Editor’s note: Follow all of the action and updates on our special Monterey Car Week page.
You had to hunt some to find it, but it was worth the search — and the walk — to seek out the inaugural Japanese Automotive Invitational, staged up on Peter Hay Hill adjacent to the Infiniti stand at Pebble Beach.
Car collectors, especially those tuned into the younger generation of enthusiasts, know that cars from Japan are an up-and-coming category in the hobby, and Nissan’s luxury brand, Infiniti and the Motor Trend Group decided it was time “to bring even more diversity to the premier celebration of classic, vintage automobiles and demonstrate the prowess Japan brings to the industry.”
So, for two days this past weekend, a diverse group of cars were showcased on a wood-chip carpeted hilltop location between the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance show field and the Gooding & Company auction venue.
The cars on display ranged from micro to motorsports, from everyday to exotic, from sports to sport utilities.
Don’t be surprised if the Japanese Automotive Invitational spawns a major Monterey Car Week show along the lines of a Concorso Italiano, a Porsche Werks Reunion, a Legends of the Autobahn, or the new British show that launches in 2019.
And don’t be surprised if sometime, and perhaps not too far down the road, some of these same vehicles are showcased just down the hill, on the 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Links.
