No Ropes

Hi Friends! 

As we all know, there are version of the car world that feel less like a community and more like a status test. You arrive at an event and quickly start figuring out who is supposed to be there. What are people driving, what kind of watch are they wearing, who invited them? Are they here because they love cars or because being seen near the right cars is part of the point? Too many events have become exercises in status checking. There are velvet ropes, private rooms, credential checks and an unspoken expectation that you should own something expensive before you are allowed to participate.

That has never been the part of the hobby that interested me. The best car people I know are rarely pretentious (even if often they definitely could be). They are the ones who will talk to anybody about a carburetor, a strange body style or a road trip that went wrong. They know a tremendous amount but do not use that knowledge to gatekeep or to make other people feel small. They understand that enthusiasm is the most important qualification. The best car communities are built around that idea.

When I think about the best version of Monterey Car Week, I think about the now nearly a decade defunct Concours on the Ave in Carmel. Founded in 2007 by Doug and Genie Freedman, the event was held free on Ocean Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea. It was traditionally the Tuesday kickoff to Monterey Car Week and (as long as you could find a parking spot and were willing to hike), the event was open to everyone, with no admission charge and no velvet rope separating the cars from the people who came to see them. In my opinion, of the thousands of car events I have attended over the course of my career, this was undoubtedly my favorite one.

Locals and visitors mixed together on the street. Porsches and Ferraris sat next to muscle cars, unusual European machinery, a competition car of some kind and cars that were just simply interesting and cool. You could see something worth millions and then turn around to find a car that had clearly been loved, repaired and driven for decades.

It felt like a block party for car people rather than a gala for clout chasers and influencers. Because of this it was the best event Monterey ever had. It was just people who loved cars standing on a street in a beautiful town, looking at beautiful machinery and talking to each other. Nobody needed to explain why they belonged there.

As Monterey Car Week grew larger and became more connected to luxury lifestyle culture, that loose community feeling was squeezed out. The week still has extraordinary cars and extraordinary events, but some of the things that made it feel like a celebration of the hobby instead of a fashion show have been lost. Concours on the Ave reminded us that a great car event does not need to be complicated. Put interesting cars in a public place, make it easy for people to attend and give them room to talk. That formula works.

Last night I attended a low key gathering thrown by Avants and every time I do this, it becomes clearer that organizations like Avants understand this better than most. The idea is not that everybody should have the same car. The idea is that everybody can show up with a similar goal: to enjoy cars and spend time with other people who enjoy them and that difference matters.

That creates a useful mix. A person with a million-dollar car can stand next to somebody with a project car that likely just got pushed off jack stands before it arrived. A vintage Porsche can be parked near a Subaru, a BMW, a motorcycle or something that does not fit neatly into any category and ideally, nobody cares which is which. The common denominator is just simple enthusiasm.

That model is worth more to the hobby than a hundred gated events. It introduces people to different corners of car culture and gives them permission to be interested in something outside their usual lane. Somebody may arrive because of a Ferrari and leave talking about a Volvo wagon. Somebody may come for the food and end up learning why a certain air-cooled Volkswagen matters. That is how communities become larger and healthier. Not by making the entrance more exclusive but by making the experience more welcoming.

I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it, the most encouraging thing happening in the hobby right now is the way Gen Z car culture has developed. It has proven to be remarkably open and non-judgmental. There is less pressure to choose one identity and stay inside it. Drift fans can be interested in off-road trucks. Vintage motorcycle riders can spend time with EV owners. Someone can appreciate a restored Alfa Romeo one day and a modified Honda the next. The categories are not as rigid.

Younger enthusiasts also seem more interested in cars with character than cars that are simply expensive. They want the story, the weirdness and the personality of a machine. A car does not have to be rare or valuable to be worth talking about. It may be desirable because of its color, its sound, its flaws or the fact that it reminds somebody of a family member (Silverado, Tahoe/Suburban and station wagon enthusiasts - I see you….). That is a healthy instinct.

A car with character gives people something to connect with. It can be funny, impractical, noisy, imperfect or completely out of step with current design trends. Its value comes from the way it makes people feel and the memories it creates. That does not mean Gen Z ignores expensive cars. Of course, they appreciate beautiful and valuable machinery, but price is not the only measure of interest. In many cases, it is not even the most important one. The question is less “How much is it worth?” and more “What is the story here?”

A recent Wall Street Journal article about young women and vintage SUVs offered a good example of this shift. The article focused on old Ford Broncos, Land Rover Defenders, Jeep Wranglers and similar machines. Although definitely still expensive in many cases, these are not quiet, anonymous luxury vehicles. They are tall, loud, analog and often imperfect. They have exposed hinges, upright windshields and interiors that can feel primitive compared with a modern crossover. Yet they have become highly desirable among younger buyers.

The article cited Hagerty provided data showing that the number of women under 50 buying 1960s and 1970s Ford Broncos rose 82% over a three-year period. That statistic is for women under 50, not Gen Z specifically, so it should not be presented as a purely generational number. Still, it points toward a larger change in the way younger buyers are thinking about collector vehicles.

Some buyers are paying six figures for vintage exteriors with modern mechanical systems underneath. The price can be substantial, but the attraction is not simply the price tag. They are choosing something that feels alive. Something with a shape, a sound and a point of view. They could choose a newer luxury SUV. Instead, they are choosing a vehicle with a story. That is exactly the instinct the hobby needs more of.

As I once again fall off the cliff that is planning Arizona Car Week 2027, I have been looking back at 2026 and thinking about which events stayed with me the most. Some of the best were focused on younger demographics. They were fun, loose and unpretentious. Nobody seemed to feel like they needed permission to be there. The cars were important, but the atmosphere mattered just as much. People were laughing. Live music playing, everybody talking to everybody and everybody was moving between different kinds of vehicles without worrying about whether one group belonged with another. That is the feeling worth protecting.

It is easy to build an event around exclusivity. You can create a guest list, limit access and make the experience feel important by keeping people out. These events do have their place as well, but that does not necessarily create a better car community. Often, it only creates a more visible hierarchy. The harder and more valuable work is creating an environment where somebody who has never attended a collector-car event feels comfortable walking in. Where a teenager can ask a question without being dismissed. Where somebody with a $3,000 project car feels just as welcome as somebody with a $3 million hypercar. Those are the events that grow the hobby.

Pretension protects exclusivity, but it kills community. Openness does the opposite. It gives people a reason to stay, to learn and to bring somebody new with them the next time. The best car event I have ever attended may not have had the rarest cars or the biggest budget. It was the one where everybody felt comfortable enough to start a conversation.

I would like to hear about yours. What is the least pretentious car event you have ever attended? Which one made you feel most welcome? Is that an environment you prefer?

SIDENOTE: Men’s Arts Council (one of my favorite nonprofits) has applied for the AZ Financial Credit Local Grant Program and has advanced to the final round of selection. This phase requires public voting to receive funds. The top grant is $25,000.00. One vote per person is allowed and voting ends September 13th. 

Please click the link below to help out and cast a vote.

Click here to vote for MAC 

That's it for this week…

Darin Roberge

(Learn More About Me Here)

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“I think while our tastes evolve and we no longer have bad “shiny things ADD”, we still have a little part that sees the beauty in it. It may not be for the same reasons, but they are still present. The little kid in us lets that happen. That's the beauty of growing up. BTW, Ducati 916s are STILL beautiful.”

- Renee D.