Monterey car week: You can cram a lot into a day...

Pebble Beach might be the name that everyone associates with what many believe to be the most important classic car gathering on the planet, but there’s another event during Monterey Car Week that, dare we say it, has come to be regarded as almost more prestigious and even more exclusive.

A relative upstart compared with the 75-year-old Pebble Beach Concours, the loftily named The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering was only established in 2004 but quickly grew to become the place to be seen for spectators, car owners and manufacturers alike.

It was probably destined to be something extra special from the outset, not least because Rolex – which employs an extensive team of people with a knack of sniffing out prestigious events worthy of its name – has been title sponsor since year two.

As a result, the owner of the car selected for the Rolex Best in Show award receives an Oyster Perpetual Datejust timepiece engraved on the back with the date of his or her achievement, while the car itself gets the honour of being included in the Rolex Circle of Champions on one of the golf club’s pristine greens.

Conceived as a sort of luxurious garden party for the exceptionally well-to-do, The Quail stands out from other Car Week events by dint of the fact that it lasts for one day – and it’s a short day, at that, with the gates to the Quail Lodge & Golf Club opening to spectators at 9am and quietly closing just seven hours later.

In between, guests, spectators, concours competitors and celebrities and VIPs from the worlds of motor sport, film, and business will enjoy only the finest wines and food prepared by top chefs and be invited to indulge in high-priced goods from the elaborate stands of some of the world’s leading luxury brands.

One of the reasons for The Quail being a cut above is that the golf club and lodge belong to The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, best known for its ownership and operation of the world class Peninsula Hotels – and the man in charge of the whole lot is billionaire Hong Kong businessman Sir Michael Kadoorie who makes no secret of his love of old motor cars.

Over the years, Sir Michael has counted Bugattis, Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, Hispano-Suizas and Lamborghinis among the contents of his motor house – very often, all at the same time.

And it’s a combination of his unwavering enthusiasm for classic cars and his unrivalled skill as a host that has made The Quail what it is.

Typically around 200 cars attend (having been comprehensively vetted by The Quail’s selection committee), with each being chosen for one of a range of specific classes.

What they have in common is that they are each ‘the best of the best’ – as demonstrated by last year’s show winner, a 1937 Delahaye Type 135 which is believed to have been the car driven by the legendary René Dreyfus in the Prix de Million (a million francs on offer at the time) as well as the Cork and Pau Grand Prix in 1938.

Regular classes include Spirit of The Quail, Pre-War Sports & Racing, Post-War Sports and Custom Coachwork. But The Quail doesn’t only focus on four wheels. Its Sports & Racing Motorcycles category offers a highly coveted trophy which was won last year by a 1930 Indian ‘Four’ (The Quail also hosts a Motorcycle Gathering earlier in the year).

In addition to the dozen or so regular classes, each edition of The Quail also includes a few special ones, with four being featured this year. Perhaps the most unusual (and imaginative) is Liveries of F1 which aims to mark Formula 1’s 75th anniversary by showcasing some of the often wild colour schemes and promotional designs seen on grand prix cars since the very earliest days of sponsorship deals.

Another class will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Ferrari F50 supercar, with others marking 60 years since the launches of the high-performance Shelby Mustang GT350 (which led to the creation of the celebrated Hertz so-called ‘rent a racer’ versions) and the Italian-designed, American-powered Iso Grifo GT car.

Expect to see the best examples of all three variants at The Quail amid its rolling greens – assuming, that is, that you’ve been sufficiently organised to secure your £750–plus entry ticket (known in genteel Quail-speak as a ‘credential’).

Officially, all credentials for the 2025 Motorsports Gathering were sold out back in April – although, as prospective buyers of Rolex watches often have to do, it’s possible to place one’s name on an ‘expression of interest’ list in the hope that a space frees-up in advance of the big day.

If it does, we’re pretty sure you’ll come away thinking you spent your money wisely.

The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering is on Friday, August 15 at The Quail Lodge & Golf Club, 8205 Valley Greens Drive, Carmel, CA 93923, 9am-4pm. quaillodge.com