly lettered warning signs. We didn’t stop to get out and accidentally fumble with the keys. We failed to create a plot line by simply turning around and driving the other direction.
We arrived back in Seattle at 5:40 this morning and we’re just waiting for the transport to show up at Lamborghini of Bellevue. I’ll then upload the last of my pictures and video. I’ll also post the official Lamborghini Giro photos as soon as I receive them. Should be soon. I’m too tired to write much at the moment but I’m really happy to be home with my dog.
Time to begin the trek home. Once again it was a logistics nightmare getting everyone’s stuff over to the Fairmont where the cars would be loaded for home. We had some people flying out, others with cars, others without, etc., and some with luggage capability and others without, so by the time we loaded up the Lexus we looked like Sherpas packing for a climb.
This time there were six cars on the transport for Seattle, two SVs, one Diablo, one CGT, one F360, and one Ultimate Aero, all from Seattle. We began the load up at about noon and were on our way to Seattle by 3:00 PM.
Our original plan was to spend a couple of days driving up the coast and instead we bagged it. We were all missing our dogs, and we had an easy shot home. The temp in Monterey when we left at around 9:00 AM was 57 degrees. It was only about ten degrees warmer in San Jose but by the time we got to I5, the temp shot up to 95 and remained close to that well into the evening. We had to make one last stop at In-N-Out in Redding, their farthest north location, before continuing on our way home. We did our best to avoid rest stops because there is something very creepy about them at night. Out of the corner of my eye I’m constantly looking for a guy in a hockey mask with a chain saw and so we did our best to confine our stops to well lit lots. We did make one wrong turn in Albany when we intended to hit a gas station and wound up near some prison grounds and a lot of dire warning signs. I couldn’t help but laugh because it looked like the beginning of a low budget horror film, complete with the boldly lettered warning signs. We didn’t stop to get out and accidentally fumble with the keys. We failed to create a plot line by simply turning around and driving the other direction.
We arrived back in Seattle at 5:40 this morning and we’re just waiting for the transport to show up at Lamborghini of Bellevue. I’ll then upload the last of my pictures and video. I’ll also post the official Lamborghini Giro photos as soon as I receive them. Should be soon. I’m too tired to write much at the moment but I’m really happy to be home with my dog.
#70
08-19-2010, 02:43 PM
Day 10, continued:
I’m writing this just 24 hours after our arrival home. Reliable Carriers showed up last night with all six cars, all in perfect condition. From a pickup and delivery prospective, Reliable was… reliable. We had a fair amount of confusion with their corporate offices, which doesn’t seem to know how to manage customers all that well. It took dozens of calls to remain on top of everything from scheduling, load changes, arranging payment with five different owners, etc., before we had it all sorted out, but we got it done without too many problems. Reliable’s drivers maintain excellent communication directly with owners and this is the best part. For that reason I’d say they lived up to their name on this move, however one of the other trucks from Seattle didn’t have such a great experience, but I don’t know the details yet.
In conclusion, I had a lot of fun at the event. I’ve taken more than 5,000 pictures and I’ve only put up a fraction. I’ve shot several hours of video that still needs to be edited and posted so there will be more posted soon.
As I reflect on the past week, if I were transporting my car just to put it in Concorso it wouldn’t be worth the trouble of bringing my car in part because of location. The current location is on a hill and it’s very hard on the cars to drive on the lawn. One Diablo had its wheels badly chewed up on the narrow golf cart paths and there is very little consideration with regard to clear paths for moving and organizing cars. They don’t have nearly enough volunteers to properly organize cars so it’s tough on the machinery. In contrast, I watched how quickly they moved cars at Pebble Beach to keep clutch riding to a minimum. That’s how it should be done, with clear paths to move cars in and out of the show.
To make Monterey really worthwhile with your exotic or classic, you have to participate in more than one thing aside from the Concorso, such as the Italian Stampede, Giro, classic races, or something like an organized group drive to get the most out of the experience. It’s otherwise a lot of work and expense for a one day static display.
Part of what made the week so fun was that we have an active car community here in the Seattle area, especially because of Exotics at RTC which has made it easy to get to know other car owners and enthusiasts. All of the cars transported to and from in our group are owned by guys who know each other and actually participate in the car community. If you’re reading this and don’t have an exotic car, plug into whatever community interests you most. Forget the stereotypes; they don’t really apply as car ownership tends to be far more diverse than the cars themselves.
I loved attending Monterey not just because of the shows themselves but because of all the friends I’ve made in the car community over the past few years. It was a chance to meet faces I’ve read on forum posts, and connect the dots to lots of people who have interesting stories to tell. That alone made it gratifying for me.
I know a lot of guys who buy cars and are quickly bored with what they have and getting involved in the car community is the best possible boredom repellent. I believe only a tiny bit comes truly from a loss of excitement over a car, the remainder is about your experience with your cars and it doesn’t matter what it is. All of my best memories of ownership have to do with the experiences I’ve had while on the road somewhere. As I sit here and think about it, I don’t think I’ve got a single interesting story to tell about the time I polished something in my garage. The fun happens when you bring your car out and enjoy it, especially in the company of other like-minded drivers. That’s where your fond memories will be made. If you’re worried about depreciation, plan the miles and the trips, but at least get out and enjoy the car. Go to the car gatherings and meet new people. Make no stereotypical assumptions about who you will meet, as they rarely apply.
Two of my favorite memories in college were of beat up cars owned by friends that were taken on adventures. One didn’t have working doors and we had to crawl through the windows to get inside. Another didn’t have working wipers and we’d have to take turns driving with an arm out the window to a stick to make the wipers work. Funny stories now, but I smile every time I think about it.
As I walked around Concorso and Pebble Beach and talk to various owners, I’d ask them what got them interested in a particular car. Over and over, I kept hearing the same thing, that the car brought back a fond memory of Lamborghini posters that fueled dreams, or experiences with cars when they were younger. I don’t imagine I’ll ever have fond memories of hours spent cleaning cars, but great drives, events, people, places, that’s what it’s about for me. It has far less to do with the car itself. Everyone assumes that the more expensive the car is, the more fun it generates and it just doesn’t work that way. It’s the fun of the road, adventure, and a chance to see and do new things that cause so many people to spend big dollars to attend something like the Giro combined with Monterey. It’s an experience I’ll never ever forget and I’m really happy to read how many enjoyed this thread. I was surprised by how many people were following it in Monterey and how often someone would come up to me and say something. That made it worth writing.
More follow-up soon.
I’m writing this just 24 hours after our arrival home. Reliable Carriers showed up last night with all six cars, all in perfect condition. From a pickup and delivery prospective, Reliable was… reliable. We had a fair amount of confusion with their corporate offices, which doesn’t seem to know how to manage customers all that well. It took dozens of calls to remain on top of everything from scheduling, load changes, arranging payment with five different owners, etc., before we had it all sorted out, but we got it done without too many problems. Reliable’s drivers maintain excellent communication directly with owners and this is the best part. For that reason I’d say they lived up to their name on this move, however one of the other trucks from Seattle didn’t have such a great experience, but I don’t know the details yet.
In conclusion, I had a lot of fun at the event. I’ve taken more than 5,000 pictures and I’ve only put up a fraction. I’ve shot several hours of video that still needs to be edited and posted so there will be more posted soon.
As I reflect on the past week, if I were transporting my car just to put it in Concorso it wouldn’t be worth the trouble of bringing my car in part because of location. The current location is on a hill and it’s very hard on the cars to drive on the lawn. One Diablo had its wheels badly chewed up on the narrow golf cart paths and there is very little consideration with regard to clear paths for moving and organizing cars. They don’t have nearly enough volunteers to properly organize cars so it’s tough on the machinery. In contrast, I watched how quickly they moved cars at Pebble Beach to keep clutch riding to a minimum. That’s how it should be done, with clear paths to move cars in and out of the show.
To make Monterey really worthwhile with your exotic or classic, you have to participate in more than one thing aside from the Concorso, such as the Italian Stampede, Giro, classic races, or something like an organized group drive to get the most out of the experience. It’s otherwise a lot of work and expense for a one day static display.
Part of what made the week so fun was that we have an active car community here in the Seattle area, especially because of Exotics at RTC which has made it easy to get to know other car owners and enthusiasts. All of the cars transported to and from in our group are owned by guys who know each other and actually participate in the car community. If you’re reading this and don’t have an exotic car, plug into whatever community interests you most. Forget the stereotypes; they don’t really apply as car ownership tends to be far more diverse than the cars themselves.
I loved attending Monterey not just because of the shows themselves but because of all the friends I’ve made in the car community over the past few years. It was a chance to meet faces I’ve read on forum posts, and connect the dots to lots of people who have interesting stories to tell. That alone made it gratifying for me.
I know a lot of guys who buy cars and are quickly bored with what they have and getting involved in the car community is the best possible boredom repellent. I believe only a tiny bit comes truly from a loss of excitement over a car, the remainder is about your experience with your cars and it doesn’t matter what it is. All of my best memories of ownership have to do with the experiences I’ve had while on the road somewhere. As I sit here and think about it, I don’t think I’ve got a single interesting story to tell about the time I polished something in my garage. The fun happens when you bring your car out and enjoy it, especially in the company of other like-minded drivers. That’s where your fond memories will be made. If you’re worried about depreciation, plan the miles and the trips, but at least get out and enjoy the car. Go to the car gatherings and meet new people. Make no stereotypical assumptions about who you will meet, as they rarely apply.
Two of my favorite memories in college were of beat up cars owned by friends that were taken on adventures. One didn’t have working doors and we had to crawl through the windows to get inside. Another didn’t have working wipers and we’d have to take turns driving with an arm out the window to a stick to make the wipers work. Funny stories now, but I smile every time I think about it.
As I walked around Concorso and Pebble Beach and talk to various owners, I’d ask them what got them interested in a particular car. Over and over, I kept hearing the same thing, that the car brought back a fond memory of Lamborghini posters that fueled dreams, or experiences with cars when they were younger. I don’t imagine I’ll ever have fond memories of hours spent cleaning cars, but great drives, events, people, places, that’s what it’s about for me. It has far less to do with the car itself. Everyone assumes that the more expensive the car is, the more fun it generates and it just doesn’t work that way. It’s the fun of the road, adventure, and a chance to see and do new things that cause so many people to spend big dollars to attend something like the Giro combined with Monterey. It’s an experience I’ll never ever forget and I’m really happy to read how many enjoyed this thread. I was surprised by how many people were following it in Monterey and how often someone would come up to me and say something. That made it worth writing.
More follow-up soon.