Vince Finaldi is the person leading Pebble Beach’s big car show as its new president. Before that, he worked as a lawyer and later started a business that deals with European collector cars.
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is a famous car show for collectors. It’s where rare and important cars are displayed and judged, and it’s considered a big deal in the hobby.
Finaldi Incorporated is the European collector-car restoration/service/sales shop Vince Finaldi opened after retiring from law. The episode frames it as a continuation of the family’s automotive business tradition.
Mercedes-Benz is a well-known German car brand. Collectors often like it because it has a big history and many models are considered important or desirable.
They’re talking about the Italian sports cars they saw growing up and how those cars influenced them. It’s basically explaining what made them fall in love with cars.
Lamborghini is an Italian car brand known for wild-looking, very powerful supercars. Car people often mention it when talking about the most exciting Italian performance cars.
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car made in the U.S. It’s designed to be fast and fun to drive, and it’s been around for many decades. People bring it up a lot because it’s one of the most well-known American performance cars.
MG is a British car brand that’s known for classic sports cars, especially older lightweight roadsters. It’s a name car fans recognize from British performance history.
The Lamborghini Countach is a legendary supercar from Lamborghini. People remember it for its wild, angular design and its powerful V12 engine, and it became a symbol of what a “dream car” looks like.
Car
Chrysler minivan
They’re talking about a regular Chrysler minivan—basically a family car. It’s mentioned to show how surprising it was to see a Countach in the real world.
Road races are competitive motorsport events held on paved circuits or road-course layouts. In this segment, the speaker notes that Pebble Beach’s concours tradition began in 1950 alongside road racing, linking the event’s prestige to motorsport roots.
Concept
rigorous and strict judging standards
They’re describing how the show has very strict rules and judging. Some cars get accepted, and others don’t, based on those rules.
In car-show terms, authenticity means the car is true to its original look and history. Judges and fans care whether it’s been kept or restored in a way that matches how it should be.
A convertible is a car where the roof can be opened up so you can drive with the top down. Collectors often care a lot about convertibles because they can be rarer and more desirable than the same model with a fixed roof.
This is the market where people buy and sell classic or special cars. The point here is that it’s changed: instead of being just cars people use, many buyers now treat them more like art or collectibles that can grow in value.
They mean the way art is valued—things like rarity and history—are now being used to value collector cars too. So some cars are treated more like investment collectibles than everyday vehicles.
Unbroken provenance means the car’s history is fully documented from the beginning, with no missing records. It helps buyers trust that the car is real, original, and not a mix of parts.
A generational shift means the kinds of buyers in the collector-car world are changing. Younger people are now buying the cars they used to just dream about.
They’re talking about a specific auction called the Mika auction. The point is that it kicked off a wave of big, attention-grabbing sales for rare cars.
Halo supercars are the headline-grabbing, ultra-rare, high-status cars that set the tone for a brand or market. Their auctions and publicity can pull attention (and money) toward the broader collector ecosystem.
The Ferrari Enzo is a famous, high-end Ferrari supercar with the engine behind the driver. The point here is that it’s been around for a while, but people are suddenly treating it like a must-have “hot” collectible.
The Ferrari F50 is a classic Ferrari supercar with a big V12 engine and a very “old-school” feel. Here they’re saying it makes sense that people would get excited about it because the car’s setup is the kind enthusiasts recognize right away.
A naturally aspirated engine doesn’t use a turbo or supercharger to force air in. It relies on the engine’s design and revs to make power, which often feels more direct and “linear.”
“Formula one technology” refers to engineering ideas borrowed from Formula 1 racing—often lightweight construction, advanced aerodynamics, and high-performance powertrain design. In this context, the hosts connect F1-derived tech to why certain Ferraris make sense as “hot cars.”
Car
Ferrari 280 GTO
The Ferrari 280 GTO is an older, legendary Ferrari that’s closely tied to racing. In the conversation, they’re saying it makes sense that people would want it because its reputation is already well established.
A “hot car” is one that suddenly becomes very popular and desirable. In this segment, they mean the Enzo feels like it’s “arrived” as a top pick even though it’s been around for years.
The Porsche Carrera GT is a very high-end, very fast Porsche supercar. It’s built in small numbers and is meant for serious performance. People talk about it because it’s rare and memorable to drive or own.
Suspension upgrades are modifications to the parts that control how the car rides and handles bumps and turns. The goal is usually to make the car feel more stable and easier to control.
Drivability is how easy the car is to drive day-to-day and in normal driving situations. A car with good drivability feels smooth and predictable instead of surprising you.
Here, “safety” means how controllable the car is when you drive it hard. The hosts are saying setup changes like suspension and tires can make it less likely to get out of shape.
Fontana is a place in California tied to a famous crash mentioned in the episode. The hosts say that incident affected how people viewed those supercars afterward.
A “twitchy car” is one that feels a little too sensitive—small inputs can cause big reactions. It usually means you have to be careful and skilled to keep it stable.
Concept
legend that comes with it
The host is talking about a car’s reputation—what people think of it because of its history and fame. Even if you improve the car with modern parts, that “special status” still matters to owners and buyers.
The Porsche 918 is a top-tier supercar from Porsche that uses a hybrid system. In the conversation, they’re saying it may be newer and more advanced, but it doesn’t always grip the road in the same way as the older car.
Traction means how well the tires can grip the road. More traction usually means the car can accelerate harder and feel more stable instead of spinning or sliding.
Condensation is water that forms when warm air cools down. In a car, that water can show up on cold parts and even get into sensitive areas like electronics.
Heat cycles are just the car getting hot and then cooling down again. That repeated process helps dry out moisture and lets fluids and parts settle into normal operating conditions.
Preservation cars are cars that are kept in their original, mostly-unmodified condition. The goal is to keep the car’s history and originality, even if it isn’t flawless.
A barn find is a car that’s been sitting unused for a long time and then gets discovered. People like them because they can be surprisingly original, but it also makes you wonder where new ones keep coming from.
Person
Tom Shaughnessy
Tom Shaughnessy is mentioned as an early barn-find figure. The host is saying he helped kick off the idea of pulling old cars out of storage and turning them into finds.
The Porsche Boxster is a Porsche sports car with the engine in the middle and a convertible (open-top) design. It’s made for driving enjoyment, especially on twisty roads. People often talk about it because it’s a well-known Porsche model.
A “barn find” is a car that’s been sitting unused for years, usually hidden away in storage. People only find out about it later, and then it becomes a big deal.
“GT3” usually refers to a Porsche 911 that’s built to be more track-capable than a normal 911. The point here is that when a car is that valuable, it can make you more nervous about using it.
“997” is Porsche’s generation code for a particular era of the 911. The host is using it as another example of a 911 that can become so valuable that it makes owners more cautious about driving it.
This segment describes how owning a very high-value car changes the emotional experience: owners can’t fully “disconnect” from the car’s worth, and they feel more stress while driving. It also notes that higher market value increases public attention, which can make owners less comfortable leaving the car unattended.
This is a special, high-power Lamborghini supercar. The “LP640” is the version name, and in this case it’s the manual-transmission kind—something that’s rare and therefore more collectible.
“Manual trans” means you shift gears yourself using a clutch pedal. Some collectors prefer manuals because they’re less common and can be more desirable.
Ed Bullion is referenced as the prior owner of the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, which matters in the collector world because prior ownership can add provenance. Provenance is often used to support authenticity and desirability for high-end, rare cars.
“Collectability” is how much collectors want a particular car. In this case, the speaker says mileage changes how collectible it is—there’s a range where it’s especially valuable.
A “sweet spot” means the best balance point. The speaker is saying there’s a mileage range where the car is still seen as special and valuable, without being too heavily used.
Car
Porsche
Porsche is a brand that makes sports cars. The speaker is saying that once people start owning Porsches, they often end up buying more because the cars are well-made and easy to live with compared to some other brands.
“Finicky” means the car can be a bit difficult. The speaker is saying some older Italian sports cars may need more care and can be less trouble-free day to day.
The Porsche 356 is an early Porsche sports car. It’s famous for being light and fun to drive, and the speaker says they started owning them because they’re just a classic.
“Beehive lights” is what people call a specific headlight style on some early Porsches. The lights have a shape that looks like a beehive, and it’s a recognizable detail.
MFI means mechanical fuel injection. It’s a fuel system that delivers fuel in a more direct, mechanical way, and the speaker thinks it’s a big part of why these older 911s feel special.
“Euro Carrera” means a Porsche 911 Carrera that was built for the European market. The speaker likes these because they can be set up a bit differently than U.S. versions.
“G body” is a way enthusiasts refer to a specific generation of the Porsche 911’s body/chassis. The speaker’s point is that this version is a bit stiffer, which helps the car feel more solid and responsive.
“Car week” is the annual stretch of time when a bunch of car events happen in the Pebble Beach area. People look forward to it all year, then feel a little down once it’s over.
This class is for streamlined cars from before World War II. They’re known for very aerodynamic shapes, and the host says they’re especially impressive to see in person.
A “shooting break” is a car body style with a long, elegant shape—kind of like a wagon, but styled more like a sporty coupe. The host is saying some of these pre-war cars look like that.
They’re using more of the golf course to show cars. A “fairway” is one of the main playing areas on a golf course, and adding a third one means more cars can be displayed.
A “world record” here refers to an official attempt to set a Guinness-style record for the number of a specific model/brand present at once. The host compares the planned count to a prior record of 27 cars in 2016.
Term
technical aspects of the show
In concours judging, the “technical aspects” refer to how well a car’s engineering details match expectations—such as correct components, period-appropriate specifications, and restoration accuracy. It’s part of what distinguishes a concours from a casual car show.
“Attract young collectors” refers to the strategy of bringing newer generations into the classic-car hobby. In concours culture, that often means updating programming, outreach, and the kinds of cars and stories highlighted to keep the scene growing.
Concept
lineage, um, and the history of the event
He’s talking about the event’s background and traditions—what it’s known for and where it came from. The challenge is changing things without losing what makes it special.
He’s calling Pebble Beach one of the biggest, most prestigious car events. That means changes have to be careful so it doesn’t lose its top reputation.
The Mille Miglia is a legendary Italian race. It’s especially famous for historic cars, so bringing a period Ferrari there is a big deal in the collector world.
The Ferrari Mondial 3.2 Cabriolet is a Ferrari convertible with a 3.2-liter V8 engine. It’s a road car designed to be driven on regular roads, but still has Ferrari performance and design. It can come up in stories about specific Ferraris and their history.
PCH means Pacific Coast Highway. It’s a famous road along the California coast, and he’s describing how his drive starts right on that route.
LIVE
you know, for the first time in my life, you know, my my
credentials kind of fell right, right exactly where they're
supposed to be. And this week on that car show, it's Vince
Finaldi, the new president of the Pebble Beach Concours
Delegance. This is the 75th year of the Concours. And it's just
four weeks away. So there couldn't be a better time to
have him on. Vince shares his unique path to Pebble, talks
about the cars that shaped him, what goes into pulling off an
event like this and where he sees the collector car world
heading next. All roads lead to Pebble and it's Vince Finaldi
on that car show.
Hey, it's that car show and we are so glad you're here because
today we've got Vince Finaldi on the show and Vince of course is
the new president as of this past January of the world's
greatest celebration of the automobile, the Pebble Beach
Concours Delegance. And Vince is a trial attorney who in 2022
decided to retire from practicing law to open Finaldi
Incorporated a shop like those run by his father and grandfather.
It focuses on the restoration, service and sales of the European
collector cars we know and love. His personal collection has
included Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini. Needless
to say Vince is our kind of guy. We're thrilled to have him join
us today. Welcome to that car show, Vince.
Thanks for having me. Glad to have you here. And I think we're
both very curious about your journey to being Pebble Beach
Concours President. You've stepped into some very big shoes.
Yeah. Yeah, you know, I'm excited to be here. It's been a long
car journey that I've been on that started when I was just a
child. Yeah, were you always, were you always a car guy?
Yeah, you know, I was born into a car family. So, you know, my
grandfather was in the automotive industry and my father and my
uncles were as well. There are entrepreneurs who own shops
throughout Chicago area and Southern California. So, I kind
of grew up in shops and surrounded by automobiles.
Yeah. Yeah. Did you live in Chicago? I mean, I'm a Chicago
guy, so I've got to ask. Yeah. Yeah, where were you?
That's where I was born. My father and my uncles emigrated
from Italy to Chicago in the late 60s. Okay. And so that's
where I was born. Cook County Hospital. Yeah. Southside. Okay.
This is where I lived until 1978. Okay. That's when we moved
everything to Southern California. Yeah. Yeah. Right on. Were
you in the Carmel area at that time? No, no, Southern
California. That's where my father and my uncle shops were. And
so I lived there all the way up until about four and a half, five
years ago. Five years ago, my wife and I decided to relocate
the whole family up to Carmel. We had been coming up here for
car week for years and years. And and it was, you know, an easy
decision if you've ever been up in this area. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
You would not have to, you wouldn't really have to twist my
arm to get me to move to Carmel. Yeah. It's a great part of
the world. And so I'm just curious, you grew up around cars,
grew up around special cars. What was the first car that really
caught your eye or your first car that you said, you know, damn,
this is really something special. Every single one of them.
Yeah. Yeah. My dad and my uncles, they not only ran collision
repair shops and mechanic shops, they also imported and
exported cars to supplement their income and also to have
fun cars to play with. And so they specialize in Italian
sports cars. So at our house, while growing up, we always had
Italian sports cars coming and going, you know, Alfa Romeo,
Maserati, Ferrari, Lamborghini. And so those are the cars that I
kind of grew up around. In addition to American muscle
cars, primarily Corvettes. Okay. And some German cars, some
Porsches, some British cars, the ones that really resonated
with me with the Italian sports cars that were kind of our
bread and butter. Yeah. Yeah. What were the British cars that
you had? Like that you were exposed to?
Yeah, Jaguar, MG, mainly those, you know, a lot of Jaguars.
Yeah, yeah. Did you get dropped up at school and this stuff?
And is this just part of your identity growing up these cars?
I don't think ever dropped off because my dad would leave for
work way before school started. And he'd come back home way after
school was over with. But he'd take us for rides on weekends,
for sure. And so we just lived in a normal suburban neighborhood
in Southern California. And, you know, one day we'd have, you
know, Ferrari in the garage, we'd have a, you know, Lamborghini
Mura in the garage they own for a while. And so yeah, at the
time, I just thought it was kind of normal you buy these cars
and bring them in and, you know, drive them for a while and
then, you know, sell them and then move on to the next one.
But, you know, I should have known something was a little
odd when we'd, we'd, you know, get in the car and, you know,
hit the garage door open or open up the garage door. And, you
know, pretty soon there'd be a gang of kids outside looking in
and sometimes they're their fathers wondering what's going on.
And I just thought everyone's house was like that. But
apparently they weren't. Yeah, no.
Turns out that is not the case.
Turns out it's not the case.
We just had our buddy Ryan Sopkon. I don't know if you know
Ryan at all, but he's a big Ferrari guy. And we talked a bit
about how these cars not just can change your life, but really
have the power to change the lives of others just out and
about. I remember so vividly the first time I saw my first
Lamborghini Countach, right? And I had my dad chase it in our
Chrysler minivan, right? It's too late. And it just, you know,
he's got enough 40, right? When he takes that out, I mean, that
has the power to change the trajectory, I think of a young
person's life, right? Their interests, their hobbies for the
rest of their lives. And so, man, I can't imagine having that
rotating cast of cars through the house. I mean, it just must
have been wonderful, you know?
Well, it was wonderful, but it was also torture, if you will,
because, you know, I'd come home, I'm, you know, 56
years old, and there'd be this wonderful sports car. And, you
know, I get inside of it and play with it and pretend like I'm
driving it and just fall in love with the car. And then the
next day I'd come home from school and the car is gone. Oh,
yeah, I'm like, whoa, what's going on here? You know, this one
is mine. Yeah, I have to make it. Yeah, and then, and then, you
know, next week, another one would show up and I'd forget all
about it. And I'd fall in love with that one. And then, you
know, same thing would happen again, or, you know, wash, rinse,
repeat. So, you know, now that I'm older, I, you know, I'm not
the type of person that buys a car and keeps it forever. I like
to buy cars and fix them and work on them and play with them and
drive them and use them. And then, you know, after I've had my
time with them, I usually move them on and I'm on to the next
one. And because, you know, primarily that's what happened
throughout my entire life. I was, I just got used to that
process from a young age. Yeah, yeah, that was the example.
You know, when we were kids, you know, these weren't, I don't
want to call them, you know, don't want to say that they're
commodity cars now, right? But, you know, there were a lot
fewer Ferrari dealerships when we were growing up. They were just
that much more special. You just, you just didn't see them
like you do now, right? Yeah, well, there, there are very few
dealerships. And that's one of the reasons why my father and my
uncles would supplement their income by importing cars. It
was something that was easy for them to do because they were
from Italy, they knew, you know, where to find the cars, they
knew how to bring them in here. And there weren't a lot of
dealers here. So, yeah, it was a good way to make money.
And it must have been continental, right up in
Hinsdale when you were a kid was the big dealer in the Chicago
area. You know, I know Joe Marquetti was a big dealer. Okay,
okay. In Chicago and, and so, yeah, but I was, you know, very
young. Yeah, I was born in 74. So by the time we moved in 78,
I sure, right. I wasn't going to many dealerships and hanging
up trying to buy cars there. Right. I was probably trying to
stay warm. Right, exactly. That's right. That's right. So
funny. This is the 75th year of the Concor. What do you think
has kept Pebble really the benchmark event that it that it
has been all these years and continues to be?
Well, one of them, it's the oldest concourse in the US. It
started in 1950, along with the road races in Pebble Beach.
And it's been an event ever since. So, you know, what number
one is the longevity of the event. Number two is that it's
always been able to innovate to stay, stay ahead of the crowd.
That which is very important to keeping your event fresh,
relevant and something that people want to go to. And number
three, it's always kind of remained a pinnacle event in
terms of its standards. It's always had very rigorous and
strict judging standards, very strict standards about which
cars are accepted and which ones are not. And Pebble has
always known what it is. It's not like, you know, some shows
that are, you know, especially newer shows, which, you know,
granted, it's for a reason. But, you know, they're trying to
figure out what they are, they're going to be a high end,
they give me a low end, or they can just accept everything. You
know, they need to monetize it. So they kind of, you know, want
to accept everything to get going. Right. But, you know, we've
been, you know, running the show so long that we have a, we have
the luxury of not, not having to do that.
Yeah. Yeah. We talked a lot with folks about authenticity and
how that's just what everyone wants these days, right? And,
and that, you know, that's, that's Pebble, right? I mean,
that that's the one, right? I mean, you can't fake the funk
because I think as you're kind of getting that and, and it's
just
Yeah, you know, I've been around, you know, repair, collision
repair, restoration, you name it, of cars since I was born. So
I've been, you know, in paint shops, I've seen cars just
completely demolished and rebuilt. I've, I've lived
through all the stuff that was going on in the, in the late
70s and 80s when they were shopping, you know, Ferrari
Daytonas and the convertibles. And I know the shop where that
was going on, it was down, down the street from one of my dad
shops. Really? And, and I've seen that the progression of the
collector, whatever you call it, the hobby, the, the business,
the
Just sort of the whole realm.
Well, I've seen how it's changed before. These were just
kind of cars and kind of items you owned and used. And, you
know, you know, there was one point in time where they were
kind of throwaway, you know, especially race cars in the
60s. Yeah. Right. But, but now the way people look at them,
the way they buy them, the way they use them, the way they
invest in them is, is more akin to fine art. You know, there's a
lot of fine art principles that have been applied to the
collector car market. Right? Yeah. And so, yeah, that's, that's
something you really have to take into account if you're
anywhere in the business, or if you're, you're buying cars,
it's just, it's a, it's a different world now. Yeah. Yeah.
Can we talk about those generational shifts a little bit? I
mean, you mentioned the Daytona, right? Yeah. And how, look
how that's shifted, you know, over the last 20 years or
whatever. What are you seeing? What, what are, you know, what
are young? I hate the term young people, but people younger
than us, right? Like what, what, what, what are you seeing?
Yeah. Well, I mean, to finish the point of the authenticity, I
think people are really recognizing and valuing
authenticity, partially because of the way these cars are
being valued. Yeah. And the idea that they're only original
once. Yep. What I'm seeing is, is, is that shift shift towards
more original, more complete cars with, with, with unbroken
provenance that you can, you can trace all the way from day
one, people are, you know, they're a lot more informed buyers
and users of cars nowadays than they were 10, 15 years ago,
we've got much better records, we've got the internet that we
can use. So I've seen that as a change. And another change is
something that's been happening since the beginning of the car,
which is younger collectors come in, and they want to buy and
use the cars that, you know, we're on their posters on their
wall when they were young, and they couldn't afford them. So
we're seeing that generational shift now. It's happening right
in front of our eyes that pretty much, you know, we could say
it started in January with the, with the Mika auction, you know,
that the huge auctions for some of these, these halo supercars
that happened at the beginning of this year. And the numbers keep
repeating, they're continuing. So that's something that I think
caught probably, you know, you, Lindsay and Ryan, by, by, you
know, off guard, yeah, me off guard. Yeah, yeah. I wish I had a
time machine, I can go back to October. Yeah. Maybe a couple
things. And yeah, yeah, but, but that's nothing new. I mean,
it had happened when, you know, people transfer, you know, you
know, went from the brass harrow to the cars, the, you know,
the pre war and then the post war. And, you know, it's, it's
always been happening these generational shifts in the cars.
Yeah, it's just a matter of pinpointing, like you said,
before it happens, so you can, you know, advantage yourself if
you want.
And which ones is going to happen too? You know, it doesn't
happen all the cars. Yeah, there's no ones that are the
anointed ones that, that, that, that rise, you know, and
yeah, sometimes the one, the ones that do that really kind of
take you off guard. There's a couple that caught me off guard,
you know, I was going to say, which were the ones that were
most surprising to you this year, like starting, you know,
the Enzo, the Enzo is pretty surprising. Yeah, you know, it's
yeah, that's one that caught me off guard, you know, the F 50,
I can understand a lot more. Yeah, it's a manual, it's 12
cylinder, it's naturally aspirated. Formula one technology,
I get that one. Yeah, 280 GTO, I get that one as well. The Enzo
caught me off guard a little bit. Yeah. So what about that? Were
you like, Oh, I didn't see that coming?
Just that it's newer. Oh, yeah. It's F one trans car. Right. And
it was kind of lingering for years and
all of a sudden, it's just a hot car. It's here. Yeah. Yeah. So
yeah, also, I still think of that as like a new car or newer
car. And it's not. Me too. For a minute. I remember, I remember
seeing him in the showroom in what 2005 or whatever. And then
also the Carrera GT kind of caught me off guard a little bit
as well. That car, you know, was was lingering at a much
lower number for years and years and years. And, you know,
there are definite reasons for it. I think the the the
suspension upgrades and the upgrades and tires really
improve the drivability and the safety of that car, which
which helped quite a bit with the, you know, the value. Yeah,
because I think, and Vince, I think you were in California
when this happened, but there was a very famous crash in
California between a Ferrari and a Carrera GT at a track in
Fontana, which is actually not there anymore. And I think at
least for the people, you know, semi locally, that definitely
cast a pall over those cars too. Unfortunately, like, fairly
or unfairly.
I grew up really close to that track. And I know
where it was. I remember the crash. And that's not the only
one. There's several no, you know, high profile, you know,
incidents with that car. It's, it's, it's, you know, it's, it's,
it's, it could be a twitchy car, you really have to know what
you're doing. It's a high performance, you know, car. And
that's yeah.
Well, I think, like you said, the all the upgrades that they
did recently, I think everybody, I think there were a lot of
people that maybe took a second look, which could help explain
sort of the surprising value, but it made a big difference.
And I think that car has something in it has an
intangible and that's it's got a legend that comes with it,
right? And maybe it's less deserved now with, you know, as
you, as you look to the tires and the suspension upgrades and
all that. But I mean, that, that is, you can't, you can't put a
price on that. And it's, it's, it's just, there's something
about that car, that car has gravity. It just has, yeah,
yeah, it's, it's, I guess what's interesting is like, so you
see the Carrera GT and then the 918 Carrera GT is the one that's
really moving, you know, which, you know, the 918 is kind of
the upgraded version, but it's not really the same kind of
traction. Yeah, you see the same thing with the with the four
GT, you know, that the 2005 one, and then, and then the next one,
the next one's, you know, it was a much higher, you know, price
point, but it's not getting the same traction. So I guess that's
kind of what would caught me off guard a little bit with the,
with the Enzo is that, you know, I expected that kind of to be
the same. Yeah, yeah, that makes sense. I know, like you said,
Ryan, I think about those as new, I remember seeing one of
those on the street and describing it to people and
it was around 2005. And I'm saying like, you definitely,
that's not what you saw. And I'm like, no, these are, these were
the features of this car. And like, well, that's what that was.
And it feels like it was a couple years ago.
Yeah, totally, totally. You mentioned to, you know, that young
people drive the cars more. And that's something that I've seen.
You know, I think rallies like, you know, the Colorado Grand
and the Cal Millie and all these other, I mean, they're more
popular than ever. We're seeing a lot of younger people. And
they're driving cars that maybe wouldn't have been driven,
right? Yeah, you seen the same thing? Yeah, I'm kind of seeing
that. Yeah, no, I mean, I'm noticing more of a shift from
the, you know, the formal concord, the formal button up
concords towards people wanting to have a little bit more fun
and being a little more loose and relaxed and and have like a
lifestyle event. We're noticing that with our event and our
event is slowly, you know, been getting more relaxed and more,
you know, informal and and kind of leaning into the lifestyle
thing. So I see more of that happening, you know, the younger
generation wanting to use their cars and finding events or cars
that they can, you know, actually use. But, you know,
another, another disturbing, you know, thing that I see is a lot
of cars just getting stockpiled and and everyone looking at at
mile mileage and yeah, and that and I've experienced it myself
with a few cars I've bought that, you know, newer supercars that
are low mileage cars and and I never knew what mileage anxiety
was until I owned one. Yeah, you know, and and you drive it
around and you just you just see the odometer and it's just in
the back of your head. It's a weird thing. I think it's
unfortunate because these cars were meant to be driven and to
be used and and I actually am a big proponent of using cars
because I know that, you know, a car, 20 year old
car with five miles versus a 20 year old car say 2,000, 2,500
miles. I'd take the 2,500 mile car any day of the week because I
know that it's probably gonna have not gonna have many issues,
you know, right? It's not pristine. It's not right off the
show on the floor, but that's that's fine for me. A lot of
collectors are not are not like that though nowadays. They
want the the five mile car, the pristine car and the wrapper
and and those cars come with a lot of potential pitfalls, you
know. Yeah, yeah, it's a totally different experience, I
think, and you hit the nail on the head like and that's what we
talk about here too. I mean, you're definitely, you know,
among friends, we always say we love to see people that drive
their cars. We love to see the cars being driven. For me,
especially, you know, when you see a car that's really special
and it's been put away and you know, it's not going to be
driven. It's sort of, you know, it pains me for sure. And yeah,
it's like, that's, that's one of our great joys is getting out
and driving the cars. So, you know, we like to agree like
it's better in the car. Exactly. Like they were designed to do
one thing. So we like to see when people are letting all the,
the, you know, the different components heat up and, you know,
burn off that condensation. It gets on all the parts. It gets
in electronics. It gets in the engine. It gets in the exhaust.
And so, you know, going through the heat cycles using the cars
is a good thing. You know, getting, getting everything,
you know, in the internals oiled up and I'm a big proponent of
using your cars, but I'm also a huge fan of preservation cars,
you know. Yeah. You know, I kind of grew up in the business
where we're fixing cars and, you know, repairing them and
making them better. And it's kind of one of the, the weird
anomalies of the world that, you know, if you talk to all the
big restores out there and you ask them what, what cars they
want, they all, they all love preservation cars, you know,
they all love cars that have kind of been cared for through
their entire life, even if they're not perfect. Yeah. Because
they're, you know, they're only original ones. Yeah. Yeah. I do
have a question about those. It seems like every year, whether
it's on the grand or auctions or, or wherever it is, where do
these barn find cars keep coming from? Like, I want to
find my barn. We're going to run out of barns at a certain
point. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's just, I'm always amazed that
the, it's just, there seems to be this continuous stream of
these cars, which is wonderful, but you know, that, that's a,
that's a phenomenon that, that, that started way back in like
the eighties. I think, I think Tom Shaughnessy was with the
first barn find guy that said, let me just pull it out and,
you know, he was pulling cars out for, for years, you know.
Yeah. And I think he's one of the first people to just put it
in the auction just as is. And they thought he was nuts, but
it worked out really well. So, I don't know where the front
and all these cars, but they all, you know, they always see
them to keep popping up and, and it never makes sense to me
why someone would squirrel away a wonderful car with, you know,
50 miles on it and not use it. That's, that's it. And apparently
it's still happening. I live in a neighborhood here in Denver
where there is a legend of a Carrera GT that's in someone's
garage off the alley that's got boxes stacked on it. So,
whenever I'm out on my bike or walking the dog, I make a point
of going down the alley because I guess people get into these
situations, spouse passes away or something, you know, to them,
it's a boxster, right? They might not know any better. And so,
I guess they're still making barn finds, at least a few of them.
And I mean, I, you know, now you're making me feel old
because I'm, you know, I can't believe that a Carrera GK can
qualify to be a barn find.
I haven't seen it yet.
Has it been around long enough to get dusty?
I know. It's, it's, it's, it's crazy.
Yeah. You talked about the cars.
Yeah. Yeah. You know, the Carrera GT is another one. You know,
Lindsay and I, we've talked about this with a couple of recent
guests where they have come up so much in such a short period
of time that we know owners that have really thought twice
about continuing to drive them as they, as they have been,
which is a shame, you know, another friend with a GT3, a
four liter, right? An RS four liter, a 997, you know, it's
just, it's a point where, you know, unless you're really,
really wealthy, it becomes a lot of money and it's, and then
it stops being fun and it's, yeah, it's just, it's kind of a,
kind of a shame. But yeah, it's not just that. It's also,
I mean, there's more stress, you know, involved when you're
driving a car that's really, really high value.
Number one, because the value itself and you can't just,
you know, completely disconnect yourself from it.
But also as the value of these cars go up, people know about it.
And so you get more attention when you're out.
Right, yeah.
It's much less likely than you could just leave the car in a
parking lot somewhere and go grab a cup of coffee.
Right, right.
Because people want to go and see it and touch it and lean on
it and, you know, do a bunch of the things that, you know, car
people know you shouldn't be doing.
That's, that's it.
Right. Yeah, it definitely changes your experience of the car.
And like, so one thing I'm curious about, and you said,
you ran into this when you had cars that were lower mileage,
did you ultimately decide that, that wasn't for you and get
something else?
Did you just decide you were going to drive them?
Like how, how did that work out for you?
Yeah. Yeah, I just, I just didn't, you know, I didn't, I had
one car, it was a, it's a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640.
And it was a manual trans car, you know, they only made 20 of
them. So the last of the manual trans cars,
Ithaca Green, Ithaca Green, Green, Q-Chinturas, and Interior,
and 8,000 miles. So this was, this was Ed Bullion's old car.
Oh, sure. Oh, that's awesome.
Just a, just a great car. I bought it and I was using it.
And then, you know, once you go from eight to 10,000 miles and
over 10, a big, big change happens with the price
and the collectability for some of these people, right?
You're 8,000 miles, you're in a sweet spot. And I kind of found
myself not using the car as much. And it was kind of sitting
there. And that's not why I like to own and buy cars. I'm not,
I don't like to just, you know, have it there and look at it.
I want one that I can use. And so I got an offer and it was a
lot more and I paid for it. And it was like a year I had owned it.
And I figured, look, I get to drive the car for a year for free
and I get a lot more money. So I'm making a deal. So I sold it.
And now the car is worth probably 66 times what, what I,
what I sold it for. And this is only, this is only five years ago,
you know, six years ago. Yeah, it's not that long. So, you know,
it's one of the ones that got away. It's a, you know, but, but
to do it all over again, I would because I enjoy using my cars.
And, you know, I took the money and I rolled it into another one
and I had fun with it and, you know, so on and so forth. So
it's kind of my, my mantra, you use the cars, you know, have fun with them.
To have lived in loss than never to have loved at all. Is that
loved and lost than never to have loved at all?
For me, if you're gonna, I mean, I guess I'm getting too
philosophical here, but, you know, if you're not going to use the car,
if you're not going to use the car, but it's just going to be in your garage and
it's going to be for, for viewing purposes only, then why not just,
you know, have one on a piece of paper, you know, or on a computer screen.
It's not that much different.
Right. Yeah, because you're looking at it as, you know, and like Jay Leno talks about this in a,
it's kind of a combination of what we've talked about where he said there
works of art that can drive if you want them to. And like, I think one of the things,
one of the things we love about Jay is that he actually does drive them,
but you're right. Like if you're buying it and parking it, it's really a sculpture at that point.
Well, and also some of the most, you know, wonderful things about a car is when you use
them and you see how they work and you see how they, how they manage different environments and
different weather. That's, that's kind of, you know, for me, the beauty of owning these cars,
you know, I loved, you know, when I was young, I used to love to kind of pack a lunch and I'd
put it in my bike and I'd go, you know, my buddies and I would go, you know, riding in the mountain
somewhere and then we'd have our lunches and then we'd come back and then we got older and we do
the same thing with our go-karts and then we got older, we do the same thing with our cars.
Yeah. And you look at all the people at these car shows now, you know, especially the older men,
they're doing the same thing. They pack your little lunches and they go for the drives and,
you know, I do the same thing with my wife. So, yeah, we're just, we're just nothing more than,
you know, older kids. No, that's it. The toys have a few more wheels. Yeah.
And they're a little more expensive, you know, kind of the joy, that's the joy of owning these cars.
And I think that once we stop using the cars, that's when this whole, you know,
the hobby that we enjoy kind of goes away. Yeah. Yeah, I agree. It's so fun. You mentioned that,
you know, when you're a kid, you think you're going to reach some day in your life where you're,
yeah, I'm a grown-up now and that never happens, right? You've just sort of a continuation of who
you were when you were a kid, you know, the cars and stuff. You just, to your point, have more
expense. I'm maturing when I was about four years old. You're like, I'm a little bit older,
a lot less hair. Yeah, yeah. I think we all, instead, we have those moments where you go,
wait, who put me in charge? I'm the only adult. That's like, adult. Yes, yes. Yeah. Yeah. No,
it's great. Well, and that's, I've had a lot of press cars lately. And so we've been making a
point to do like a day trip with each one just to really experience it. And I think you described
it really well. It's the cars become part of an adventure or it's an excuse for an adventure.
And like you're tapping into some of the joy that we experienced as kids, which we don't have as
many opportunities as adults, but the cars are sort of an opportunity to find that again,
which is pretty wonderful. Yeah, I've got a friend, you know, when I moved up here to Carmel,
we've got these, there's these car condos complexes. Oh yeah. So I bought a car condo and
he had the one right across from me. We met right away, became friends. He was into, you know,
Alfa Romeo's and things like that. And I had a couple Porsches and, you know, I always have a
few Porsches and I had a couple in my garage and he's like, well, you got all these Porsches and,
you know, I'm like, well, I've driven one. No, but, you know, these Porsche guys are all the same
and they're all in bloom and, you know, they're all, and I wish he's not wrong. He's not wrong.
And so I said, I said, you should, you know, so I let him drive mine a little bit. He's like,
hey, these are kind of cool. You know, maybe I'll get one. And, you know, so finally,
you know, a couple of years in to the friendship, he bought a Porsche, right? And I told him, I said,
watch out, because if you buy one, I guarantee you, you know, the Vinstradamus is going to say
you're going to buy another, you know, you're going to buy another, you're not just going to buy
one. He's like, oh, you're crazy. You know, I barely even would buy one and this and that. And,
you know, so now he's, he's got two and he's working on his third. And, and, and, and, but,
but getting back to the point, the reason why is because they, they just work so well. Those cars
are so well engineered. They do everything well. And, but you don't know it until you spend time
with them and drive them, you know, before he was like, oh, this Porsche guys, what the heck is
your thing? And, you know, then he got to drink a little bit of the Kool-Aid and, you know, he's
got a Kool-Aid dispenser at his house. On second thought, I'd like to revise my answer. Yeah.
It's a sweet, sweet nectar, Vince, as you know. It is. Yeah. Yeah. It's reasonable to everybody here.
Yeah. They're, they're, but they're pricey for a reason, you know, I mean,
I've always done well with Porsches. I know exactly what I can buy it for. I know exactly
what I can sell it for. I know how long it'll take to sell the car if I want to sell it. And,
you know, what, what I say is that, especially if you're, you're into Italian sports cars,
you're, you're in, you're, you're, you're in for a little bit of, you know, hand-ringing
and headaches. It's just the nature of them, especially if they're older cars, because they're
finicky. They're, they're beautiful, wonderful cars, but they're also, you know, a little bit of a
pain in the neck sometimes. And so, you know, most people I know who have them, they always have a
Porsche tucked in the back of the garage somewhere, just in case. That's right. Because that's the car
that's always, it's just like the, the, uh, it's like the golden retriever. No matter what time of
the day it is, no matter what the weather is, it's always ready to go and go for a walk. It doesn't
happen. It's always happy to go. It starts right away. And, uh, yeah. So everyone needs a golden
retriever. Yeah. What do you call it? The security blanket? Porsche? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I, uh, I,
yeah, no one's ever compared Porsche to a golden retriever. And it's funny because I love it.
Golden retriever mix too. So I guess I'm not much of a risk taker. So let's throw it out on
Porsche for a minute. If we could, what are you into? Like what, what do you take out on the
weekends? What, uh, what's your goal? I started with 356s. You know, I, I think they're just a
classic car. I think they're, they're, they're wonderful for what they are. Um, I, I'm a big
proponent of it's more fun to go, um, fast in a slow car than slow in a fast car. Yeah. Yeah. Um,
so, you know, that the first Porsches I owned were 356s. I really love the, uh, the 56 a coupe.
Okay. Cause I love the beehive lights. And it's kind of the most upgraded one you can have. We'd
still have in the beehives, uh, speedsters. I'm a big fan of a phone, a few of them love speedsters.
Um, and then getting into newer ones. Uh, so for nine 11s, I'm a huge fan of the
74 to 76 Euro Carreras. Okay. The, uh, the MFI engine. Yeah. Yeah. I've owned about 10 of those.
Oh wow. So what do you love about those? Basically, I, well, it's a 73 RS. It's the same car. Yeah,
that's right. Um, it's got the exact same engine. It's got the exact same trans,
suspension. Uh, it's got the upgraded G body, which is a little stiffer. Um, and the interior is a
little bit more plush, no chrome bumpers, exact same weight. And it's about half the price. And
they go, it's basically a race car ready to go right out of the box. You know, they come in
awesome colors, you know, all the colors of the rainbow. So good. Yeah. And, uh, and so you can do
everything. We go up to Napa with them. Yeah. You know, we drive in the rain. Uh, there's just
wonderful cars. They do everything well. So that's those, those cars I really like.
That is the answer, uh, of someone who knows. Yeah, exactly. That's a solid choice.
That's a great cars. Yeah. Yeah. Should we bring this back to the concor? Because, um, what are
we? Well, so you mentioned a work. Oh, it's a little, it's a little event in August. You'd love
it. You should check it out when you have time. Yeah. So you mentioned, that's
just in a few days, right? I can't be here. I need to go get to work. What am I doing here with
you guys? How does it sneak up like it does every year? I can't imagine how it sneaks up for you,
but it's even for the rest of us, it just seems like. It does. It does. You know, the funny thing
about car week is that every single year, my friends and I, we look forward to it and we're
excited about it. And you know, we've been doing it for years, but then once like Thursday rolls
around and you're in car week, we start saying, uh-oh, you know, Monday is coming. I know.
Depressing Monday. There you're like, Oh God, you're a little hungover and like, Oh God,
you've just got that post car week depression. Yes. But you know, with the new position here,
I was telling them, I said, maybe I won't have that. Maybe I'm really going to be happy on Monday
that it's all over and I can relax a little bit. We'll see. Yeah, it'll be a different experience
for you. Yeah. Yeah. It is the most wonderful time of the year. So it's hard to come down from
that. So what are we excited for this year? What are we going to see? You mentioned Mura.
And I know that. Yeah. So it's the 75th anniversary. So we have a lot of big, great classes. We've got
the Pebble Beach race car class, which is cars that actually raced in the races in the 50s when
they still raced at Pebble Beach. We've got the Vignale classes, both non Ferrari and Ferrari.
We've got pre-war streamliners, which is an awesome, amazing class. I mean, that class has some
really, really good cars. If you can go to the show and just see the streamliners,
then you'll have seen something more tremendous than in, you know, 50 shows you can go to.
So can you, for people that aren't familiar with that class, can you tell like quickly a little bit
of what would be in that class? Like what type of car? The characteristic? Yeah. Yeah. Some, you
know, some of the, you know, the French cars that were built, you know, pre-war, you know, 30s that
are kind of like a shooting break style, if you will. Yeah. You know, the long, swooping form with
the, and you're just gonna have to see it when you get here. Yeah. And then also, so for the first
time this year, we're actually, if you've been to Pebble before, usually the first fairway is the
Ferrari fairway. Right. And Ferrari's got their big display there, their activation with all kinds of
cars, and it's a great event. Well, for this, this year, for the first time, we've actually given the
third fairway out. So the entire third fairway is going to be filled with Lamborghinis this year.
Oh, cool. That's amazing. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Mura. So we've got a bunch
of cars already signed up. We're gonna try and get to the 60 count. Not sure if it's gonna get there,
but it's gonna be well above the prior world record, which was 27 Mura's that was at,
you know, an event back, I think, in 2016. Okay. That's gonna be fantastic. It'll be surreal.
It'll be surreal. A lot of great stuff this year. Yeah. Yeah. Are you pinching yourself? I mean,
you know, someone who grew up, you know, the Pebble, you know, Pebble was always on this
pedal stall, right? Yeah. To trip over my words there. But I mean, and now here you are, in charge
of the guy. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I never really imagined myself being here. And it's nothing,
not something I chased. And, you know, initially it's something I really didn't want.
Because I transitioned out of law practice. And, you know, I opened a shop and we were
restoring cars, specializing in Italian sports cars. And I was having a great time doing it.
And I just happened to meet some people with the Pebble Beach Company, some executives,
and some people with the concourse. And they kept coming around the shop saying, look,
we're looking for someone, you know, to kind of carry on the tradition and to take over. And,
you know, we think that, you know, it's hard to find someone. The event is so big,
and you've got to sponsor it. You've got the manufacturers. car show. You've
got the judging. You've got, you know, the technical aspects of the show that, you know,
you really need someone who's a business person and also a car person, you know. So,
it's easy to find a business person. And there's a lot about business and how to run one, but
doesn't know anything about cars. It's easy to find a car person that knows a lot about cars and,
you know, certain areas of the industry, but doesn't know much about running a business. And
it's hard to find someone with a crossover. And that's what they really wanted. So, for some reason,
you know, by some crazy happenstance, I happened to, you know, for the first time in my life,
I, you know, my credentials kind of fell right, right exactly where they're supposed to be. And,
and I said, well, I'm just not, I'm not, I said, look, I'm not just a concourse person. I like to
go to the concourse. I like to see the cars, but I really like to use them. I like to drive them.
I like to restore them. I can do paint work. I could do metal work. I could do mechanic work.
And, and that's what I enjoy doing. And they said, look, we want someone who's really familiar
with all aspects of the industry and the people in the industry. And, and yeah, so, so I eventually
my wife said, what do you, what are you stupid? Go take the meeting. Go talk to them. You know,
you go to these, you know, a lot of the people. Yeah. Why, why are you so reluctant? And I said,
well, when you, when you put it that way, you know, it makes me feel like an idiot. But,
uh, yeah, she's something a wise woman, marrying, marrying someone smarter than I am, you know,
and so I took the meeting and, and, and turned out that, you know, our, our thoughts on the event
and, and where it's going and the future of the event and the car, you know, the hobby,
they aligned. Um, and we had a lot of the same ideas. And, you know, what really got me was when
I learned how much the concourse does, um, for, for charity, right? So it's our biggest charitable,
fundraising arm for the Pebble Beach Company and Foundation. And we raise,
you know, millions of dollars every year, um, that goes to, to, to the core, core, core funding is
for children and education, uh, for kids all throughout Monterey County, which is a huge county.
Right. Right. And, uh, you know, when I transitioned out of law practice, I wanted to kind of lean
into something where I'm, I'm giving back, you know, I've been fortunate in my, my life and career,
um, many, many, many, for many different reasons. And I really wanted to give back. And when I
learned that I can have fun with cars, I can still run a business and, um, I can, I could be giving
back to the community, the car community and, and, and to those less fortunate, it was just a win,
win, win, you know, why, why wouldn't I do it? So those are the reasons why I'm pinching myself.
Yeah. Yeah. Um, but, you know, as with any job, I mean, there's, there's, there's headwinds that we
have to deal with. Sure. There's, uh, things that give you headaches. So, um, anyone that says it's
a dream job. And it's just the most wonderful thing in the world. They just haven't really looked
deep enough into it. Um, and, and, and, and see that the reality of the position, because it's not
all fun and games, but, um, it is something that I do. I, I like a challenge. Yeah. I like working.
And so it's something I do enjoy. You seem like the perfect candidate. And I guess my question for
you would be say, you know, 25 years from now, right? 100th running of, of, uh, the Pebble Beach
Concord telegons. Um, how would you like people to look back at your time at the helm? Uh, what do
you want them to say? I think I'd like them to say, you know, whatever they feel. Um, but you
know, hopefully that I was, was a good, good team player and team builder. Yeah.
And that, that I, that I was really able to put together a strong team that was able to, you
know, carry this, this thing called Pebble into the new generation to attract young collectors
and to grow the hobby and also respected the lineage, um, and the history of the event and
also all of the wonderful cars that are part of the event and, and didn't neglect any area of the
industry or any area of, of collectors, you know, a lot of collectors were wondering, well, what
are you, what are you going to change? And, you know, that's the first question I get asked by
everyone, you know, because that one has their own interests, you know, and, um, and, and they
don't, they don't want what they know and love to, to, to change. And so my first answer is, you
know, not much. It's, it's, it's a great event. It's a pinnacle event. Anyone that gets in there
and says they want to make these huge sweeping changes is not the right person. Right. Um,
but that being said, it is a living, breathing event. It needs to change. Um, and it has been
changing for decades in order to stay relevant and fresh and new and to remain something people
want to go to year after year and not just see the same thing over and over again. Yeah. Yeah,
that's true. What has been the most like unexpected or surprising part for you, given like you've
attended it, you know, you have a lot of history with the event, but now you're on the other side
of it. What's been the most surprising or unexpected thing about putting it together for you?
Uh, let me see. Most surprising is really, I mean, I guess the, the amount of, um,
passion that everyone really has for the event. That's awesome. I think, think what,
what kind of sets pebble apart from a lot of other events is that you've got some really diehard,
um, pebble beach, concor, fans all throughout the world. You know, whereas before I thought that,
you know, you know, there's, there's, there's people who kind of, you know, think that maybe it's
a little bit too, um, high society, if you will, or, um, and, and it's not really the case at all.
Um, it's a very, very inclusive event and, and the one that have people have a lot of passion for
and, and people want to help. I mean, I've gotten calls from people all over the collector car,
uh, community, uh, whether it's, you know, brokers and dealers and, um, people run museums and
manufacturers and people in this special equipment territory. Um, they, they, they, they all love
the event and they all want to help, help it to, to, to, to elevate it and to help it to continue.
So that's something that really surprised me. I thought it was going to be more of a niche thing
that was just for like the hardcore, concor people. And then, you know, the rest is just like,
oh, well, it's just another event, but it's, it's really not turned out to be that.
Which is great. That's a pretty fantastic surprise. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. It's, it's funny. When you grew up going, um, I didn't get around till a couple of years ago.
And I think one of the reasons was, yeah, I thought maybe it was a little too high brow for me.
First year I went, I was very worried about what sport coat I was going to wear, you know,
that I get there and I'm like, I run into friends like it was easy.
Yeah. That's the impression. But, but, but you get there.
Yeah. There's that element where, you know, a lot of people dress up and, but, but I think that's
one of the beauties of the event. You know, it's good to get dressed up at least once a year and,
you know, kind of walk around and have a, you know, glass of champagne and go talk about cars.
But the best part of the show is that you see all your car people friends there. And if you've
been around the car community for a long time, everyone comes from all around the world and
you see everyone there. So it's just, uh, it's, it's a great, it's, it's like our, you know,
I say it's like our, uh, like our Christmas, if you will. Yeah. Yeah.
I was going to say that. It's not just about the presents. It's about, you know,
spending time with your family and friends. Yeah. Yes. The people, not just friends,
not just the people you know, but the people you've only ever seen in magazines, right?
Or on television and, and people are generally pretty accessible too. If you,
if you go about it the right way, right? It's a very easy welcoming environment.
I'm so glad you touched on that because I don't think enough people know that and it's,
yeah, safe space for lack of a better, yeah. Well, it's, it's like, if you try to put the
experience, the actual experience of being there for the event, being at the event,
if you try to put that into words, there's something intangible about it. It is so wonderful.
You only feel that at the Pebble Beach Concourse. And I think that's part of why we're like,
like you said, Monday morning, you're just like, well, wait, that's it. We got to wait a whole
another year. Yeah. Yeah. So is that something that you talk about? Like, how do we create this
feeling and preserve that for the attendees? Because it's magical.
It's, it's just part of the magic of Pebble. And, you know, living here, I get to experience that,
you know, a lot more than, than some people do. And, and, and I don't take it for granted. It's
just, it's a wonderful piece of geography that really, there is something very green there.
Yeah. And the lodge, it's, it's, it's a magical place. So, you know, you combine with, you know,
you can put your favorite cars in the world there and walk there and see the water and smell it.
And, and it's just, you know, it's, it's, it's really a lot of people's happy place. Yeah.
So definitely one of my huge, it's a huge differentiator from, from a lot of other events,
you know, you can, you can have the same cars potentially, but you can't have the same location.
No, no, it's, it's just magical. Talk about gravity. That said, if it is your first year,
this year, what do you recommend for a first timer? What should they know? Where do they start?
What, what's your advice to a first timer? First timer, you know, I would say,
get, get a catalog, you know, like sports car market has a really good catalog they put out
that, that shows all the different events going on. There's so many events that you can attend
everything. A lot of the events overlap with one another and you just got to look through it and
you got to plan out your time because a lot of people come into town, I think a 100000
people for the, the, the week. And so traffic becomes an issue and getting from one event to
another becomes an issue. And if you try to do too much, you end up spending your time in traffic.
And so you'll rush through the one event, right, which is not fun. Right. And then you'll be in
traffic, which is not fun. And then you'll rush through the next event, which is not fun. So you
should really be selective and only go to a few events and leave yourself enough time to get from
one to another. So you can spend your time there and really enjoy yourself. And another thing is,
just put down the phone. I tell everyone, put down the phone. There's going to be so many photos
of these cars and the location and everything all over social media and the internet. You don't
need to, you know, to take photos of the, the, the GTO that, you know, everyone's photographing,
you know, obviously take some photos with your friends and your family or whatever,
but put the phone away because that's when you can actually soak it all in and you can
talk with some of the people that are there, you know, these, these
captains of industry, these, these, these, you know, car, race car drivers and, and all kinds of
people in the car industry. And most of them are there to have fun as well. And they're,
they're friendly and they'll talk to you. And that's kind of one of the beauties of, of car
week that you don't get other places, you know, right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, that's, that's great
advice. Right. I mean, in all those other pictures are going to be better than yours anyways.
Yeah. It's one thing I learned right away. I know. Well, and it's, that's a good point of,
if you, if you pay attention, it was a couple of years ago, I was coming out of a luncheon at
the lodge and Jackie Ix was coming down the sidewalk and I went, no time like the present. So I said
hi to him. Yeah. And he was like, he was so lovely. He took the time to say hi to us. I was friend
with, I was with my friend, Alana Cher, and we both got to say hi to him and take a picture.
And he walked away and we went like only during car week. Like this is, it's just amazing.
And another thing is like, if you're, you know, because I just, you know,
people are on their phones a lot. I'm seeing it more and more, especially at big sporting events
and things. And if you don't have your phone out and you're just looking around and you get to
be the one that experiences a lot more than they do because, you know, you get to see everything
there. You really get to, you really get to take in the event and it's kind of like a hack.
It's a cheat code for the event. Vince's life hack. Put your phone down. It really is. You know,
you put the phone away. It's a little weird for a little bit, but then you kind of get to,
you know, loosen up and it makes it a much more pleasant experience.
It's very, it's very analog. It's like going back to all of our childhoods. Right? Yeah.
Yeah. It's such a special event, day. You know, our friend Johnny Lieberman was
on too and he had some very similar advice. He said, pick one thing each day and then just go
have dinner with good friends and you're going to have the best time. So that and put your phone
away. I think that's the roadmap for success during car week for sure. Yeah. What did he say?
Decide that your philosophy is Jomo, the joy of missing out and then be determined to miss out
on things. Yeah. That's right. Cause it's going to happen. I feel like each year it's just more,
right? Each year is just more. But if you're going to do one thing, you know, and you can,
you can swing it and make sure that it's pebble because it is, it is the one. It
Yeah. Well, it's the one, it's the one event that, you know, the other events kind of all
shut down and everyone comes here, you know. And it's, you know, it's an event where you see
things on Sunday that you don't see beforehand, you know, you can go to the tour and watch some of
the cars go and drive. Yes. You know, you can go to concourse village and see some of the stuff.
But if you really, really want to see the event and the show and what the magic is all about,
and you got to come on Sunday, which is what it is. Absolutely. I'd like to bring it home just for
a second because I'm very lucky to be a part of the Colorado Grand. And it's another opportunity to
see a lot of these cars, you know, these sports and racing cars at least that you see, you know,
on the lawn in motion. Have you ever thought about doing the grand? I know that a couple of
your predecessors have done it over the years. Yeah, yeah, I have. So I did the California
Mealay this year at a great time. Yeah, it was a very good event. And so I'm planning to do
probably one driving tour every year. Next year, I'm looking at doing either the Colorado Grand
or the Millimilia. Okay. I know it's the 100th year. It's the 100th anniversary of the Millimilia,
which is a huge deal. So I think, you know, the cars are probably going to tip in favor of the
Millimilia. Sure. Yeah. It's not an Italian, by the way, the 100th year of the Millimilia.
The Millimilia. Yeah, it's Millie, you know, Centanni. Oh, okay, okay. Centuanni. Yeah,
100 years. Yeah, I wouldn't blame you if you chose that. That's going to be a huge event. And
I've got a car that actually raced in the Millimilia in 1954 that I'd like to bring over. So
what is that, Vince? It's a 54 Ferrari Mondial, 500 Mondial. Yeah, it raced the race there. And
it's done, I think it's done the Millimilia like 16 times, 15 times. It could pretty much do it
without you. It's like, if you want to sit and have lunch, I can go on ahead. Yeah, it's traveled
a lot more than a lot of people have in their lives. But I've never done that event. I hear it's
really one you really have to do. So I'll do that one, maybe the grand the year after. Yeah, yeah.
I feel like that's a no-brainer. Absolutely, go to Italy this year, two years, come to Colorado.
Yeah. Well, so what is your, like what up to this point, because you've had a lot of car and driving
related experiences, like what is the best, like drive you've been on or like favorite car related
experience of your life so far? Best drive? I get to do it all the time. I live in Carmel Highlands,
which is if you drive south from Carmel towards Big Sur, it's the area where the cliffs start.
And so I live at the very end of the houses there. So when I leave for my house, I make a left on
PCH and there's no houses. It's just, you know, because I live at like the last part of civilization,
if you will. So if I make a left on PCH and I floor it, then it's just me and the road
and, you know, trees and the landscape and the ocean. And I can go all the way down to Big Sur,
or I can keep going and go all the way down to Cambria for hours. And if I go early enough,
I don't have to see anyone else on the road. So, you know, that's my number one drive.
I've driven all over the world and that's always going to be my number one drive.
My buddies and I, almost every single weekend, we get up really early and we drive down south
to Big Sur and we'll have breakfast and we'll be back home by 9am to kind of start our day. But
it's not bad. No, it is a lot of hard work that went behind, you know,
getting here. But yeah, that's fantastic. That's fantastic.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, yeah, that's,
yeah, that's a good one. But, you know, so that's one that we can go to when it's not
tourist season, you know, if it's winter or something, and we can go for a drive a little
bit later and there's not too much traffic on the road. If it's summer, you know,
because I don't think the restaurant there opens till like maybe 11 or something. So,
you know, if you're going for a drive down south in a sports car at, you know, 10, 30, 11,
there's gonna be a lot of cars on the road and it's just, you don't have the same fun experience.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've only seen pictures of that place though and it looks like one of the most
amazing locations of any restaurant in the world. Yeah, there's, there's a few restaurants
like that in Big Sur that, you know, I think Nepenthey, what is that, what was it built in
like the 40s or 30s or something? It's a really old building. Yeah, it was like an artist's
artist's lodge and, you know, they had a restaurant there, but it's a wonderful place.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, Vince, I know we're at close to an hour and we're so fortunate to have
the chance to talk with you. And I think that Pebble is so fortunate to have you
at the helm. You just seem like the perfect guy for this role. We'll find out.
Oh, I'm feeling this is going to be the best one yet. So, yeah, can't, can't wait and hopefully
we'll cross paths. That's, that's right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hopefully we'll cross paths. Say that
again. Hopefully we'll cross paths with you at some point during this year's event. I know you'll
be so, yeah, yeah. If you see me, just slap me on the back of the head and introduce yourself. And
I, you know, I'd love to see you guys. I'm sure I'm going to be, be very busy, but
definitely not too busy to talk with you guys. Yeah, yeah. Well, it's going to be wonderful.
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I know Jackie X, but I still want a picture with you. Well, all roads of
roads. That's right. Yeah. That's right.
Yep. Well, long silence afterwards. awkward silence. Okay, I guess you know,
well, all roads lead to pebble in this year. It's Sunday, August 16th. Again, it is the 75th year.
And I think it's going to be really, really wonderful. So Vince Finaldi, president of the
Pebble Beach Concours Delegance. I think you just brought us up a notch. So thank you. This has been
fun. Been a real pleasure. Can't wait to talk to you guys. All right. I'll talk to you soon. Go ahead.
Yeah, you can find me. You know, I still have the restoration shop. It's Finaldi Inc.
And it's finaldi.inc on Instagram. And my, my Instagram handle is really difficult. It's Vince
Finaldi. So I'm pretty, pretty easy to get a hold of. Yeah. Yeah. And pebble, of course.
Yep. And pebble beach. So if you want to find out about the event or you want to find tickets,
you go to www.pebblebeachconcourse.net. Right. Awesome. Awesome. Vince, thank you so much.
Appreciate you on that car show and Lindsey.
About this episode
Vince Finaldi, the new president of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, explains how he went from trial attorney to running a European collector-car restoration and sales shop—and why Pebble’s standards, authenticity, and longevity keep it ahead of the crowd. The conversation also covers car-week strategy, the event’s charitable impact, and how Pebble plans to expand displays for the Miura’s 60th anniversary. Along the way, hosts dig into collector-market shifts, mileage anxiety, and why driving matters more than just viewing.
This week, on That Car Show, it’s Vince Finaldi, the new president of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. This is the 75th year of the Concours—and it’s just four weeks away—so there couldn't be a better time to have him on. Vince shares his unique path to Pebble, talks about the cars that shaped him, what goes into pulling off an event like this, and, where he sees the collector-car world heading next. All roads lead to Pebble… and it’s Vince Finaldi, on that it’s That Car Show.
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