Bonhams Cars is ending a nearly 30-year tradition by relocating its annual Monterey Car Week sale. The auction will now take place at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering in August. This change marks a significant shift for the classic car event calendar.
The upcoming 2026 classic car season is set to feature notable changes in event formats and locations, as reported in the March 5, 2026, issue of Classic & Sports Car Magazine. Central to these developments is Bonhams Cars' decision to break its longstanding practice of hosting the annual Monterey Car Week sale at The Quail. For nearly three decades, the auction house has held this event at the established venue during the prestigious Monterey gatherings.
Instead, Bonhams will conduct the sale at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering, scheduled for August 2026. This motorsports-focused event represents a fresh approach, aligning the auction more closely with trackside activities. The magazine highlights this as part of a broader watershed year for classic car events, including new concours and venue adjustments.
While specific details on the gathering's program remain forthcoming, the shift underscores evolving trends in the collector car world, where auctions increasingly integrate with dynamic motorsport experiences. Bonhams has not elaborated further on the motivations behind the move in the available reporting.
