Behind the Scenes at Monterey Car Week: What Most Guests Don’t See

Where the real work—and the real stories—happen.

From the outside, Monterey Car Week looks effortless: million-dollar cars gleaming in the sun, Champagne flutes clinking at invitation-only events, and every detail styled to perfection. But behind the elegance and excitement is an entire ecosystem—the late nights, early mornings, logistical feats, and human grit that keep the week running smoothly.

Whether you're attending for the first time or you’ve been in the trenches for years, here’s a look at what really happens behind the velvet ropes and concours lines.

1. Pre-Dawn Detailing Marathons

Before guests even finish their room-service coffee, teams of detailers are already at work, fine-tuning paint, dusting interiors, and touching up trim with surgical precision. A light overnight mist or one stray bird and it’s back to the microfiber cloths.

Some of these crews haven’t slept. Some haven’t stopped moving since the car left the trailer.

2. Precision Logistics for Moving Art

Transporting rare vehicles—some worth more than the homes they’re parked near—is its own high-stakes ballet. From covered haulers navigating tight Carmel driveways to last-minute trailer swaps outside Laguna Seca, the orchestration is complex, timed to the minute, and full of surprises.

A delay at one event can ripple across the entire week’s schedule.

3. Coordinated Chaos at Auction Houses

From RM Sotheby’s to Mecum, auction crews operate with headset communication, backup lighting plans, security teams, and white-glove precision. Each car rolls across the block backed by months (or years) of research and relationships. Behind the scenes, sellers negotiate reserves, spotters signal bids, and deals often finalize in quiet corners, long after the hammer falls.

4. Last-Minute Repairs in Makeshift Garages

Flatbed trailer becomes a workbench. Hotel parking lot becomes a pit lane. Something always needs fixing: a fluid leak, a stubborn latch, a trim piece that didn’t survive transport. You’ll find techs in polo shirts elbow-deep in rare engines, improvising tools from whatever’s on hand.

5. Brand Teams Working the Room—Silently

The polished brand reps mingling at VIP events? They’re not just sipping cocktails—they’re working. Scouting clients, securing relationships, and gathering intel. Meanwhile, behind them: media handlers, advance teams, and legal departments coordinating appearances down to the second.

6. Support Staff Running on Grit and Grace

Concierge drivers. Security detail. Private chefs. Personal assistants. The week’s success often rides on an invisible team keeping their clients rested, fueled, and five minutes ahead of schedule—even if that means powering through their third 18-hour day in a row.

7. The Photographers, Content Creators, and Filmmakers

You’ll see them in the shadows—camera straps, gimbals, lenses. They’re capturing the soul of the event, often in blazing sun or racing against golden hour. By the time you see that polished Instagram post, they’ve already culled hundreds of frames and edited it in the backseat of a Sprinter van.

8. Quiet Conversations That Change the Game

Not every deal happens under the tent. Many begin over coffee on a patio, a handshake in a vineyard, or a knowing nod during a casual test drive.

Monterey Car Week is where collections are shaped, partnerships are born, and careers are elevated. You just may not see it happen.

Backstage Is Where It Gets Real

Monterey may look like a dream, but it’s powered by people: hustling, solving, refining, sweating the details so that guests see nothing but polish. It’s art. It’s chaos. It’s deeply human.

And if you’ve ever been one of those behind-the-scenes people—thank you. The magic wouldn’t happen without you.