Never Stop Driving #111: The Good Vibes Edition

Last weekend proved-yet again-that automotive passion remains incredibly strong. Hundreds of thousands gathered in Detroit for the 28^th annual Woodward Dream Cruise, and more throngs invaded California's Monterey Peninsula for an entire week of car events.

I was in Monterey, which turned into an informal cruise fest every night. By my imperfect eye, the crowds have never been thicker. Folks have learned that there's no need to buy tickets to one of the many shows that make up Monterey Car Week-some events run over $1000-when they can just stand on a street corner and not only see the unobtanium but hear it too. One evening, I hung out on Monterey's infamous Cannery Row and watched supercar after supercar crawl by, drivers gunning engines and sending sound waves bouncing off the buildings.

After a brief stroll, I returned to my original perch to find that three multi-million-dollar supercars-two Paganis and a Koenigsegg-had replaced the forgettable cars parked on the street earlier. People rushed to the curb, phones aloft, and filmed the drivers as they climbed out of the cars. I could not tell if they were celebrities but wondered how they nabbed such choice parking spots. Was this street show prearranged? I lost count of the number of winged exotics I saw on Cannery Row.

The week's signature event, the Pebble Beach Concours, did what it does so well, which is to gather rarely seen cars. My favorites were the Jaguar D-Type prototype and the class for wedge-shaped concepts. Among those was a car that looked like the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Called the United Nude Lo Res concept, it looked like satire, a natural ending point to the increasingly abrupt and overly winged exotics that were arrayed on the Pebble Beach golf course. Or not.

The Pebble Concours is evolving. For the first time, the event embraced vintage SUVs, with a special display of Land Rovers used and owned by the British royal family. They even drove across the stage.

The Best in Show trophy, which is normally awarded to a meticulously restored classic, was given to a Bugatti race car that's worn the same paint for 90 years.

The owner, Fritz Burkard, drove the Bugatti for hours the days before the concours, enjoying his machine and the invigorating California coastal air. My kind of car nut: He wore his enthusiasm and passion for cars right on his sleeve. Good for him and good for us.

Everywhere I went on the Monterey Peninsula, I met people who were embracing life and their passions, automotive and otherwise, which was energizing. These days it's too easy to focus on bad news, thanks largely to social media platforms that specialize in provoking outrage. Around our hobby, though, there's plenty of joy, as evidenced by this collection of material, produced by Hagerty Media and other outlets. That's why I'm calling this week's newsletter The Good Vibes Edition. Have a look, and please share with your friends.

• Woman breaks 200-mph barrier at Bonneville
• Early racing Jaguar E-Type, which raced in period at Waterford Hills, my home track in Michigan, stays close to home
• Many enthusiasts bought their dream cars in Monterey
• People still crave fun-to-drive cars: Our highest watched social video in July described the new, autocross-ready Ford Maverick Lobo
• Satirical newspaper The Onionwill once again be printed
• High school girls club for aspiring female mechanics
• Texan buys his video game dream car

Have a great weekend!

Larry

P.S.: Your feedback and comments are welcome.

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