Monterey Car Week is Upon Us: Start Your Engines!

After a Covid 19 pause in 2020, Monterey Car Week is ready to turn the key and open the throttle. With almost thirty separate events to choose from, festivities begin August 5th and culminate with the 70th Pebble Beach Concours on Sunday the 15th. We predict that Monterey Car Week will be very popular this year—it will be one of the finest and most well-attended collector vehicle events in history. Nowhere will the concept of pent-up demand be any more apparent than on the storied Peninsula this August. The fabled Jet Center Party and the Quail will be the blue-chip “must attend” exclusive events. Legends of the Autobahn and Concorso Italiano will display unique and special cars from Germany and Italy. The famous “crap car” event Concours d’Lemons will be full of investment-grade zero-mile Pacers, Gremlins, Pinto’s, and Vegas. As in years past, there will be something for everyone. On Sunday, the grand finale will occur on the 18th hole of Pebble Beach with the venerable Concours. But this year, we predict EVERYONE will make an extra effort to attend, and the Peninsula will be more crowded than ever. Think “mob scene.”

This year, what caught our eye is the quantity and quality of the auction items that will cross the block at Gooding & Co. and RM Sotheby’s. Looking back over the last decade, we cannot recall such a roster of great cars at an auction anywhere in the world.

Let’s browse the menu for Monterey 2021.

The star auction vehicle will likely be Gooding’s Lot 29—a 390 Km 1995 McLaren F1. At what amount will this car hammer? With only 64 examples produced, the F1 is the ultimate halo supercar. This F1 represents truly “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for discerning collectors.” Our network suggests it will hammer at well over USD 30 million. We also think that Lot 50—a 1998 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK could sell well above the $10 million high estimates.

A deeper sampling of Gooding & Company’s catalog reveals a panoply of other incredible cars. The Ferrari list includes an F40, a 275 GTS, a 365 GTB/4 Daytona, a final-year 512 BBi, a 275 GTB/4, a Dino 246 GTS, a 400 Superamerica Series II Coupe Aerodinamico, and 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione. Also on the menu from Italy are multiple Lamborghinis, including Miuras, Countaches, and a stunning 350 GT from the Collier family. Finally, of course, there is a smattering of 300SL’s, DB5’s, Porsches, E-Types, Defenders, Bentleys, Allards, Maseratis, and even an Iso Grifo.

Gooding’s 1959 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione coachwork by Scaglietti (Photo courtesy of Gooding & Company)

Race cars are well represented in the Gooding catalog this year. A 1980 Porsche 935 K3 and 1966 Ford GT40 Lightweight will cross the block and probably reach records. In addition, a Lola T-90 and a Maserati 200 SI could well hit their high estimate.

Gooding has a smashing array of pre-war cars as well. Let’s start with the 1914 Stutz 4E Bearcat! From there, we have Rolls-Royce Phantoms and Ghosts, a Bentley 4 1/2 Litre Sports Tourer, Marmons, Locomobiles, and a Cadillac V12. In addition, there are several very special Packards. The 1942 Darrin presents well; there are two other ultra-rare Packards—a Super 8 160 Limousine and a Twelve Landaulet that could surprise to the upside. Finally, based on the strong Duesenberg results at Amelia this year, the 1930 Model J will likely sell above the high estimate of $4 million.

Moving on to RM’s catalog, things just get more insane. Catching our eye is the 1955 Jaguar D-Type with a high estimate of $7 million. A 1932 Packard Twin Six Custom Convertible Sedan by Dietrich is estimated to sell for between $1.2 and $1.5 million. Also available is a gorgeous 1932 Packard Twin Six Dietrich Victoria with great history and provenance finished in stunning black on green. This Victoria is one of three investment-grade cars believed to still exist and is expected to sell for between $575,000 and $675,000. The 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder and the 1962 Ferrari 268 SP will also open some big wallets. Could the 1970 Porsche 917 K reach $20 million? It will be exciting to watch! If you can’t make it to the Peninsula, there is plenty to follow online. Check back often as we will be sharing stories and photographs from Monterey Car Week 2021. 

A rare and handsome 1932 V-windshileld Packard Twin Six Custom Convertible Sedan by Dietrich will cross the block at RM (Photo courtesy of Hemmings Motor News)

Click these links to browse the 2021 Monterey catalogs of Gooding and RM.