There is simply no finer gathering of classic road and race cars Stateside than the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, and it’s an event steeped with its own interesting history.

In November 1950, the inaugural Pebble Beach Road Race took place, with competitors facing a twisting 1.8-mile Tarmac and gravel course around the Del Monte Forest. Phil Hill won the first-ever Del Monte Trophy in his Jaguar XK120. Road racing around Del Monte lasted only six years before the event was halted following the death of Ernie McAfee after his Ferrari hit a tree. The sport needed somewhere to call home, and this proved the genesis of a track carved out of a dry lake nearby, called Laguna Seca.

The 2.2-mile circuit is one of America’s best-loved venues, and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion stands as its flagship historic event, tracing its roots back to 1974. It’s come a long way since those early days and now regularly features over 500 cars exclusively invited to compete each season. As well as the cream of the crop of classic grand prix, sports, touring and Indycars,
the 2026 running will shine a light on Japanese icons with legendary cars from Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, Honda and more… expect more than a smattering of Group C beauties!

There’s a packed racing programme with 13 different grids and some standout entries. A highlight of last year was the Unser Family Cup race for International Race of Champions (IROC) cars, which more than lived up to its name with Trans-Am star Tomy Drissi taking glory in his 2006 Pontiac Firebird, ahead of four-time IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti and NASCAR legends Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon. Zak Brown was 12th, with a chap called Jenson Button being an early retirement after qualifying third.

If you fancy something more current, Laguna also plays host to America’s big-hitters, including both IMSA and IndyCar. IMSA hosts its fourth round (May 1-3) with a 2hr 40min thrash involving the latest Hypercars and GTs.

Perhaps the jewel in the crown though is the IndyCar finale in September. IndyCar is a juggernaut of US racing, and getting to see the victor parade the trophy is always a spectacle that draws tens of thousands of fans. weathertechraceway.com

IMSA Monterey SportsCar championship

May 1-3

Rolex Monterey Motorsports reunion

Aug 12-15

IndyCar Monterey Grand Prix

Sept 4-6

Tour Auto, France

May 3-9

One of Peter Auto’s best-loved events, the Tour Auto, above, is a regularity road rally held around France that’s awash with performance favourites ranging from E-types and 911s to Ferrari 250s, and you’ll even spot the more humble Austin-Healey and Mini. If you love classic cars and great French cuisine, mark your calendar. peterauto.fr

Concours d’Elegance Suisse, Switzerland

Jun 19-21

An event with a notable history. Switzerland’s marquee Concours was actually founded way back in 1927 and held at prestigious locations around the country. Revived in 2016, the modern variant is now into its 11th year. Its home is the Château de Coppet on the shores of Lake Geneva – a wonderful setting for a gathering of 80-100 rare and collectors’ cars. concoursdelegancesuisse.com

Le Mans Classic Legends, France

JuL 2-5

A new era for a superb event. Relive Le Mans’ glory years from the 1970s up to the 2010s, with whale-tail Porsches and aero-heavy prototypes descending on the Circuit de la Sarthe for a full weekend of action. The original Le Mans Classic format celebrating the race’s formative and vintage years still exists, with the Classic Heritage returning next year. There are also supercar runs, parades, night sessions and live music. lemansclassic.com

Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, US

AUG 16

What is widely considered the world’s leading concours competition is celebrating its 75th anniversary and paying homage to the sports cars that featured in the early Pebble Beach Road Races. A special guest will be the 1927 Sunbeam 1000 HP, which Sir Henry Segrave took to a world record 203.79mph on Daytona Beach in 1927. It’ll stand out from the usual Ferrari crowd! pebblebeachconcours.net

Passione Engadina, Switzerland

Aug 21-24

Held in the shadow of Saint Moritz, Passione Engadina is preparing for its 15th edition this year with an ‘Italian Job’ theme – which is more a nod to the heights of Italian car design than the 1969 Michael Caine caper. It’s part car show, part concours, with a two-day regularity challenge at its heart. Pre-1986 classics are the main draw, but there’s also a celebration of up-and-coming ‘young timer’ future classics up to 2006 plus a smattering of modern supercars too – “at the sole discretion of the organiser”. passione-engadina.ch

Techno Classica Salon, Germany

Sep 24-27

Despite its catchy title, this is no dance rave in a central European field. Techno Classica Salon, above, in Dortmund is instead a world fair for classic, vintage and prestige cars with a heap of content on offer. Staged across six halls and 50,000sq m of the Messe Dortmund exhibition centre, it’s one of the busiest classic car shows in the world with more than 1250 exhibitors. technoclassica.de

Spa 6 Hours, Belgium

Sep 25-27

A staple of the European classic racing calendar, the Spa 6 Hours is a living, breathing showcase of historic racing on one of the world’s great tracks. The 6 Hours itself is dedicated to Pre-1965 touring and GT cars and always features a huge entry. Then there’s support from classic Belcar (Belgian GTs), the Derek Bell Trophy Series (F1, F3, F5000 and Super Vee, 1967-84), Historic Formula Junior and a load more. spasixhours.com