Negotiating the turns at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during this year’s Rolex Monterey Motor Sports Reunion
It’s that time of year again – the time when lovers of vintage motor sports gather together in California for the Monterey Peninsula’s Classic Car Week. Among the much-loved, world-famous events are the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion — a cornerstone of the week – and the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance. Additional road rallies and events also take place. We’ve covered the show in years past in much detail, so today, we just bring a highlight or two for those who can’t get enough of the great roadsters of yesteryear.
At the Rolex Monterey Motor Sports Reunion.
For Rolex, this event is one of the brand’s largest showcases. In fact, as premier sponsor of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Rolex actively supports the majority of events for the week – wherein hundreds of top vehicles show what they are made of. Approximately 550 vehicles are invited to compete in the world’s premier motoring event known as the Rolex Monterey Motor Sports Reunion, and are accepted based on the car’s authenticity, race provenance and period correctness.
Jaguar Lightweight E-Type
This year also ushered in some important celebrations: the 100th anniversary of Italian automaker Maserati; the unveiling of the new Jaguar prototype Continuation Lightweight E-Type (six will be built by Jaguar Heritage, part of Jaguar Land Rover’s new special division).
1954 Ferrari 375 MM Scaglietti Coupe, owned by Jon Shirley won the best of show at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Sunday afternoon. Photo c:
Peter DaSilva / For the Times
All of the festivities culminated Sunday at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where the finest cars in the world were on display at the famed 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Links. Here, unlike the technical precision of racing at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, cars are put to a different test – that of being historically accurate in technical merit and style. More than 700 cars applied to be at the Concours, but only a couple of hundred were granted admittance. The stakes are high, the cars judged in precise categories such as Early Steam Cars or Pre-War. So, in the end, who won the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours Best of Show? A ’54 Ferrari 375 MM owned by Jon Shirley.
