Thinking Ahead At Monterey Car Week

The largest collector car gathering in the world was a time to consider the future of the hobby and appreciate the continued interest in our beloved classics.

The conference room at the Bernardus Resort in Carmel Valley, California, was filled with around 50 of the classic car world’s brightest luminaries including noted collectors, industry executives and assorted pundits who all share the same passion for meaningful automobiles. The assembled contingent came from around the world, each answering a summons from Miles Collier, founder of the REVS Institute, an organisation housing one of the most important automotive collections in existence, including a significant archive of original images and important records.

Held on the first day of Monterey Car Week, a date chosen to ensure the best possible attendance, this group was charged with leading the discussion on how best to preserve the hobby’s accumulated knowledge and pass that experience on to future generations of enthusiasts. Much has been written in recent years about the possible decline in interest in classic cars, especially since many young adults seem little interested in automobiles in general, evidenced in the waning numbers of licensed drivers and the corresponding rise in the popularity of ride-hailing services. I was surprised then to hear the results of several studies that show that the interest of younger enthusiasts is stronger than ever. Their definition of what is a meaningful car, however, has changed to include far more modern vehicles than would fall under the traditional definition of a ‘classic’ car.