Monterey Car Week is here — one of the biggest events on the American auction calendar. Today through Sunday night, over 1,200 high-end classic cars will cross the auction blocks of seven different auction houses, all set up in different spots on the Monterey peninsula. But the big news isn’t how many cars will be offered, but instead how much money, in total, those cars will bring — last year saw 822 cars sell for $464m, with an average sales price of $564k each. This is where buyers and sellers at the top of the market come out to play, and they tend to play big.
What’s in store this year? Will our upward trend in prices continue on blue-chip collectible cars at the top of the market? How about mid-level collectibles at lower prices? How will it all impact truck and muscle car buyers in other parts of the country? Frankly, it’s too soon to tell. But the American Car Collector and Sports Car Market team will be at each auction and event, and we will be crunching all the numbers as they happen.
In addition to all the auctions that set up shop in Monterey and its surrounding areas, there are a bunch of other gasoline-fueled sights to see, including high-end concours, historic races, rallies, and art exhibitions. You can read all about it in our Insider’s Guide to Monterey. If you’re in the area, look for us at all those events, too. And don’t forget about our Monterey Insider’s Seminar taking place at Gooding’s Pebble Beach auction on Saturday morning. I’ll be sitting on the panel this year, discussing what to look for in classic American pickups.
Watch this space for more information on Monterey as it happens, and look for our complete coverage in the November issue of Sports Car Market and the November/December issue of American Car Collector!