Words: Siddhraj Singh | Photography: Siddhraj Singh, Aniruddh Kasliwal, Rolex, Pebble Beach Concours
Another year, another Monterey Car Week, and another week of just highlight reels, 2025 didn’t disappoint. For a week in mid-August, the California coast once again transformed into the ultimate playground for car lovers, collectors, and enthusiasts from all corners of the globe. It wasn’t just about the cars – it was the atmosphere, the people, and the stories that made the week feel like a celebration of everything automotive. Whether it was rubbing shoulders with collectors, catching glimpses of rare machines, or watching jaw-dropping auctions break records, every event felt like it belonged in a documentary. The week felt like a celebration of everything that makes cars more than just transportation. It’s not about how fast they go or how shiny they are – it’s about the stories, the craftsmanship, and the people who love them.
The Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance
This part of the weekend does not get enough credit. It is by far one of the major highlights. It offers stunning visuals; most of the images you see here are from the Tour. It’s a chance to not only see the cars up close but also see them doing what they are meant for – driving. On the morning of the Thursday preceding Pebble, most of the show field took to the roads – first driving around the hills, then down to the famous Highway One, cruising the stunning stretch from Pebble Beach to Big Sur and back. It’s not just a scenic drive — the tour gives these vintage beauties a chance to prove they’re more than just showpieces, with their road performance actually affecting their Concours scores. Throngs of fans lined the route, snapping photos and cheering the cars on as most of them made it back for lunch. It’s just incredible to see literally the history of automobiles, all together motoring around the coast.
The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering
The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, once again lived up to its reputation as the place where the car world comes to chill, connect, and show off. Nestled in the rolling hills of Carmel, it’s a far cry from the flashier auction floors and gives you time to appreciate the cars, sip a cocktail, and catch up with friends old and new. But what was once described as a garden party has taken a different role – it is the unofficial American Auto Show, at least for ultra-exclusive cars. Any manufacturer remotely producing a sports, enthusiast, or luxury car shows up at Quail (if not, then they are at Pebble).
Apart from the star-studded display of the manufacturers, restomod builders like Singer, RUF, and Gunther Werks were also on full display, blending classic Porsche 911 lines with modern upgrades in a way that made purists and thrill-seekers alike nod in approval.
But Quail has always been about the classic, whether it is 100 years old or 30. One of this year’s themes paid tribute to the Ferrari F50, celebrating its 30th birthday with an incredible lineup of cars, including the eventual ‘Best of Show’ winner – an F50 GT1. This rare prototype, the first of only three built, utilized Formula 1 technology of the time. This car, built in 1996, bucked the trend of older cars winning this big award – quite a surprise choice.
Other celebrations with special classes included the 60th Anniversary of the legendary Shelby Mustang GT350, and the 60th Anniversary of the Iso Grifo, an Italian-American collaboration. Combining Italian design with American V8 power, the Grifo was a grand tourer that offered Italian style with American performance and reliability (of the era). There was also a sort of 75th anniversary celebration of Formula 1 with the “Liveries of F1” – a showcase of Formula 1 cars adorned in their iconic liveries, each representing a different era of the sport. One standout was the ex-Schumacher 1997 Ferrari F1310B. The Quail is about celebrating cars that make you smile. And like every year, it delivered in spades.
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
If The Quail is where you go to relax, Pebble Beach is where you go to nerd out. On August 17, the iconic fairway turned into a sea of polished metal, fine leathers, and beautifully engineered machines. The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance isn’t just another car show – it’s a history lesson, a beauty contest, and a passion project all rolled into one.
The Best of Show winner this year was a stunner – a 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C ‘Tulipwood’ Torpedo by Nieuport-Astra, shown by Penny & Lee Anderson Sr. This wasn’t your typical Concours entry. This one-off vehicle commissioned by aviator and racing driver André Dubonnet, has its entire body crafted from mahogany (not tulipwood as the name suggests). The lightweight body weighs about 75kgs, with alligator skin interiors. The craftsmanship is phenomenal, and seeing it up close makes you appreciate the artistry that went into every curve and detail. This is a very famous car, with extensive history, and was acquired by the current owner a few years back, before sending it for a full restoration.
Special Classes at Pebble Beach
1 Invicta Centennial – Invicta is a British marque known for its lightweight, performance-oriented cars. Models like the 4½ Litre S-type, with its under-slung chassis and powerful Meadows engine, were very sporty. India had a few of them.
2 Chrysler Centennial – Marking 100 years of Chrysler, this class highlighted the brand’s evolution from technical innovation to luxury. Notable entries included the 1931 CG LeBaron Dual Cowl Phaeton and the 1950s Ghia-designed concept cars, showcasing Chrysler’s design prowess.
3 Virgil Exner Creations – Dedicated to the visionary designs of Virgil Exner, this class featured his transformative work at Chrysler. Exner’s designs, such as the 1955 Chrysler C-300, introduced the “Forward Look,” influencing American automotive aesthetics in the 1950s.
4 Formula 1: 75th Anniversary – Commemorating 75 years of Formula 1, this class showcased the evolution of the sport’s pinnacle machines. From early Grand Prix cars to modern F1 innovations, the class celebrated technological advancements through the years.
5 Shelby Cobra – Honouring the 60th anniversary of the Shelby Cobra, this class featured the iconic Anglo-American sports car. With its powerful American V8 engine and lightweight British design, the Cobra became a symbol of performance, making Carroll Shelby an automotive legend.
6 Moretti Centennial – Celebrating 100 years of the Italian marque Moretti, this class highlighted the brand’s unique approach to design and engineering.
7 Land Rover Special Expedition Vehicles – Showcasing Land Rover’s legacy in exploration, this class featured special expedition vehicles that have defined the term ‘overlanding.’ The adventures these vehicles have seen are the stuff of an explorer’s dream.
8 BMW Art Cars – This class featured the legendary BMW Art Cars – actual models, both street and racing cars – painted by famous artists, including Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons, in a unique style that captured the spirit of the era.
The Indian Connection
In 1955, Chrysler spun off Imperial as a separate division to produce the company’s most luxurious cars, to compete head-on against the USA’s premium luxury cars: Cadillac, Lincoln, and Packard. The new brand was billed as the “Flagship of the Forward Look.”
Famed designer Virgil Exner was heading Chrysler’s advanced styling department at the time. Exner pursued his appetite for European design and developed a fruitful relationship with Gigi Segre of Carrozzeria Ghia of Italy; the two men worked closely together on a number of projects. The first full designs for Chrysler, the fabulous 1955 Imperial, were the pinnacle of “The Forward Look” design theme. It featured a unique egg-crate split grille treatment and borrowed from other Ghia designs like the K-310 and d’Elegance concept cars. Distinctive “gun sight” tail lights were fitted to the tops of the quarters.
This 1955 Crown Imperial C-70 limousine is one of just 172 LWB Imperials built during the first year; of those, a mere 45 were equipped as 8-passenger sedans (meaning that a divider window was not fitted), of which this is one.
This particular car was the only entry from India this year. Owned by collector Rajiv Kher and restored to a very high standard by Viveck Goenka and his team, headed by Allan Almeida, it took
the Runners-up award in the ‘Virgil Exner Early’ class, one of two special classes celebrating the legendary designer.
