Is The Quail Losing Its Shine? Evaluating The 2026 Luxury Automotive Landscape
The world of high-end automotive events often revolves around a single, globally recognized name: Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. When aficionados speak of “concours d’elegance,” they typically refer to a prestigious competition judged on the aesthetic excellence of vintage vehicles and their accessories. However, in contemporary conversation, this term often extends to encompass the broader spectacle of Monterey Car Week, a week-long jamboree of exclusive gatherings, auctions, and luxury hospitality. The grand finale, the crowning jewel of this week, is the main Pebble Beach Concours itself.
For years, the question has persisted among the discerning elite: how does Pebble Beach stack up against other world-class events? Discussions inevitably gravitate toward comparisons with the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival, the venerable Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, the glitzy Moda Miami, the classic-centric Retromobile in Paris, and the newly established Audrain in Newport. Wherever wealth, taste, and automotive passion converge, the query resurfaces: is Pebble still the undisputed king?
While Pebble Beach undeniably retains its regal stature as the pinnacle of concours tradition, its position as the exclusive domain of heritage automobiles is being seriously challenged. The proper heir to Pebble’s throne—The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering—has long served as a brilliant appetizer to the main course. Yet, for a growing segment of the enthusiast community, The Quail has steadily eclipsed the Sunday event. This demographic tends to favor cutting-edge, late-model supercars and hypercars. I have lost count of how many friends travel to Car Week but depart early Sunday morning, having no interest in “a bunch of old cars.”
The demise of the Geneva International Auto Show left a substantial void in the supercar calendar, a vacuum that The Quail has filled admirably. Consider the trajectory of automotive debuts: the Lamborghini Aventador first graced the world stage at Geneva in 2011, followed by the ultra-exclusive Veneno in 2013. The Aventador’s successor, the Revuelto, debuted online. However, the Temerario—the replacement for the Huracán—was unveiled for the first time at The Quail in 2024. The same is true for the multi-million dollar Fenomeno, which premiered at The Quail in 2025. Bugatti presented the Chiron in Geneva in 2016, but the Divo (2018) and Mistral (2022) were both unveiled at The Quail. This pattern extends to dozens of other marques, solidifying The Quail’s reputation as the premier venue for the world’s most desirable new automobiles.
The Rising Tide: Evaluating The 2026 Luxury Automotive Scene
Until recently, I believed The Quail’s dominance in the luxury automotive landscape was secure. Then I attended the 2025 Las Vegas Concours, officially known as the Concours at Wynn Las Vegas, and my perspective shifted dramatically. Let me preface this by explaining that I had attended the 2024 event and found it enjoyable but somewhat provincial, featuring mostly familiar models. Had it not been for a project with Czinger that secured my invitation, I might not have returned this year. But I am profoundly grateful that I did.
What transpired at the 2025 Wynn Las Vegas Concours was nothing short of staggering. The event featured 48 Bugatti Veyrons. To put this into perspective, only 450 Veyrons were ever built, and 100 of those were sold in North America. Of the 48 vehicles on display, 49 were present, as Bugatti unveiled a stunning white Vitesse Super Sport to commemorate the Veyron’s 20th anniversary. The lineup also included a Bolide, Centodieci, Chiron Super Sport, Divo, Mistral, and a model of the upcoming 18-cylinder hybrid successor, the Tourbillon. Displaying over 10% of all Bugatti Veyrons ever produced in one location left me in a state of near-disbelief.
The younger generation’s favorites were equally well-represented. The Pagani display was breathtaking, featuring more than 40 vehicles. While I didn’t count precisely—I was captivated by the Veyrons—there were several Zonda examples, including a Zonda Revolution (one of only five ever built). The collection included dozens of Huayras, a selection of Utopias, and—significantly for The Quail’s standing—the debut of the Huayra Codalunga Speedster, a model Pagani plans to produce in just 10 units, priced at approximately $7 million each before taxes and tariffs. (The mint-green example displayed was owned by Apple’s Tim Cook.) Even if these exotic carbon-titanium creations do not align with your personal taste, the fact that the 2025 Las Vegas Concours hosted the largest Pagani gathering in North American history—and that Horatio Pagani himself, honored for his contributions to automotive design, chose this venue for a major unveiling—is undeniably significant.
Beyond the Pagani spectacle, the Lamborghini contingent was equally mind-blowing for enthusiasts of this marque. The 2025 Wynn Vegas Concours hosted the largest gathering of Lamborghinis ever assemble, with estimates hovering around 230 vehicles. These accounted for roughly 230 of the 600 cars present that Saturday—an absolutely astonishing display. Among this extraordinary collection were a Veneno Coupe (one of only three publicly sold, with the factory retaining one), a Sesto Elemento (one of ten), a Centenario Coupe (one of 20) and Convertible (one of 20), and a Reventón (one of 21). The last time all these “few-offs,” as Lamborghini now calls them, were assembled together was at the factory’s museum. It was a flabbergasting display of precious, high-horsepower Italian metal and composite materials.
To maintain brevity, I have omitted numerous other highlights from the event. These include the impressive Koenigsegg collection, the Gumpert Apollo, the Czingers, the Nilu, the debut of the McLaren Project Endurance race car, all the vehicles that were actually judged (including a pre-war 1929 Mercedes-Benz 680 S Barker Tourer that had previously won Best of Show at Pebble Beach Concours), the HWA EVO, a Mercedes-AMG One, two Oldsmobile Aerotechs, and a McLaren F1. Simply put, the 2025 Wynn Las Vegas Concours was an absolute marvel of automotive engineering and design.
Future Trajectories in theLuxury Automotive Sector
As I interacted with fellow attendees at the Wynn Vegas Concours, two primary threads of conversation consistently emerged. The first and most obvious 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 OEM car manufacturers: “Should we even bother attending The Quail next year?” This is a legitimate question, and perhaps I should wish The Quail the same kind of luck.
For those unaware, a single ticket to The Quail cost $1,300 last year for returning attendees (dubbed “legacy ticket holders,” I believe). For first-time attendees, the price was $1,600. While expensive, these costs pale in comparison to the approximately $400,000 that OEMs spend to exhibit a vehicle at The Quail for just six hours. By contrast, the Las Vegas Concours charges approximately one-twentieth of that cost. And if you wish to attend, tickets are merely $100 each—equivalent to about $2 per Veyron. I spoke with three different automakers who openly questioned the necessity of ever attending The Quail again. Perhaps, they mused, Las Vegas and Moda Miami are now sufficient?
Furthermore, attendees at the Wynn Vegas Concours do not face the heart-attack-inducing hotel rates or soul-crushing traffic congestion common at Monterey Car Week. A friend of mine recounted staying in a motel near Pebble Beach that cost $1,100 per night for a minimum five-night stay. Navigating the labyrinthine coastal roads, jumping from one exclusive event to another, is a grueling exercise in patience and time management. Conversely, securing dinner reservations in Las Vegas is refreshingly straightforward, as the city is designed to accommodate large-scale gatherings efficiently.
What Might the Future Hold?
While the events of 2025 suggested a potential seismic shift in the automotive world, the landscape entering 2026 has solidified some surprising dynamics.
The Resurgence of Tradition: Pebble Beach’s Unbreakable Foundation
While The Quail and The Wynn have undeniably captured attention with their cutting-edge hypercars, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance has demonstrated remarkable resilience. The 2025 event featured an unprecedented display of Bugatti Veyrons, illustrating a broader trend: the market for limited-production, high-hypercars has never been stronger. This is a boon for events that focus on exclusivity and innovation.
However, Pebble’s allure transcends the mere display of new machinery. The event’s foundation lies in the preservation of automotive history. This year, a 1929 Mercedes-Benz 680 S Barker Tourer, a historic vehicle that previously won Best of Show at Pebble, was featured in the Wynn Las Vegas Concours. This juxtaposition highlights that the luxury automotive market thrives on both the
