Concorso Italiano moved this year from the lush lawns of the Bayonet Black Horse Golf Course to the tarmac of the Marina municipal airport on Monterey bay.

Concorso has always been the most relaxed of the Concours events on the Peninsula, but the move has turned the event into a weekend car show rather than the prestige Concours it once was. Not that such a move is neccessarily a bad thing - the additional space meant that more cars could be accomodated, and there was the bonus of aircraft on display throughout the day.

This years gathering of Italian's finest offered some stunning examples of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis and Alfas, with some notable other European, Japanese and American marques joining the party too. Non Italian cars have always been accommodated at the event, but this year they were given more prominence than usual.

Concorso has lost some of the fizz that it once had. It would benefit from rediscovering the style and class in the cars and lifestyle that it celebrates.