Like the Cannes and Sundance Film Festivals, there is a commercial aspect to Pebble Beach that is substantial. Though many film lovers converge at those famous film festivals, the events also serve as commercial market places, where buyers and sellers of films meet to transact business.

Pebble Beach is the Cannes of the Collector Car world, where buyers and sellers of expensive automobiles can get together in one venue, that is both elegant, exotic, but still in large part highly commercial. While the Gooding is the only official auction at Pebble Beach, and is the only sale held on the actual grounds at Pebble Beach (there is also the Blackhawk Exposition Tent, where cars are sold at marked prices, but that is another story); there are also three other major auctions held during the weekend – Christie’s, Bonhams and Butterfields, and the RM auctions. Each is significant in some way, and each is held at different venues and times, but all take advantage of the Pebble Beach weekend to match up buyers and sellers. 

CHRISTIE’S

Christie's auction is held on Thursday evening at the Monterey Jet Center, and is a one night affair. It's convenient for the big money bidder who wants to fly in just in time to bid on that special Duesenberg that they've had their eye on, step off their private jet onto the tarmac, walk into the auction, place their bid, and then be whisked away back to the life of the very well to do. As chance would have it, we happened to arrive (though not by private jet) just as the Steve Mc Queen Ferrari was about to break the $2 Million mark. When it did, the crowd roared in approval. The car finally sold for over $2.3 million (with bidder's premium).  

Other celebrity vehicles included three from Max Weinberg (the drummer in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and the band leader who appears nightly on the Conan O' Brien show), and Peter Fonda's personal motorcycle. Although Christie’s offered only 60 cars at auction, they like to claim that they were selling quality rather than quantity.   Admission to Christie’s is only with the purchase of a catalogue, which costs $60 and admits two. 

BONHAMS AND BUTTERFIELDS

The Bonhams and Butterfields auction takes place on Friday afternoon at the Quail Lodge and is adjacent to the Quail event. B&B benefits from their location at Quail and the fact that their timing coincides with the attendance of the high value crowd that is privileged to attend the Quail event, a mere 200 yards away. Admission to Bonhams is included with the Quail event, and a large percentage of the B&B attendees wore Quail credentials around their neck, and clearly were bouncing between both events. Those not able to get into Quail can still attend with the purchase of a catalogue for $75, which admits two. 

Bonhams & Butterfields featured the sale of the oldest surviving Cadillac which sold for $337,000.  They also touted many celebrity connected vehicles, raising a total at auction of $9 Million.   

RM AUCTIONS

The RM auction claims to be the "Worlds Largest Sports Car Auction", and may well be. It takes place on Friday and Saturday evening at the Portola Plaza Hotel and the Monterey Convention Center, and goes until 1:00 AM both evenings. 

The streets of downtown Monterey are blocked off, and the Plaza is lit like a movie set, giving a real sense of glamour and glitz to this event. A chain link fence is erected around the plaza and only serves to pique the curiosity of onlookers and passersby. The drama of this auction is palpable.   Nearly 200 cars were offered at auction and sales proceeds totaled over $46 Million.  Admission to the RM auction comes with a catalogue, which is priced at $100 (admits two) or by paying a $40 admission fee. 

GOODING & COMPANY

Finally, is the Gooding, which takes place Saturday evening and again Sunday evening after the Concours d'Elegance. This was the first year that the auction was scheduled for both nights and traditionally took place only on Sunday evening after the Concours. Admission is by purchase of a catalogue for $100 (for two) or by paying $30 per person for each night of the auction. 

Simply by attending the VIP preview on Friday evening and viewing the cars that Gooding is offering for sale, it's easy to see that this is the prestige event and deserves to be the only "official" auction connected to the Pebble Beach weekend. Gooding offered for sale 169 cars raising a record total of over $61 Million. 

So, there you have it. An auction for everyone, no matter what your preference in style or schedule.

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