Las Vegas Concours: Has the New King of the Car World Already Arrived?
“Concours d’elegance” translates to a spectacular exhibition or competition where vintage automobiles and their accessories are judged primarily on their aesthetic beauty and flawless presentation.
In the elite circles of high-end automotive culture, a persistent question arises: Is the illustrious Pebble Beach Concours still the reigning monarch? For those immersed in the world of collectible cars, “Pebble Beach” often refers to the comprehensive Monterey Car Week held annually, which includes the prestigious Sunday proceedings. Collectively, these events constitute a dazzling, exclusive gathering centered around the most expensive and exquisite automobiles, culminating in the grandest concours d’elegance on the planet. Still, we are often asked: Does the Goodwood Festival of Speed surpass Pebble Beach? What about the Goodwood Revival? Amelia Island? Moda Miami? Retromobile? The Audrain?
Truly, wherever the affluent and impeccably dressed congregate to admire million-dollar machines, the debate about Pebble Beach’s supremacy inevitably surfaces. The truth remains: Pebble Beach still reigns supreme as the gold standard for concours events. However, the true contender, the potential heir to Pebble Beach’s throne—The Quail—may now face a serious challenge from a new, glittering adversary.
Why Consider The Quail?
For years, The Quail (officially titled, The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering) has served as the ultimate prologue to the main event on Sunday at the Pebble Beach Concours. In reality, for a significant and rapidly growing segment of the automotive community, The Quail has long since overshadowed the Sunday proceedings at Pebble. This demographic typically gravitates toward contemporary, production-level supercars and hypercars. I have personally lost count of how many car enthusiasts embark on the journey to Car Week only to depart on Sunday morning, entirely uninterested in viewing “a bunch of old cars.” Furthermore, the demise of the Geneva International Auto Show left a premium void in the supercar calendar, a void that The Quail has capably filled.
Allow me to offer a few examples. The Lamborghini Aventador made its official debut at Geneva in 2011, and the highly exclusive Veneno followed in 2013. The successor to the Aventador—the Revuelto—was unveiled officially through an online presentation. However, the Temerario (the anticipated replacement for the Huracán) made its inaugural public appearance at The Quail in 2024. This mirrors the introduction of the Fenomeno, a seven-figure hypercar that premiered at the 2025 Quail. Bugatti unveiled the Chiron in Geneva back in 2016; however, both the Bugatti Divo (2018) and the Mistral (2022) were first presented to the global audience at The Quail. This pattern extends to dozens of other vehicles as well. To put it simply, The Quail has evolved into the world’s premier venue for showcasing these state-of-the-art automotive marvels.
Up until Halloween last year, I considered The Quail’s position within the global automotive hierarchy to be unshakeable. Then, I attended the 2025 Las Vegas Concours (officially designated as the Concours at Wynn Las Vegas), and now, I find myself reconsidering that assumption. I should clarify that I also attended the 2024 Vegas Concours, and while I enjoyed myself, it felt more like a regional rather than an international event. The vehicle selection featured some impressive cars, but they were largely familiar models. In fact, if I hadn’t been working on a project with Czinger (which hosted me as a guest), I likely would not have attended this year. Yet, I must admit, I am incredibly grateful that I did.
What Is the Las Vegas Concours?
The Wynn estate proudly displayed 48 Bugatti Veyrons on the grounds this year. Yes, you read that correctly. Out of the 450 Veyrons ever produced and the 100 sold in North America, 48 were present in Las Vegas. Actually, it was 49, as Bugatti presented a stunning white Vitesse Super Sport to commemorate the Veyron’s 20th anniversary. Alongside this rare model, they showcased a Bolide, a Centodieci, a Chiron Super Sport, a Divo, a Mistral, and a prototype of the forthcoming Tourbillon, the 18-cylinder hybrid engine poised to replace the Chiron. However, assembling more than 10 percent of all Bugatti Veyrons ever manufactured in a single location has left my mind reeling.
The younger generation also adores Paganis, doesn’t it? Because there were more than 40 of them. I didn’t tally the exact count (my attention was completely captivated by the Veyrons), but there were several Zondas, including a Zonda Revolution (one of only five ever produced), dozens of Huayras, numerous Utopias, and—remarkably for The Quail—the debut of the Huayra Codalunga Speedster. Pagani plans to manufacture only 10 units of this particular model, with a price tag of $7,000,000 per vehicle before taxes and import duties, should you be interested. (The mint green example displayed in Vegas under covers belongs to Apple’s Tim Cook.) Even if these extreme, carbon-titanium expressions of automotive extravagance are not your preference, the fact that the 2025 Las Vegas Concours hosted not only the largest gathering of Paganis ever assembled in North America, but also that Horatio Pagani (who was honored on stage by emcee Justin Bell for his contributions to automotive design) and his team chose to introduce a new vehicle there speaks volumes. We will discuss this further shortly. Returning to the topic of more than 40 Paganis: That represents a larger production volume than the factory produces in an entire year.
The Lamborghini display was equally astonishing if you appreciate these types of vehicles. To begin with, the 2025 Wynn Vegas Concours hosted the largest gathering of Lamborghinis ever. Yes, absolutely ever. Again, I did not conduct a precise count, but the number being discussed was approximately 230. That accounts for 230 of the 600 vehicles presented that Saturday. Simply astounding. Among 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 20) and Convertible (also one of 20), and a Reventón (one of 21). The last time I witnessed all these “limited-run” models (as Lamborghini refers to them today) assembled in one place was at the factory’s museum. It was a staggering display of priceless, high-horsepower Italian metal and composite materials.
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What Could Possibly Be Next?
Two topics of conversation dominated my interactions with fellow attendees at the Wynn Vegas Concours. The primary question was: “How on earth are they going to top this next year?” I have no idea, but I wish the Wynn the best of luck. The second, and frankly far more intriguing, query came from the automotive manufacturers themselves: “Should we even bother exhibiting at The Quail next year?” A very valid question. Perhaps I should wish The Quail the best of luck as well.
Things you might not know about The Quail: A single ticket cost $1,300 last year. That was offered as a courtesy to those who had attended in the past (“legacy ticket holders,” as I believe they are called). The cost for first-time attendees was $1,600. While this is admittedly expensive, it costs manufacturers approximately $400,000 to secure a booth space there. And that’s for only six hours. The Vegas Concours charges roughly 1/20th of that amount. Furthermore, if you wish to attend, tickets are priced at only $100 per person. That’s approximately $2 per Veyron on display. I spoke with three different car manufacturers who openly questioned the necessity of ever returning to The Quail. Perhaps, they speculated, Las Vegas and Moda Miami are sufficient. Moreover, attendees will not face the heart-stopping cost of hotel accommodations (I know a friend who stayed at a motel near Pebble that cost $1,100 per night, with a minimum stay of five nights), nor will they be subjected to the soul-crushing traffic of racing from one event to another. Additionally, securing dinner reservations is effortless because Las Vegas is fundamentally designed to accommodate large gatherings.
In an attempt at brevity, I will omit mentions of the Koenigseggs, the Gumpert Apollo, the Czingers, the Nilu, the McLaren Project Endurance race car debut, all the vehicles that were actually judged (including a former, award-winning 1929 Mercedes-Benz 680 S Barker Tourer 26/120/180 that previously won Best of Show at Pebble Beach), the HWA EVO, a Mercedes-AMG One, two Oldsmobile Aerotechs, and a McLaren F1. Yes, this is one hell of a car show.
What This Means for You
For collectors and automotive enthusiasts, the rapid evolution of events like the Las Vegas Concours presents both exciting opportunities and strategic challenges. The traditional hierarchy of concours events is being disrupted by these newcomers. This shift signals a growing demand for modern automotive excellence—specifically supercars and hypercars—that often outpaces the demand for classic vehicles
