Concorso Italiano 2007

[italcarguy]

$125 to register a car through May 31! Are they crazy?

[nizam]

Anthony, you missed the $75 special up through Feb 28th?

[dretceterini]

An just a plain old specator pays:

General Spectator Tickets
March 1 through May 31: $85.00
June 1 through July 31: $90.00
August 1 through August 17: $100.00
Children 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult
Includes:
One Admission Ticket
Complimentary Parking & Collector's Magazine (while supplies last)

[Alfoonery]

The irony of it all is that originally Concourse Italiano was a free car show put on by the Maserati Owners Club at the Carmel Mission Inn (where the use to/may still stay). I remember tooling around the backroads of Carmel and coming across it by accident. Then it was turned into a commercial entity/event at the Quail Loage with a twenty dollar admission fee (similar at the time to the Pebble beach gate fee). Years past, the gate fees rose, as did the ownership and have what we see now - the antithesis of what it was originally.

[RossoGTV4Me]

I am going this year! I am going to drive up the Q with the pops.

[dretceterini]

Is it really worth going to the Monterey weekend any more? It seems to be (for the most part) the same cars year after year, and now, the weekend is going to cost around $1000 a person, and that doesn't include trash and trinkets....

[alfa_chan]

Dr.

I have never been there, always wanted to go - both the race and the concorso.

Should I at least go once in my life time? At least the Monterey Historic race itself?

But $1k sounds pretty steep, rather spend that money on the car itself.

[dretceterini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by alfa_chan Dr. I have never been there, always wanted to go - both the race and the concorso. Should I at least go once in my life time? At least the Monterey Historic race itself? But $1k sounds pretty steep, rather spend that money on the car itself.

[Alfajay]

Sure, it's expensive, crowded, the same cars are there each year, the people are rude, etc. etc. Yet, I keep coming back. To me, it's a reunion - I see all my automotive buddies - the cars have become incidental (well, almost).

The price of the Concorso has gone up, and the event has become sort of glitzy, rather than just a fun gathering of Italian cars. But, if you bring two people in your car, and register before Feb 28th, it's just $37.50 a head. Admission to Laguna Seca is steep for Saturday (the busy day) - $65/person, though the other days are less. I have given up on Pebble (I know it runs > $100 per). A few events are still free: the Ocean Ave display in Carmel on Thursday and some of the auction tents.

Lodging is the killer - hotels get booked years in advance, and many have a 4 night minimum. The ARA arranges a block of rooms at the Laurel Inn in Salinas, and you get the comradarie of being with the Alfa group. Salinas is also convenient to the less crowded back entrance to Laguna Seca.

So anyhow, if you have never been, don't dismiss it too quickly. Attending DOES take some planning, but it is doable on a budget.

[Pat Braden]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dretceterini If you are in the financial postion to spend something like $1000-$2000 (not counting whatever trash and trinkets you might buy) for what amounts to a weekend vacation, by all means go to Concorso Italiano, the Monterey races and Pebble Beach once in your life. My point was basically that it has become a very expensive weekend over the last 5 or so years, between tickets, hotels, local trasportation if you don't drive there, and food, and there isn't all that much new every year that hasn't been there before.

[lowmileage]

Quote:

Originally Posted by alfa_chan Dr. But $1k sounds pretty steep......

[mbaum]

I am fairly new to the Monterey weekend and have only gone in the last two years but the experience is worth every penny in my book.

If you have not done it, I second the others here that you should do the full thing, including the key shows (Cocncorso, Quail, Pebble Beach), rides (Tour d'Elegance, Pacific Grove, several Alfa gatherings), auctions and the races. The people you meet and memories you make are sure to stay for a while.

I normally take one of my cars, prep it for long distance and drive it up there. It is so much fun to cruise around in an old car. The Junior Z made it up there last year without missing a beat and this year, it will be the Flavia Coupe.

Cost of lodging is high with places charging a significant surcharge. If you have not booked a room yet and made reservations at your favorite restaurants, be prepared to look for a while or bring a tent and camp out at the track (Quite a few folks do this). My take on this is, if you can, splurge a bit and get a nice place, especially if your partner comes with you. The events up there can be exhausting and it is nice to come back to a great place after a day of car stuff.

I also extend the weekend and spend the two days following Pebble Beach in Big Sur to "decompress" a bit in nature. Of course the ride in the car on Highway 1 is a priceless memory itself.

Event ticket prices get a bit high these days. Judging by the amount of growing spectators though, higher prices will surely optimize the revenue for the events - be as profit for the organizers or for all the charity organizations that benefit from the ticket revenue. This year, I will attend the Quail Lodge show instead of the Concorso. I was a bit dissapointed in the variety of cars at the Concorso last year. There are a lot of cars but a lot of the same and some makes and models seemed to be missing or underrepresented (2600, 1900, Sprint Speciales, Abarths, etc.). Quail for sure is smaller, less people, hand picked cars and outstanding food.

I am already looking forward to the weekend and sure hope to see many of you up there again!

Mike

[bollingerRD]

I haven't ever been, but went to Cavallino Classic in Florida on 2 occasions. What got me was, even though I was a vendor who had paid $800.00 for a space to sell stuff, they still made me pay $20.00 to park. Left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

[smestas]

When there is a will there is a way.

A few years ago Anthony and I slept in his truck just so we had entry fees to get into the events.

[italcarguy]

Monterey is expensive but well worth it despite the expsensive admission to events and $300 MOTEL ROOMS. It's the one weekend a year I can meet up with friends from all over the world, see the best race and show cars the United States has to offer. My birthday also falls on that weekend just about every year so that also makes it one more reason to go up there and have some fun.