"Legends of the Autobahn" - part of Monterey Car Week

[John Z. Goriup]

I have found the current iteration of the Concorso Italiano to be hugely boring & repetitive every year, as well as no longer offering value commensurate with the price of attendance, and since it's almost impossible to score tickets to " The Quail", the $450 tariff notwithstanding, this year I decided to do something different for Friday of car week, and payed a visit to the "Legends of the Autobahn" Concourse instead. Please don't misinterpret my railing against the prices to attend some of these events as cheapness, it's not, but I do insist on receiving something I perceive as worthwhile for my money.

Legends is small, free ( a fee to park ) and as the name suggest only four German marques are present in any numbers, although there's hardly anything legendary about a group of emission-controlled 70's and 80s BMWs, Mercedes-Benz and Porsches, which seems to constitute the majority of what you're likely to find on the field, a golf course on Carmel Valley Road, incidentally.

The manufacturers have finally weighed in with limited displays of their new and / or concept cars, as well as promoting their "Classics" departments and efforts. Audi brought four museum pieces, including the actual Pikes Peak winner, BMW displayed their newly penned and prototyped Zagato Roadster and their absolutely luscious, one-off, '90 vintage, lightweight M8 in only its second public appearance since they dusted it off after 20 years of storage in '10 ( see the red coupe with its hood up, the V-12 engine shot and the wheels with carbon-fiber centers ), the Mercedes Club had several members' 300 SL Gullwings on display, and Porsche brought a sample of their latest Boxster.

I submit this event needs much more and many more interesting cars to survive,....... but it's still more enjoyable than hundreds of "V-8 Fiats" and candy-apple Lamborghinis at Concorso lined up in row after row.

[John Z. Goriup]

and the rest of the photos..........

JZG

[Trevor Gates]

Hi John,

Thanks for sharing your input on the shows and posting the pictures.