MicVelo

Just a quick photo journey with me to the Historics 2018. I have seen and snapped so many awesome cars this weekend that it literally overwhelmed me. So much to see that I totally had a headache from automotive overload.

Anyhow, I'll just show you Friday and Saturday in this post.

Arrived at our rented beach house on Friday evening.


Sadly,no roadster due to mechanical disaster. But all not lost as the 33 was way more fun on track!


What ultimately turned out to be one of the more amusing spots of the weekend: Parked in front the house was an indistinguishable car under a car cover. My wife says: "Hey look honey, it's a Datsun Roadster!" I look at it and say authoritatively "That's not a roadster..."

Next morning had to think, "Hmmmm, what restaurant serves crow around Monterey?" Because I sure needed to eat some after waking up Saturday morning to this:


This car belong to the people who rented the unit right next door, brothers Bruce and Kurt from SoCal. They along with two friends, one of whom drove a cool Alfa Duetto, made the trek up just for the Historics. They were parked on Roadster Island with the 20+ other roadsters in the Datsun Corral.

Wife's other comment, er, laughing/yelling at me... "Nyeh, nyeh, I was right and you were wrong! Hahahahaha!" followed by "Too bad your roadster broke down, hmmmmph..... would have been cute with the opposite colored cars parked next to each other." Then my mother-in-law said the exact same thing independently an hour later..... Psh, "cute"... indeed.

Anyhow, off to Carmel-By-The-Sea, quaint tourist town just South of Monterey. Shopping, eating, usual stuff. But this being Car Week on the Monterey Peninsula - which includes many big auctions, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and just tons of poseurs, er, fancy car owners driving around to be seen, well, it's a car show spectacle of sorts. Here's a few of the cars we spotted while eating breakfast and just strolling around town.














This car (vinyl wrapped.... but average people don't know this) was parked on the red carpet outside The Club, a retailer on Ocean Avenue, who is one of the largest retailers of Robert Graham clothing (https://www.robertgraham.us/). For those who don't know the brand, they are very famous for sponsoring a lot of race cars, drivers, events that are associated with automobiles, so this week is big for them and they were throwing a party that afternoon.


Ummm, yes, I do shop there - often - why?

I have several car oriented shirts of theirs. (The one I'm wearing is a Graham.) Also have one hanging on my office wall...


And whose label adorns a car seen on the red carpet a bit later in the day


More random sitings about town...

Note how people are sitting on the raised planters in the middle of the street. Great view of cars. And they get to listen to guys (always MALE) rev their V12s and extra loud obnoxious exhaust systems. (That I always have to ask "Why? You have a sequential gearbox that engages like an automatic... you don't need to rev your engine to get it moving, so pipe down, poseur!")




So that should give you a general feeling of what it's like in tony little Carmel during Monterey Car week. Interestingly, the same level of cars (if not quantity) show up during the AT&T at Pebble Beach. But we don't come for that much. I helped a catering friend with some food prep a few years ago and after I was done, spent the weekend car observing and people watching during the AT&T. Wow, people really do think the world of themselves..... Laff.

Oh, marked absence of Z's (or anything Japanese for that matter) in town. More commentary on this next installment.

There were some interesting cars for sale on the streets.

This VW Karmann Ghia was sweet! If it had been a convertible, I'da been all over it.


Then there was this gem, a Porsche 356A Carrera, late '50s car. You could buy it for only 750.

Thousand.

Ummm, no. Was telling my wife and M-I-L that whoever wanted that much money for it had to be crazy. Turned out he was standing in the shop doorway behind me. Oooops. Sorry. Laff...That you're crazy.

But then the crazier are the ones who would bust out the checkbook to this tune for this car. I'd like to think I know a bit about cars but this one, which didn't even have a numbers match engine, is just beyond my comprehension.

Then I found that there IS a Ferrari I could own and drive!

Sure, it's counterintuitive to own a Ferrari "station wagon" but it makes sense and I think it looks just right.

Then of course, an old '80s vintage TestaRossa. So dated yet still an eye catcher.


And for once, a hot rod as a minority at the car shows I'e been attending of late. Laff...

Then, because for every Yin, there needs to be a Yang, this car was participating in the "Concours d'Lemons" up in Seaside. Crappy cars - but with character - displayed in a neighborhood park with looks akin to the remnants left by the canines in the "no leashes required dog run".


Finally, Saturday night dinner with this fellow...


...who is obviously as cheeky in life as he is on the telly. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.


And that was a fun way to end Saturday! Off to the track first thing in the morning!

NEXT UP: Z Owners of Northern California Nissan-Datsun Corral.

SPM350Z

iTrader: (1)

Awesome pics and commentary Mic...looks like a great time. Caption for the last two photos "Old out your hand mate.....I've just bought myself a CRACKIN vintage Micvelo...."

-Shawn

SpartaEvolution

Awesome pics, thanks for sharing. I love how every other photo had some other interesting car in the background haha

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

Mic- I love all your posts with a TON of photos! So different from mine, which have a detailed description(s) because I had NO TIME to do anything but race and wrench! LOL

Also, I heard from a bunch of auto industry folks who were at the Monterrey Historics last weekend. You always rub elbows with the rich and famous?

bealljk

iTrader: (13)

Looking good Micky ... love the photos