Classic Car Events for Luxury Automobile Aficionados

Whether you’re looking to invest in a four-wheeled classic or celebrate the halcyon days of high style, high speeds and high jinks, 2022’s exclusive classic car events will have you lusting over the world’s most spectacular classic beasts.

The Bridge, Bridgehampton, New York, USA September 17-18

Founded by financier, architect and collector Robert Rubin, luxury PR pro Shamin Abas, and racer and attorney Jeffrey Einhorn, The Bridge event started in 2016 as a kind of disruptive, intimate auto event in the Hamptons. Now, whisperings of this becoming the “Pebble Beach of the East Coast” are gaining volume. The Sunday dayafter Cars & Coffee event at the Bridgehampton Museum is complimentary and open to the public, but Saturday is the real deal. Strictly invitation-only, if you don’t have a vehicle to exhibit that passes muster, are a member or guest of The Bridge Golf Club or join the event as a partner/sponsor (watchmaker Richard Mille is a supporter, for example), you will need to try your luck with the founders.

1000 Miglia, Brescia to Rome (and back), Italy May 16-22

Reborn in 1977 as an open-road scramble for classic and vintage sports cars, the Mille Miglia held its place as a proper endurance race from 1927 to 1957. Participation in the modern spectacle is limited to cars produced before 1957 that either competed in or were registered for the original races, so getting to drive in the Mille Miglia is a very competitive proposition, indeed. Luxury car makers like Alfa Romeo, BMW, Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes Benz and Porsche occasionally offer a driving/ride-along experience in the race to some of their best customers (start sweet-talking your local dealers now), but seeing the snorting, raucous vintage cars rip through an Italian village as a spectator on the route is one of the best ways to experience the legendary event. High-end UK tour operator Twynhams (twynhamstours.co.uk) offers some of the best packages for the event, with select accommodations along the route as well as additional excursions and experiences. The offerings may be sold out for 2022, but it’s worth booking for 2023.

Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA January 22-30

Minus the estimable pomp and whirling kaleidoscope of the multiple distracting events à la Pebble Beach, which also has a car auction component, Barrett-Jackson’s auction event in Scottsdale holds the reputation as one of the most focused; a pure auction event for pure collectors and vintage fans. And, given the legendary automotive longevity caused by the Southwest’s climate, you’ll be viewing some of the best-preserved collector cars anywhere. Check the website for VIP options, like the Craig Jackson’s Box package—which starts at $7,499 and can be upgraded to include three nights at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess hotel— that offers you unparalleled access, viewing and other luxurious perks.

Goodwood Festival of Speed, Goodwood, UK July 7-12

Four days of racing, exhibits, motorsports immersion, luminaries and more with a very British air of a proper summer garden party that just begs a crisp Pimm’s Cup cocktail as the perfect accompaniment? That’s the Goodwood Festival of Speed in a nutshell. Visit the website now for details and to sign-up for 2022 ticket alerts for this very popular automotive event. Many luxury carmakers invite and host their best customers at Goodwood, but the event’s hospitality area can also give you the inside track on the many VIP attendance offerings and options. Cheers to motorsports!

Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week, Newport, Rhode Island, USA September 29 – October 2

In addition to being one of the most preeminent and eclectically curated automotive museums in the country, Audrain also runs one of the most bombastic, all-around fun concours events you’ll ever attend. The entire town gets into the spirit, and, given Newport’s historic (and current) level of residents, around-town spottings of rarely seen automotive gems go hand-in-hand with the official festivities. In addition to the concours, there is a special lawn party at the iconic Rough Point in Newport, expert seminars, wine-related events and a Bonhams auction if you decide to take a souvenir home with you. Audrain offers special hotel rates for attendees at venues like the intimate Vanderbilt Hotel and the elegant Gurney’s Newport Resort. All-Access VIP tickets start at $950

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