Make Time for a Classic

It’s a bit north of the official Southern California boundary line, but the Monterey Peninsula in late August is too important a place--and too overflowing with members of the Southland automotive scene--to be ignored.

The Monterey Weekend includes three world-class automotive auctions, several days of vintage racing, a huge gathering of Italian sports and performance cars and a crowd of celebrities (as well as a multitude of wealthy car collectors and enthusiasts with often well-known names but little-known faces).

Make the trip. It is worth the crowds and the parking pains. But plan ahead. Hotels and motels--on the peninsula and for a long way north, south and east--sell out weeks, even months, in advance.

Here’s a rundown of key events:

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Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Aug. 29, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Lodge at Pebble Beach, 17 Mile Drive, Pebble Beach.

Hundreds of the world’s finest vehicles, most restored to better-than-new condition--and the view of the Pacific from Monterey Peninsula is as breathtaking as the cars strung out along the famed 18th fairway of the championship golf course. Featured marques are pre-World War II Packards and post-war Audis.

Information: (831) 372-8026.

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Concorso Italiano. Aug. 27. Quail Lodge Resort, 8205 Valley Greens Drive, Carmel.

More than 400 classic and exotic cars and motorcycles, with an emphasis on Italian marques.

Information: (425) 688-1903; on the Web: https://www.concorso.com.

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Monterey Historic Automobile Races. Aug. 27-29, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Laguna Seca Raceway, Salinas.

Fourteen races feature vintage machines from 1908 through the early ‘80s. This year’s featured marque is Germany’s Auto Union, predecessor to Audi.

Information: (800) 327-7322 or (831) 648-5111.

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Monterey Sports Car Auction. Aug. 27-28, 6 p.m. to midnight (viewing from 2 to 6 p.m. daily). Doubletree Inn at Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey.

This one draws the broadest crowd of the three auctions, from beer-drinking bikers to mystery men in $1,000 suits with briefcases chained to their wrists and satellite phones clamped to their ears. Last year’s event moved 135 cars worth $13.7 million.

Information: (800) 211-4371.

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Brooks USA. Aug. 28. Quail Lodge Resort in Carmel.

This will be Brooks’ second year at Pebble with a collection of classics, collectibles and race cars.

Information: (415) 391-4000.

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Christies International Motorcars. Aug. 29, 6 p.m. Lodge at Pebble Beach.

Like the concours that precedes it, this is a premier event in the auto world. This year--Christie’s 10th anniversary at Pebble--promises to be bigger than 1998’s record sale of 80 cars for $14.7 million.

Information: (310) 385-2699.