The Concours Collision: Why The Quail’s Crown Is Slipping Amidst the Las Vegas Spectacle
For decades, the term “concours d’elegance” was virtually synonymous with exclusivity and automotive poetry. The classic definition—a contest judged primarily on the aesthetic refinement and presentation of vehicles and accessories—painted a picture of static beauty. Yet, in the early years of the 21st century, that definition has undergone a seismic transformation, pushed to its absolute limit by modern technology and evolving collector tastes.
If you’ve spent any significant time navigating the stratified world of high-end automobiles, you will inevitably face the question that drives the core of this entire industry: which show is truly superior? While the iconic Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance remains the undisputed monarch of the
concours d’elegance circuit, the landscape is fragmenting faster than a vintage fiberglass body exposed to excessive heat.
Pebble, in the minds of many, represents the peak of this automotive pyramid. When we speak of Pebble, we are usually referring to the grand summation of events during the Monterey Car Week—a bacchanalian convergence of the ultra-wealthy and the globally elite, dedicated to the worship of all things four-wheeled and exorbitantly priced. This week culminates on the hallowed lawns of Pebble Beach Golf Links with the greatest concours event of them all. However, the eternal debate rages on in hushed whispers among collectors: Is the Goodwood Festival of Speed a better expression of automotive enthusiasm? What about the historic Goodwood Revival? Or the increasingly dominant Amelia Island and the avant-garde Retromobile?
Indeed, wherever the glitterati and the automotive elite gather to ogle blue-chip automobiles, someone inevitably poses the question: Is Pebble Beach still on top?
Here is the unvarnished truth: Pebble Beach maintains its sovereign status. Yet, the heir apparent to the throne—The Quail—is increasingly challenged by a glittering, crab-legged newcomer that has redefined what modern prestige looks like.
Why The Quail’s Reign Is Now in Peril
The Quail (officially titled The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering) has long served as the indispensable appetizer to the main course that is the Pebble Beach Concours on Sunday. But for a specific, and rapidly expanding, demographic within the collector car world, The Quail has long since surpassed the significance of Pebble’s Sunday affair.
These individuals tend to be deeply devoted to late-model and entirely brand-new supercars and hypercars. I have lost count of how many automotive friends—people who make the arduous pilgrimage to Car Week—abandon the event early on Sunday morning, declaring they have no interest in “a bunch of old cars.” Furthermore, the abrupt death of the Geneva International Auto Show left a gaping hole in the global supercar calendar, a void that The Quail has occupied with remarkable efficiency.
To illustrate this point, we can look at several critical examples. The Lamborghini Aventador made its global debut at Geneva back in 2011, and the eye-wateringly expensive Veneno followed in 2013. The Aventador’s eventual successor, the Revuelto, was launched with a sterile online unveiling. However, the Temerario (the Huracán’s replacement) made its first official public appearance at The Quail in 2024. This same pattern held true for the seven-figure Fenomeno, which debuted at the 2025 Quail event. Bugatti premiered the Chiron in Geneva in 2016; however, the subsequent Divo (2018) and Mistral (2022) were both unveiled to the world exclusively at The Quail.
These strategic decisions by automotive royalty are not coincidental. In other words, The Quail has matured into the definitive global platform for the world’s most exclusive machines.
Until the very end of October 2025, I believed that The Quail’s standing in the global automotive hierarchy was secure. Then I attended the 2025 Las Vegas Concours (officially designated as the Concours at Wynn Las Vegas), and I am no longer certain.
I must preface this by clarifying that I also attended the 2024 Vegas Concours. While I enjoyed myself, it struck me as distinctly regional, if not provincial. There were certainly some impressive automobiles, but they largely consisted of the usual suspects. In fact, if it hadn’t been for a strategic project I was managing with Czinger (which brought me along as their guest), I probably would not have made the effort to attend again this year. But I am profoundly grateful that I did.
The “Why Not Vegas?” Conundrum: What the 2025 Concours Revealed
What exactly made the 2025 Las Vegas Concours such a watershed moment? The event transcended a mere showcase of rare vehicles; it fundamentally challenged the prevailing hierarchy of automotive presentation. It became a philosophical reckoning for industry leaders: if we are in the business of creating the most desirable automobiles on Earth, and if our target demographic values cutting-edge technology, performance, and exclusivity above all else, then where should we display our masterworks?
At the Wynn Las Vegas, I witnessed a staggering display of Bugatti Veyrons—48 in total, meticulously arranged across the manicured lawns. This statistic is staggering. Of the 450 Veyrons ever produced, and the 100 that were sold in the North American market, a full 48 were present. Well, actually 49. Bugatti also supplied a breathtaking white Vitesse Super Sport to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Veyron, alongside a Bolide, Centodieci, Chiron Super Sport, Divo, Mistral, and a concept model of the upcoming Tourbillon—the revolutionary 18-cylinder hybrid that will eventually replace the Chiron.
Displaying, in a single location, more than 10% of all the Bugatti Veyrons ever built still sends shivers down my spine. This is not merely a car show; it is a historical archive come to life. The sheer density of these hypercars represents millions—if not billions—of dollars in collective asset value, gathered in one location.
The younger generation of enthusiasts also favors Paganis, correct? Because there were more than 40 of them present. I didn’t count exactly (I was far too busy marveling at the Veyrons), but the consensus was over 40. I observed several Zondas, including a rare Zonda Revolution (one of only five ever made), dozens of Huayras, a selection of Utopias, and—most alarmingly for The Quail’s future—the debut of the Huayra Codalunga Speedster. Pagani plans to produce only ten of these models, each carrying a price tag of approximately $7 million before taxes and import duties, should you be interested. (The mint-green example I saw under covers belongs to Apple’s Tim Cook, highlighting the ultra-elite nature of this market.)
Even if these carbon-titanium extroverts are not your personal preference, the mere fact that the 2025 Las Vegas Concours was not only the largest Pagani gathering in the history of North America but also the venue where Horatio Pagani himself (who was deservedly honored onstage by emcee Justin Bell for his transformative contributions to automotive design) and his team chose to debut a new vehicle, speaks volumes. We will discuss this more in a moment. But returning to the topic of the Paganis: there were over 40 present. That is more cars than the factory produces in an entire calendar year.
The Lamborghini section was equally mind-blowing, provided you are passionate about these types of vehicles. First of all, the 2025 Wynn Las Vegas Concours was the largest gathering of Lamborghinis ever assembled. Yes, ever. Again, I didn’t count, but the numbers being discussed were around 230. That represents 230 of the 600 automobiles present that Saturday. It is simply mind-blowing. Of those 230, there was a Veneno Coupe (one of only three ever sold to the public; the factory retained a fourth), a Sesto Elemento (one of ten), a Centenario Coupe (one of twenty) and a Convertible (one of twenty), and a Reventón (one of twenty-one). The last time I witnessed all those “few-offs” (as Lamborghini now brands them) assembled in one location was at the factory’s museum. It was an utterly breathtaking display of precious, high-horsepower Italian metal and composite engineering.
The question then becomes: how does one even begin to process this level of concentration of extreme wealth and exotic automotive engineering? We are talking about vehicles that cost between five and eight figures, representing the absolute pinnacle of what human ingenuity has produced in automotive form. For the average American, a $1,000 car payment is a significant financial burden. In this realm, we are discussing prices that rival a new skyscraper or a fleet of Gulfstream private jets. The cost to create and transport a collection of rare automobiles like the one seen in Vegas is astronomical.
In an attempt to remain relatively brief, I am omitting coverage of all the Koenigseggs, the Gumpert Apollo, the Czingers, the Nilu, the McLaren Project Endurance race car debut, all the automobiles that were actually judged (including a former and truly insane Pebble Beach Concours-winning 1929 Mercedes-Benz 680 S Barker Tourer 26/120/180 that won best pre-war of show here, too), the HWA EVO
