In recently years, we have felt that the Quail Motorsports Gathering had fallen a little off its game: too many sponsored new cars and not enough truly special machines. Then there was the ticket price north of $500.
This year’s show, held August 18 at the famed Carmel Valley resort, was spot-on. The crowd was devoid of clunkers, and we …
Tim: Isn’t this just a little ridiculous? Half a grand to spectate at a car show, even if it is a fancy car show? This is hardly the only show that’s this pricey, too. Does it really cost that much to produce a show like this? Or is the price that high to keep out THOSE people. You know, THOSE people who would arrive in their Toyotas rather than their G5s? Those people with grease under their fingernails instead of ink stains from writing “two comma” checks to RM Sotheby's? Those people who drive their toy cars to local shows rather than have them shipped across several time zones by Passport? You know, those people your magazine used to appear to be aimed toward, but you seem to have evolved “up market” over the last few years. Don't you think its getting nuts?
In reply to stu67tiger:
I was there last year. Every car guy should go and check the whole week in Monterey off his bucket list. It's well worth the money.
The level of cars here is spectacular. I work on stuff like this every day and I still don't get tired of seeing it.
These folks take "car show" to a whole new level, it's worth the price of admission for sure.
No crybaby dolls, no beach boys music, no bluehairs in poodle skirts.
Just a ton of stuff you may never get to see again in your life, all in one place.
Shawn
I don't think I would pay the money to go every year, but the Quail and Pebble are certainly bucket list experiences that worth experiencing.
To some extent the price is nuts and I do think they don't want us masses there, but the whole thing is first class. Heck, even the program book they give you on the way out probbaly costs more to make than a year of our magazines.
Is that price just for admission, or does that include some first rate catering and wine as well? The price seems to make a bit more sense if it's regarded as a first rate wine tasting which includes a car show. Not sure I could justify going there myself, but it is interesting to hear about what one can get for that kind of money in car shows.
And being literal minded, I have to wonder if quail eggs, or quail themselves, were on the menu. 
There's some really nice free swag to be had, even the auction catalogs are worthy of being coffee table books.
You can test drive / ride in some really exotic stuff from the dealers.
I sat in on a couple speaking events when I was there, one was a bit of a puff piece featuring Jay Leno and an insurance rep from Hagerty on valuing classic cars.
For me, it was worth it for the experience but I probably won't go again.
I'm going to try to make it for the Quail Motorcycle Gathering though.
I've gone twice- once in 2015 and again in 2016. You're right in that it's crazy expensive, but there is A LOT of stuff that's free. I still need to go back as there are still things that I haven't been able to fit in the prior years. It really is a good time.
There is no extra fee for really, really decent food and wine. Kind of like a high dollar buffet, eh?
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