Photos: At Monterey Car Week, opulence rules the day. Burnouts rock the night

Photographer Brandon Choe considers it the ultimate experience for car lovers who also appreciate natural beauty — and raucous parties at the In-N-Out.

A vintage orange and black car is displayed on grass by the sea, surrounded by people admiring it, with a man in a white cap sitting nearby.

Owners Penny and Lee Anderson of Naples, Florida sit next to their prize-winning 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C Nieuport-Astra Torpedo at the 2025 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. | Brandon Choe/The Standard

Culture

Photos: At Monterey Car Week, opulence rules the day. Burnouts rock the night

Photographer Brandon Choe considers it the ultimate experience for car lovers who also appreciate natural beauty — and raucous parties at the In-N-Out.

By Emily DreyfussPhotography by Brandon ChoePublished Aug. 23, 2025 • 6:00am

The Wide Shot showcases the work of Bay Area photographers, their latest projects and the behind-the-scenes stories of how they got the shots.

Monterey Car Week is a 10-day extravaganza for gearheads. This year’s show wrapped up Sunday, and The Standard photo editor Brandon Choe was there to capture the scene. Choe, who has attended for three years, considers it the ultimate experience for car lovers who have a side interest in nature.

The winning car this year was a 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C “Tulipwood” Torpedo by Nieuport-Astra, a rare cruiser that looks like a mix between a luxury box car and a canoe.

What makes Monterey Car Week special isn’t just the million-dollar machines but watching collectors’ eyes light up as they talk about their cars or seeing a kid’s reaction to a bedazzled Aston Martin Valkyrie or a ludicrously tattooed Porsche Carrera GT. Choe’s images capture the glorious natural beauty of the show and the juxtaposition between the opulence on display during the day and the intense, raucous party atmosphere at night.

Here, Choe takes us behind the scenes.

A white and red Porsche race car with Marlboro branding drives on a winding coastal road with guardrails and cliffs under a partly cloudy sky. — Fred Courtot's street-legal converted Porsche 935 dressed in Marlboro livery drives through Bixby Bridge during the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance.

A group of well-dressed people sit and stand on grass, many wearing hats, near a white vintage car with racing decals on a sunny day. — Bystanders watch a 1965 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra Roadster during the Concours d’Elegance.

A large crowd of mostly young people gathers outside an In-N-Out restaurant at night, many holding phones and looking in various directions. — A young crowd floods the parking lot and street next to the In-n-Out in Seaside to watch cars rev down the street.

What’s the culture like at the show?

You’ve got distinct tribes that somehow coexist. There’s the Pebble Beach crowd — think derby chic, where conversations happen over champagne, and people use terms like “marquee” unironically. Then there's the Laguna Seca group: folks in racing suits who care more about lap times and raw driving experience than Alcantara leather interiors.

There’s also a growing crowd of influencers who show up in their supercars, flanked by groupies who follow them around. They typically draw the ire of the older generation, but I feel it’s the duty of every younger generation to disrupt our norms and redefine them for themselves, so I enjoy their presence.

A person wearing shiny gold and black shoes touches a sparkling silver car with sleek, aerodynamic design and large wheels. — Creator Kellie DeFries (@thecrystalninja) shows off her shoes in front of her recently completed bedazzle project on an Aston Martin Valkyrie.

A vintage red Ferrari Formula 1 car with the number 1 and "Niki Lauda" on the side is surrounded by a crowd at an outdoor event near the coast. — Bystanders watch a Niki Lauda-driven 1976 Ferrari 312 T2 start up before being shown on the main stage at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

A crowd of people holds up phones at night, recording or photographing a smoky scene illuminated by streetlights. — Young patrons lift their phones to record burnouts at the In-n-Out parking lot in Seaside.

What makes cars fun to photograph?

Cars themselves are rolling works of art. Every curve and line was obsessed over and perfected by a team that understood that aesthetics and performance aren’t mutually exclusive. The end product becomes a vehicle of desire for luxury or speed (or a bit of both) in the context of the time it was built in. What’s not to love?

A small dog wearing a plaid jacket stands inside a blue and orange toy race car with the number 911, while another dog peeks out of a blue toy van. — Dogs travel in style at the Werks Reunion at Monterey Pines Golf Course.

A police officer in gear stands by a motorcycle as a blue Lamborghini sports car drives on a road with people watching from the side. — Police this year aggressively pulled over and ticketed cars over minor infractions when driving through Ocean Ave. in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Two people wearing matching yellow hats and light sweaters sit in a bright yellow vintage convertible car on a lawn, surrounded by several casually dressed onlookers. — A 1953 Moretti 750 Gran Sport Rocco Motto Barchetta by Michelotti drives towards the main stage.

A vintage green race car with the number 27 on its side is parked by a waterfront, with a driver resting their arm on the window frame. — A 1949 Aston Martin DB2 is seen leaving Pebble Beach.

What’s your personal interest in cars?

My love of cars didn’t develop until I was in my 20s, when it was time to purchase one. I remember not being incredibly keen on losing half of my car’s value to depreciation, so I dove into a rabbit hole of researching fun but usable sports cars. I finally ended up importing a 2017 Civic Type R from Canada and drove it all the way from Vancouver to L.A. Though it took some time, the Civic eventually went from a daily driver to an occasional track car. Though I no longer own that car, it was my first foray into automotive culture.

A crowd gathers outside an In-N-Out at night, watching a blue sports car with a woman sitting inside by the driver’s seat. — A crowd eagerly watches an influencer's Audi R8 pull into the In-n-Out parking lot.

An older man in a white blazer and patterned pants sits in a vintage silver car holding a champagne flute, with a crowd visible in the background. — A passenger holds his champagne flute in a 1953 Siata 208 CS Balbo at the Concours d’Elegance.

How were the vibes at Monterey different from night and day?

The daytime is a great time to cruise, car-spot all around the peninsula, or go to one of the many events during Car Week. In years prior, the nighttime on Ocean Avenue would feature loud cars revving up and down the street, drawing the attention of the younger crowd. However, this year it seemed the cops were intent on clamping down on unruly behavior. That being said, the scene at In-N-Out was drastically more aggressive.

What was typically a favorite location for car-spotting and grabbing a late-night bite turned into unorganized chaos for several nights. Parking lots were filled with thousands of teenagers eagerly provoking cars to rev and do burnouts. Though most of the fun was generally good-natured, it didn’t take long for the crowd to spill onto the street, shutting down traffic in the area of Seaside. Ultimately, the cops came in full force to shut it down.

A green classic car's front end with a large round headlight, surrounded by champagne bottles and scattered empty glasses on green grass. — Discarded celebratory champagne laid in front of a 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV Bertone Coupé.

A plush Dalmatian dog wearing a red collar sits inside a vintage car with white seats embroidered with red "AW" initials. — Various ornaments and stuffed animals adorned the interiors of cars displayed for judging.

Two women in matching yellow polka-dot dresses and platform heels stand close together at a vintage car show on a sunny day. — Participants and entrants regularly dress up for the Concours d’Elegance.

Which car was your favorite?

Per usual, I had too many personal favorites from Car Week. I guess if I had to choose, it’d be the green Lamborghini Miura P400SV. It’s arguably the best-looking car ever made, in one of my favorite shades of green.