To thank everyone for the intimate experience of La Dolce Vita, I will start this thread. I did not go to concourso, primarily because the traffic on the highway getting close to it at 8 a.m. was too thick for me. I followed the signs to LDV and got lost, but there is a happy ending. Eventually, I found myself at the golf course main entrance. I drove over to the LDV office on the side. A nice guy was there watching the bottled water and cookies. I grabbed a pink frosted cookie and asked for directions. The guy told me, "with a car like that you can go anywhere." I guess that is true and I replied, "only while she is on." Anyways, I don't usually get those comments in my blue 328 GTS. Taking his directions by heart, and being able to see the show about five holes over, I drive right through. Yes over the rough, down the greens, and through the woods my little non-red Ferrari she went, while I ate the cookies. I gently approached a row of Fiat Spiders and yelled, "fore!!" while greeted with a round of laughter, claps of the hand, and thumbs up. I joined a red Ferrari, the two sat there under the shade of an old tree on-top of the hill. This was the back area of the show, I was not a participant but a welcomed guest at this intimate event. It was vast and spacious, with enough cars to fill your appetite. Carmel Car week attracts mega-attractions that are organized and impromptu. Around lunchtime, some friends asked me to join them for lunch. We started our row, led my a new F V-8, and a Vector W-8, and my blue 328 to go to the Intercontinental Hotel for a bite. Eventually, a couple of the diablos, testarossa, lotus joined us from LDV. The hotel roped off the cars, and a swarm of on-lookers enjoyed the cars. I enjoyed a hamburger. Having gone to Pebble Beach for many years, and talking to some of the people from the early days, LDV reminded me of their stories. Pebble started as a group of car enthusiasts getting together for an impromptu meet and drive. Sure, it grew to "Car Week" and the mecca for nearly everyone on this forum. I felt lucky to have that experience that can get lost in the over-organised car marketing events. P.S. I decided to post after seeing all the pictures of Concourso. I forgot my camera, so I don't have any pics.
Cool story Jon. I agree about it feeling like the type of event that the "old school" guys still talk about today. I liked that it was smaller. I do think that there is a lot of room to grow but certainly wouldn't want to have more than 400 or so cars there. That would be the ABSOLUTE limit. It was nice to see you there. By the way......."$10 at AutoZone!!!" You know what I am referring to. Go get one!! ;-)
Yes, it was fun..cool friends, awesome cars and great lunch. Let's do it again next year PS: Thanks for the sweater
Hey Tony... When I asked you if you're going to CI, you told me no, that you are staying home with the wife and kids this year.... Why didn't you go to CI instead?
Last minutes the wife decided to let me go on thursday and be back by friday evenning. No plans, No shows, No tickets....next year CI for sure. I had so much fun hanging out with the pack