Kicking off Monterey Car Week With a Motorlux Preview originally appeared on Autoblog.
It’s August, and that means one thing for car collectors and enthusiasts: Monterey Car Week! I’ve heard that around 100,000 people will descend upon the California beach town of Monterey and its surrounding areas to get their fill of cars and car culture.
I’ll be one of them, thanks to my hosts at Jaguar Land Rover, aka JLR, who are generously loaning me a Defender 130 for the week. While in Monterey, I’ll have the opportunity to meet and interview JLR leadership and design team members, as well as see the Jaguar Type 00, whose introduction has spawned more discussion than any other car in my memory. Please let me know if you have questions for them.
Motorlux kicks it off
But first, Motorlux. Hagerty's Motorlux is the big event on Wednesday night of Car Week, and can best be described as a celebration of cars and car culture. It’s more than that, though. It’s held at the Monterey Jet Center and will include exhibits of luxury aviation and some of the best food that California has to offer, prepared by three Michelin-starred chefs.
It’s the food that I’m most excited about. Well, that’s not totally true, but I’m excited about the food because of the pairings. Yes, there will be wine pairings; it’s California, and I’m expecting some great wine. But the food will be paired with four different automotive exhibits. The Motorlux team tells me that the highlights include the following:
From Stuttgart with Love
This is a tribute to Porsche, and the centerpiece will be the Porsche 963 RSP. If you’re not familiar with the 963 RSP, it’s a road-going version of the current 963 endurance racing car that competed at Le Mans this year.
America’s Wild Horse - 60 Years of Ford Mustang
Ford’s Pony Car just turned 60, and this exhibit will showcase Mustangs from the 1965 Fastback through to the latest Mustang GTD.
200 MPH Club
Motorlux celebrates excesses, and what’s more excessive than going over 200 MPH? I’m just jealous: I’ve never driven that fast. This exhibition includes supercars and hypercars from the 1980s through the present, like a Ferrari F40 and the new Alfa 33 Stradale. Can’t wait.
The Mercedes Maestro - Icons Designed by the Late Bruno Sacco
One theme that runs throughout Car Week and Motorlux is the importance of good design. After all, enthusiasts appreciate good design, be it related to form, function, or a combination. This exhibit will include former Autoblogger and now Hagerty automotive influencer Jason Camissa’s 190E 2.3-16.
Broad Arrow Monterey Jet Center Auction
Motorlux also kicks off the two-day Broad Arrow Monterey Jet Center Auction. Around 150 cars will be headed to this auction, but I'll be watching for one of the earliest Cobras, CSX 2003. CSX 2000 is Carroll Shelby’s prototype, and it lives in Colorado at the Shelby American Collection along with CSX 2002, the first racing Cobra. CSX 2001 is in the hands of someone I know well, so I’m looking forward to having seen the first four Cobras. CSX 2003 is expected to trade hands for between $1.5 and $2.0 million, so this car will not be coming home with me. Shame.
Other favorites headed to auction include a low-mileage 1991 Ferrari F40 that’s expected to bring more than $3.4 million and a 2018 Bugatti Chiron, also hoping to fetch over $3.0 million. I’m even excited to talk to XPEL while I’m at Motorlux. They’re one of the sponsors, and my Porsche is literally coated in their paint protection film, so I hope to learn more about the company.
Beyond Motorlux
Over the course of my time in Monterey, I’ll make my way to all of the key events, including the races at Laguna Seca, The Quail, and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and will report back.
Kicking off Monterey Car Week With a Motorlux Preview first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 12, 2025
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
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