Erik Chalhoub here, admitting that I’ve felt a little starstruck these past 24 hours with Car Week hitting full throttle.
This morning I visited Mecum Auctions in Monterey to see what the big reveal would be, since earlier this week, Mecum teased it as perhaps the most significant car from both the silver screen and race track.
I just missed the actual moment of the curtain being lifted—traffic surrounding the Monterey County Fair & Event Center and the Del Monte Golf Course, where the auction was being held, was at a standstill, so as soon as I saw a parking spot about two miles away, I took it and walked.
Once inside the auction tent, I saw it: the 1970 Porsche 917K, driven by Steve McQueen in the 1971 film Le Mans. Weekly Features Editor Dave Faries has more on what is called “the most recognizable race car in the history of race cars.”
The night before, I attended the global unveiling of the 2025 Lincoln Navigator. The invite promised an appearance of a “celebrity guest,” and it delivered. As the new SUV was driven out from the darkness of a garage, sitting in the passenger seat was tennis superstar Serena Williams—an audible gasp could be heard from the crowd of about 100 people.
You can read more about the event and Williams’ long-lost Navigator named “Ginger.”
The final days of Car Week are upon us—some are cheering, others are booing—and this weekend won’t let up until the very end.
Among the events is Concours d’Lemons on Saturday in Seaside, my personal favorite as a fan of oddball vehicles that are much more attainable for us average folks. Car Week concludes on Sunday with the biggest event of them all: Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach.
For a week all about driving, I’ve actually gotten more steps in during the past couple of days attending events than I got all of last week combined. I’m expecting thousands more this weekend.
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