Once a year, the automotive world turns its full attention to a stretch of California coastline between Pacific Grove and Carmel-by-the-Sea. Monterey Car Week 2026 runs August 7–16, and this year carries extra weight — it's the 75th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, taking place Sunday, August 16 on the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links. If you've ever wanted to see the rarest cars on Earth parked next to each other on a putting green overlooking the Pacific, this is the year.
For SoCal enthusiasts, Car Week isn't just a destination — it's an excuse for one of the best drives in the country. Highway 1 up the coast, top down, in a car that belongs on that road. Here's what's happening, and why the drive up deserves the same car as the week itself.
What's Happening During Car Week 2026
- August 7, 5–7pm — Car Week Kickoff, 300 Block of Alvarado St., Downtown Monterey
- August 8–9 — Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway
- August 10–12 — Automobilia Collectors Expo
- The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering — Quail Lodge, Carmel-by-the-Sea
- August 13–15 — RM Sotheby's Monterey Auction
- August 14–15 — Pebble Beach Auctions by Gooding Christie's
- August 16 — The 75th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
Ten days, back to back, of the best cars in the world in one place. Auctions, races, concours lawns, and enough horsepower parked along Cannery Row to make the whole town smell like race fuel.
The Drive Up: Why PCH Deserves an Exotic
Most people fly into Monterey. The ones who remember the trip are the ones who drove — specifically, up Highway 1 through Big Sur, with the coastline dropping straight into the Pacific on one side and nothing but open road ahead. It's one of the only stretches of pavement in America where the car actually matters as much as the destination.
Renting a Lamborghini, Ferrari, or convertible Rolls-Royce for the drive turns a six-hour trip into the first event of Car Week, not just the commute to it. Top down through Big Sur, a stop at Nepenthe for lunch with the ocean below you, rolling into Carmel or Pebble Beach in a car that fits right in with everything else parked on the lawn — that's the version of Car Week worth telling people about.
Book Your Car Before the Week Fills Up
Car Week is the single busiest week of the year for exotic rentals on the West Coast. The good cars — and the good delivery windows — go early. If Monterey is on your calendar for August, now is the time to lock in the car for the drive up.
Ready to make the trip in something worthy of the destination? Our family team delivers directly to your home, hotel, or any address in Orange County, with same-day availability when you need it.
Ready to book your next exotic experience?
Call or text (949) 294-5958 for today's rates and fast concierge support.