Summer 2025

C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 5 145 history, speed and style,” Habovstak says. “We are thrilled by the incredible outpouring of sup- port from the many automotive clubs and pas- sionate members who have stood by Concorso Italiano throughout the years. Their enthusiasm and dedication are fueling what promises to be a spectacular 40th anniversary celebration and an unforgettable tribute to Italian automotive excellence.” Launched in 1985 as an informal gathering of Italian car club members on the Monterey Peninsula, the public event was held atThe Quail for some time, displaying marques like Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Fiat, along with less familiar designs with names like Iso Grifo, Cisitalia, Bizzarrini, Abarth and Stanguellini.The event was relocated to Bayonet Black Horse in the early 2000s and had short stints at both a municipal airport and Laguna Seca Golf Course before returning to Bayonet Black Horse, its current home. Tanya Kosta, who started working for the Concorso Italiano decades ago, and is known across the Monterey Peninsula for her charitable endeavors, stepped in as chairman of the event last year, just weeks before it was held and in jeopardy of being called off. “I started working for the Concorso in 2001 selling T-shirts,” she recalls. “The former chair- man then asked me to work in the office and I started managing volunteers and then became the local event coordinator until I left in 2018.” When asked to consult for the event last year by the new chairman, Kosta then reached out to previous events director, Samantha Tobias. “Upon rejoining Concorso Italiano and assess- ing things, we both realized planning was months behind and there was a great deal of (Above) Beautiful Italian cars representing multiple models in front of the popular CI Club at the Concorso Italiano. (Below) A Ferrari Testarossa in its iconic red, showcasing the unmistakable pontoon fenders that defined the marque’s late-1950s racing legacy. Photos: Tim Scott