It was a tentative start to Car Week, but it’s on tap for a roaring finish in Pebble Beach.

Dave Faries here, wrapping up Car Week in style—hopefully.

The caveat is because we pieced together today’s newsletter in advance of Concours d’Elegance, and already it has been an interesting 10 days. The Timber Fire forced evacuations from Big Sur, with many residents sheltering in hotels. See Monterey tells us that during Car Week, hotel occupancy county-wide is at 85-95 percent, with rooms on the Peninsula more or less fully booked. However, we hear from a few sources that some regulars chose to skip their visit or shorten their stays, given inflation and other obvious concerns.

We will know more on that soon enough. But what I can say now is that the start of Concours d’Elegance and Car Week was much more tentative. For our cover story package, I spoke with several people who visited the first events in 1950, all drawn to Pebble Beach for the races rather than the car show. 

Despite the fire and frustration over the many ways influencers have been causing commotion in recent years, there was plenty of excitement over the past 10 days. The auctions brought some unique vehicles to the block. Many events chose to highlight JDMs, or cars made for the Japanese domestic market, as well as that nation’s motorsports heritage. Associate Editor Erik Chalhoub took a look at those who prize JDMs and bring them to the U.S. And, as always, there are locals who work behind the scenes to make it all happen. Staff Writer Aric Sleeper featured one company, Kyler Engineering, that specializes in pavilions worthy of show cars.

As all of this was going on, there were—and still are—people collecting and distributing food and other necessities to fire victims and firefighters. Whether you love or loathe Car Week, I am certain we are all united in supporting these fine people.