As summer sets in, attention turns to Monterey Car Week. We’re beginning to see initial lot listings at the major houses, so why not start highlighting some of our favorites. To that end, we believe this F50 qualifies in spades.
The color is Giallo Modena, one of just two US specification F50s built in this color. It’s a tasteful configuration, a point that gets driven home when you also mention that it was ordered new by Ralph Lauren who kept it in his possession for eight years.
The car has logged just 5,400 miles and is Ferrari Classiche Certified. Most of us aren’t in the $6M+ Ferrari F50 market, but for those of us who are you may want to pay attention.
Back in July, Porsche shared PR images of the Taycan Turbo GT rocking the Weissach Package, presented in Purple Sky Metallic (not to be confused with Prince’s “Purple Rain,” but we can see the connection), and boy, is this a wild color.
A few months later, we got to see it in person at the Quail Events during Monterey Car Week 2024. Purple Sky Metallic seems to be a new color for Porsche, as we haven’t seen it before on any other model. How would we describe it? Majestic, unicorn-like, dynamic, and, of course, very purple. Lighting certainly has an effect on this shade of purple, as the color can shift from a bright purple to a dark blue.
Although Purple Sky Metallic is not a PTS color, Porsche lists it as a “Dreams” color when you’re ordering your Taycan Turbo GT with the Weissach Package. If you’re not going PTS, this would be the way to go.
Check out the gallery below for more photos, and let us know your thoughts on the new purple from Porsche!
Bentley shared a few weeks ago that a bespoke Continental GT Speed First Edition crafted by Mulliner would headline its presence at Monterey Car Week. So, while at The Quail during car week, we swung through the Bentley stand to check it out. While there, we also snagged a few “real world” photos of the car in its captivating Orange Flame Satin paint.
Below are our shots, including a few from Bentley as well. One of the shots includes Bentley’s full build spec sheet on the car.
With a few new creative classes, the Pebble Beach Concours is showing it can evolve into the future and be even more relevant to younger generations. It gets there by embracing car trends that came after the golden era cars that typically grace their greens. And had you wandered past the homologation car arrangement and 70s wedge class, you’d have rolled up on the first SUVs ever to occupy real estate at this vaunted event. Were they worthy, well they each belonged to Queen Elizabeth and were presented by Defender and Range Rover.
JLR’s association with the Royals goes considerably far back, and is an official supplier for their vehicles.
“It was amazing to witness Her Majesty’s ten Land Rovers and Range Rovers rolling past the front door of The Lodge at Pebble Beach and pulling on to the famed fairways of Pebble Beach Golf Links – and I was honoured to greet them there. Crowds were astonished and delighted. Later in the day, the vehicles were an impressive sight parading across our show ramp during the Awards Ceremony – to great applause.,” commented Sandra Button, Chairman of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
We took particular interest in a segment of the display that included a line of Defenders and Range Rovers painted very similarly. Each was a deep and dark red-purple, with thin pin stripe and with royal coat of arms on the door. These cars were official royal service vehicles known State Review or Royal Ceremonial State vehicles. Each were built by Land Rover to specification for the royals for use in the given period ordered. As you can see, there’s a distinct lineage and these vehicles can see service for many years.
Walking past each generation Royal Ceremonial State, it was clear there was a shared specification. Wanting to learn more, we reached out to representatives at JLR and learned some interesting details.
The color of these cars is known as “Claret”, though sometimes called “Royal Claret”. This traditional royal color actually pre-dates the automobile and was used on state carriages. It is reserved only for vehicles in Royal service, meaning neither Land Rover nor JLR have ever offered it on a civilian model.
The first State Review Land Rover was built on a 1954 Series 1 and featured a custom rear platform. It traveled with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on a six-month tour of the British commonwealth. It even made its way to Australia in that time, though today resides in the U.S. where it is owned by a private collector.
This next State Review vehicle was the first Range Rover to carry to serve in such capacity and was built on a 1974 model. It was used from 1975 to 2002, with a modified rear that featured foldaway seats and a lectern with concealed umbrellas. An additional exhaust silencer was also fitted. This vehicle is currently housed in The Royal Collection at The British Motor Museum in Gaydon, UK.
The third State Review Vehicle was based on a 1990 Range Rover. This particular vehicle was notably featured in the photo chosen by the Queen herself for her 1994 Christmas Card. That photo depicted the Queen and Prince Philip aboard the Range Rover attending the 50th Anniversary the D-Day landings in Arromanches. It is also part of The Royal Collection at The British Motor Museum.
The fourth in this State Review vehicle series is a 1998 Range Rover P38A. Built by Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations, it replaced the previous 1990 State Review Range Rover and featured a rear platform design now featuring four foldaway seats rather than the previous two.
The fifth and final State Review vehicle on display at Pebble Beach is this 2005 Range Rover L322. Again built by Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations, this vehicle was notably used to transport the then Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry during Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday parade in 2016.
We have to say, while we understand why JLR has no interest in building a Queen Elizabeth-specification Royal Claret Range Rover, that doesn’t make us want one any less. Special thanks to the team at JLR North America who entertained and provided answers for our very specific questions in regard to these vehicles.
Paying tribute at Pebble Beach to the three-pointed star’s competition at the Nürburgring was this unique Mercedes-AMG GT R surrounded by legendary racing cars of the same marque. Mercedes aimed to celebrate its own 130 years in motorsport as a theme at its Monterey Car Week installation, and the specification on this GT R did just that.
GT3 versions of the car are stalwart competitors in the VLN and 24 Hours of Nürburgring, an iconic race at an iconic track also known as “The Green Hell”. It’s from that race that this medium green hue from MANUFAKTURE takes its name – Green Hell Magno (greenhellmagno; pearlescent metallic matte; 376; Mercedes-Benz).
We weren’t able to gain access to the inside of this one, but the specification listing for the car confirms the interior is black MB-Tex with Dinamica.
Watch for more highlights of tailored Mercedes on display in Monterey on this site.
Leave it to Monterey Car Week to bring back memories of one of the best perks of new car shows like Geneva, Frankfurt or New York. Though those new car expos are now long gone, an expansive Mercedes-Benz installation at Pebble Beach during Monterey Car Week proved whomever runs Mercedes’ auto show fleet still knows how to order an incredible tailored spec. Take for instance this Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E in stunning MANUFAKTUR signature Rubellite Red metallic (rubellitrot; 660 / 3660; Mercedes-Benz).
Rather than digging too far into the performance details of the AMG GT 63 S E that you can find anywhere, our focus will be solely on the tailored build spec. Rubellite Red Metallic is a classic deep burgundy, a color that accents well with red touches on the tail model badges, the amber brake calipers and also with the handsome new satin finish Mercedes-AMG badging on the nose. The cockpit of the big Merc accented exquisitely, tailored in MANUFAKTUR signature Sienna Brown with Black segmentation.
With fewer and fewer auto shows, the tradition of highly unique factory tailored cars that get displayed on show stands and offer just a bit of subtle provenance for those who know is something special. It’s a practice the automotive enthusiast world needs more of, so thanks to Mercedes for bringing this and more to Pebble Beach. Look for more highlights from this stand in the coming days.
Perhaps the most exclusive event during Monterey Car week is The Quail. Okay, the private owner dinners of posh brands may be more exclusive, but as mainstream events The Quail is both the most expensive ticket and also awash in the most exclusive cars… cars like this Singer Classic Turbo.
The Quail may very well be the heir to the Geneva Motor Show throne. Here, producers of the most exotic and expensive automobiles are on display while a concentration of the most wealthy car enthusiasts in the world stroll around them taking it all in. Where once the industry auto show held in Switzerland wore that crown, The Quail seems more than happy to take the throne as car events move out of convention centers like Geneva’s Palexpo and more into the lifestyle space.
Vintage Porsche tailor Singer has been a regular at The Quail for years, debuting new models here and configuring them in the most tasteful specifications. Perhaps our favorite on the stand was this Classic Turbo version produced in Turbo Racing White with Seafoam shoulder stripe. This car is known as the “Fuji Commission”.
Beyond the sublime color choices, this car stood out further for its painted Turbo-style stripe graphics (no vinyl here) that hark striping on the earliest Porsche 911 Turbos of the 1970s. At the same time its handsome plaid fabric seats continued the 70s vibe, though in a decidedly timeless way.
A highlight of Monterey Car Week is Broad Arrow’s Monterey Jet Center Auction held at the nearby airport. While in town for MCW, we stopped in for a visit at the Broad Arrow preview in order to take a closer look at the incredible metal they were offering for sale. Amongst that mix was this 1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS painted in Grigio Ferro Metallizzato (106-E-28).
Research suggests this wasn’t a special request. Grigio Ferro Metallizzato was introduced on later cars, though it remains quite rare. Only 35 Dinos were built in this color.
We encountered the car parked inside one of the Monterey Jet Center hangars that was being used for the Broad Arrow Auction. It sold for $626,500.
This Ferrari 812 Competizione was likely the most customized car on the list at Bonhams | Cars. While the 812 Competizione is already unique, this one (VIN# ZFF03TLAXN0283626) stands out with nearly $130,000 in factory bespoke options. The most striking feature is the Extracampionaro (off-catalogue) paintwork in Blu Elettrico 2020 with Giallo Fly livery accents.
The details continue with 20-inch wheels fitted with yellow-accented Pirelli tires, yellow calipers, and exposed carbon trim. Inside, the theme persists with stunning Blu Medio leather-trimmed Daytona racing seats, Nuovo Giallo accents, and contrasting yellow stitching. The window sticker and specification plate highlight carbon fiber features, including the rear diffuser, front air vents, under door covers, instrument panel, parcel shelf, upper console, and dash inserts.
Additionally, the car is equipped with adaptive headlamps, a suspension lifting system for easier low-speed maneuvering, diamond-polished forged wheels, a high-power audio system, and Scuderia shields. With all these bespoke options, this Ferrari truly is a one-off, and according to Bonhams, it sold for $1,611,000.
The Tailored Driver Car Week trip kicked off at the Bonhams | Cars Quail Auction. As we searched for bespoke options, limited colors, and tailored interiors, auctions like this were the perfect place to start. The online previews provided a solid idea of what to expect, and Bonhams certainly delivered.
As always, Bonhams | Cars showcased a fantastic selection, but we focused on three specific cars: the 2022 Ferrari 812 Competizione, the 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach, and the 1998 Porsche 911 Type 993 Turbo XLC Coupe. We’ll dive into these in detail in a future post.
For now, enjoy the coverage curated by our team, and let us know what you think! Don’t forget to join our groups and forums at Tailored Driver Registration.
