An "insanely busy week of classic car nirvana" is how Autoblog's Frank Filipponio describes the affair that I now refer to as the Monterey Classics Week. With the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance as a centerpiece, it comprises seven non-stop days of major auctions, vintage racing at Laguna Seca, the Concorso Italiano, the "Tour," automobilia and art shows, The Quail, and, well... the list goes on. For me it's all a bit much, driving Motel prices through the proverbial roof and saturating the viewer with so many classic automobiles that nothing leaves a lasting impression.

However one new event has been added to the calendar that sounds appealing if only because it's free. The first Carmel Concours came to life on August 14th after six years of hard work by organisers Doug and Genie Freedman and judging by Frank Filipponio's Autoblog photo gallery was clearly a success. He tells us that about 130 collector cars from the 1946 to 1971 period were lined up along fourteen blocks of Carmel's Ocean Avenue, there for anyone to view during a casual stroll. The focus is on vehicles not usually seen during Monterey Classics Week. When a concours can attract the likes of a Cunningham CR-4 (above) you know it's got to be good so let's hope the Carmel Concours remains approachable and unpretentious in years to come.

[photo: Frank Filipponio]