Automakers are racing to design luxury and tech-oriented vehicles. The return of big events shows the attraction of high design and technology.
Late summer saw car collectors gather in Monterey and Detroit, and most recently in Oxford, England. This annual tradition focuses on bidding and ogling luxury and historical vehicles.
After a year of halting all outdoor luxury car events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 editions were dominated by the outdoors. These events included the Goodwood Festival Speed in June, Monterey Car Week in August and Woodward Dream Cruise Shows in August. Sunday's Salon Priv, which featured more than just flashy hypercars and swooping coupes, was also part of the lineup.
Despite the fact that the event was held in a delta variant, the crowds gathered and their reactions to the cars lined the grounds at each event showed a passion for super-luxury cars both from the past and the future.
Angus Dykman (an auction specialist at Gooding & Company) said that there was a lot of interest in a live auction. The live auction attracted a lot of interest. The business has been very successful. People cheered for random cars.
There was a real sense of urgency among both established brands and newcomers to show customers that the future is now. Luxury automakers still need to showcase the next generation of models at Monterey's August stop. Along with legacy automakers such as Bentley, Bugatti, and Mercedes-Benz, newcomers Rimac and Lucid Group made investments in Monterey.
The stunning designs that are intended to attract new customers are the common thread between vintage and contemporary cars.
Collectors placed orders for new production cars long before they were even manufactured, all in the midst of a shortage of microchips and limited fleets. They met with executives from top brands. Pebble Beach was home to at least 12 senior executives, including Jim Farley (CEO of Ford Motor Company), Dimitris Psillakis, Mercedes-Benz U.S. president; Tobias Moers, CEO of Aston Martin; and Maurizio Reggiani, CTO, Lamborghini.
Moers stated that it is the best place to be for luxury automobile business. He spoke from Aston's large stand overlooking the classic cars show. This is a place where we see new customers that we have never seen before. Formula 1 is a brand that stands for more than ever.
The futuristic Astons were on display, with the Aston Martin Formula 1 car at the center of the show, next to Valkyrie, and Valhalla. This is a sign of Aston's future vision.
Moers stated that it is a statement. Everyone thought that the company was over, but Lawrence Stroll came in and invested a lot of money. We are back, and we are more engaged with our customers than ever before.
Moers was a newly appointed CEO, who assumed control during the pandemic. It was also his first meeting with North American employees, dealers, and customers.
Moers is a Mercedes-AMG executive and presents himself as a confident executive that believes his electrification experience gives him an advantage. Aston is a luxury business. Beautiful cars have been a hallmark of Aston since their inception. He said that there is no compromise with the new technology available.
While impressing Pebble Beach is important, he also has his sights on China's Astons business and how Mercedes engineering can be used to expand Aston's portfolio.
China has a different customer base than North America. They have a younger population. There are 18-30 year olds and then there is the 60s and above. China's growth rate is incredible. China and Asia will be the top two countries in terms of global wealth creation.
Aston believes that the future is electrification and rethinking the user experience inside the car. He also scrapped past plans to use the latest generation Mercedes-Benz technology.
We decided to not use the infotainment and HMI of Mercedes. He said that ART, an Italian supplier, was building a new infotainment platform with Mercedes MBUX. Our environment is created. We create our own ecosystem.
Aston Martin will make use of Mercedes V8 engine technology in order to be more efficient and meet industry standards as part of the transition to electrification.
Tech, passion and power
Pebble Beach car company executives identified a common theme: to find a new way to power cars, meet compliance standards and maintain passion for cars.
It is impossible to do it all. The investments of large automakers and parent companies are crucial for small ultra-luxury brands. They also supply engines and electronic platforms. These platforms rely on a skilled talent pool to grow. These small luxury brands need to work harder to stand out from the big companies.
The electronic platform is a key development for Lamborghini, and it is also one of the most expensive. Reggiani, Lamborghini CTO, stated that this is the most important and costly development in the past year. It is something no one can touch or see. It is the heart of the car's nervous system. This is what we aim to use from the group. This allows us the greatest amount of carryover and the components that are difficult to recognize.
Lamborghini, which is owned by Volkswagen Group, also owns some of its main competitors, such as Bugatti, Bentley and Audi.
He said that while we accept the best of what the group has to offer, we strive to be unique. Lamborghini was first to partner with Amazon Alexa, and customers loved it. The sound can be used to filter the voice recognition. Imagine that you are having trouble and the lamp turns on. You ask Alexa to tell you what you need. I must stop the car and call the service assistant. Reggiani said that artificial intelligence is created. Reggiani said that they are currently gathering data to create new ways to use voice and sound design.
For the Lamborghini buyer who is discerning, it's important to present expensive technology in appealing designs that don't look too old. Reggiani states that design is the main reason people buy Lamborghini. It is no longer a matter of tradition, but pure design. Design is becoming more about integrating engineering with aesthetics. Each component must be functional. Aerodynamic meets cooling. The cooling process will get more complex with the introduction of PHEV. It is easy to see how battery management will become more complicated. The design must meet the requirements and be cool.
Modern technology and design
Monterey Car Week's vintage cars were a reminder of how aerodynamics and weight distribution have always ruled car design principles. This was especially true for cars used in motorsports. Technology and design of the modern era mean speed, electrification and connectivity in a sleek, timeless system. Reggiani stated that emotion is the most important aspect of design.
The future is about communicating where it all goes. Luxury automakers are challenged to keep up in a fast-paced world. It's not an easy task. Tesla, the automaker that was absent, timed its AI announcements so that they overlapped with the week. It is still the company everyone wants to electrify.
Driving vintage cars in Monterey can be a thrilling sport. They are rare, well-maintained, and only available in small quantities. I was able to test drive a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL manual-transmission roadster along the Pacific Ocean Road. It gave me a glimpse into this enigmatic world, where entry is expensive, especially in times of pandemic.
Goodwood, Woodward, and Salon Prive were all equally attractive as they wrapped up this weekend. With all the outdoor shows and glamour, the automotive industry is now focusing on the future of transport.
This week's IAA Mobility show began in Munich. It has been a richer and more interactive experience than the traditional auto shows. It is clear that the pace of change is something that money cannot predict. This is evident by the array of electric models on display.
