We’re so lucky to have something of the quality of Monterey Motorsport Park that probably won’t ever be built again here on the Monterey Peninsula.
Robb Talbott
One might not think that wine and motorcycles go together. But for Robb Talbott, they always have. And you may want to add an appreciation for B&W photographic art as well.
Robb is just one of many fascinating people who will soon be moving into their luxury garage-condos at Monterey Motorsport Park, located along Highway 68 adjacent to the Monterey airport.
True Self-Made Man
Robb comes from a family with a long history on the Monterey Peninsula. His father, Robert Talbott, Sr., and mother Audrey, moved to Carmel 70 years ago, starting the Robert Talbott Tie Company. Over the years, the Robert Talbott brand expanded into more than 50 product lines including ties, shirts, sweaters, formal wear, and more.
Young Robb began helping in the family business at age 8 — doing cutting and other tasks, and eventually working on the retail side of things. This early start instilled a work ethic that has served Robb well throughout his life.
But the clothing business was ultimately not Robb’s passion. After earning his fine art and design degree at Colorado College, Robb returned with a dream. And in 1979, he started clearing the land high on a mountaintop in Carmel Valley for his original Diamond T Estate vineyard.
Robb did all his own tractor work, tree cutting, log splitting, fencing, and road building — even breaking up large boulders with a 12-pound sledgehammer. Recognizing that he didn’t have a formal background in winemaking, he also enrolled at UC Davis and earned a degree in their well-regarded viticulture and enology program.
The winery was bonded in 1982 and went on to become one of the Central Coast’s most highly acclaimed estate-bottled vineyards — with award-winning chardonnays and pinot noirs, including a 1990 Sleepy Hollow chardonnay that received a rare 100-point score from Wine Spectator. Working closely with outstanding winemakers, Robb was the driving force behind Talbott Vineyards for nearly 35 years before selling the business in 2015.
Lifelong Love for Motorcycles
Robb developed a love of motorcycles at a young age as well. His first bike was a “very used” Honda 50, which he remembers as “the most fun he’s ever had.” While he was in college, he taught himself to race in motocross and winter hill-climbing events (not to mention ice racing in jeeps on frozen lakes high up in the Rocky Mountains!).
Two signature motorcycle races for Robb included:
- 1970 InterAM in Boulder, Colorado — Robb raced against Europe’s finest riders, who were using some of the most sophisticated bikes from Husqvarna (Sweden), Maico (Germany) and CZ (Czechoslovakia).
- Pike’s Peak Snow Run — An event run on New Year’s Day that featured 220+ riders racing from Glen Cove to the summit of the 14,410-foot mountain. The race consisted of 156 treacherous turns on ice and snow on an unpaved road (at that time) with no guardrails. Robb rode a Yamaha and bested a number of riders on Husky, Maico and CZ bikes. “I had a really good run that day,” he says. “The race injects adrenaline into your blood that never leaves — and I’ll never forget that day and race.”
One of the World’s Best Bike Collections
In the late 1990s, Robb read “The Art of the Motorcycle” from the Guggenheim Museum. This reminded him that motorcycles were truly works of art. “That book became my bible,” Robb remarks.
Although he had kept up his skills riding dirt bikes over the years, this epiphany motivated him to ride more frequently and start collecting bikes. He began with an Italian model, then a British Triumph. By 2010, he had 30 bikes in his collection. In 2011, he conceived of the idea of a motorcycle museum. After four years of planning and hard work, the Moto Talbott museum opened at 4 East Carmel Valley Road.
Today, Robb’s collection includes approximately 190 motorcycles from 18 different countries, built over more than 100 years — from 1901 to 2006. Included are vintage dirt bikes, MV Augustas, Ducatis, and all things Italian — plus tiny, 175cc, pre-1957 Motogiro bikes. These are collector pieces — he rarely rides them except when getting ready for shows, instead keeping a handful of other bikes that he still rides.
Monterey Motorsport: A True Gathering Point
I think Monterey Motorsport Park is going to be a gathering point for some very interesting people. A great place to go, hang out and talk, and make new friends.
Robb Talbott
Robb and his wife, Vivienne, are in the process of downsizing — moving from a 160-acre ranch with five barns to a smaller property near Carmel with a home and a single barn. Because of this, they’re clearing things out and need more storage space. Monterey Motorsport Park is the perfect solution.
“I was looking for something that offered quality, security, location, and class,” explains Robb. “The developers of Monterey Motorsport Park have done a fabulous job.”
“I’ve known Gordon McCall, who’s also moving into the community, for a long time,” he continues. “I think Monterey Motorsport Park is going to be a gathering point for some very interesting people. A great place to go, hang out, talk, and make new friends.”
“I chose a corner garage-condo, 1-B, because it has such great Western light. After studying art and design in college, light is very important to me — I have to have light. I plan to customize the unit’s mezzanine with Persian rugs, comfortable seating and cool wooden tables — to create a space that’s a combination of leisure and office, capturing that wonderful natural light.”
This will be our go-to place other than our home. The building is exceptionally well designed and built, and secure. I wouldn’t consider anywhere else.
Robb Talbott
Robb plans to bring perhaps a dozen museum-quality bikes into his garage-condo, perhaps offering some for sale. He and his wife will also store additional furniture and important papers — and may decorate their unit with some of the fine art B&W prints Robb has collected from photographers such as Edward Weston, Ansel Adams and Roman Loranc.
“This will be our go-to place other than our home,” Robb comments. “The building is exceptionally well designed and built, and secure. We’re so lucky to have something of the quality of Monterey Motorsport Park that probably won’t ever be built again here on the Monterey Peninsula. I wouldn’t consider anywhere else.”
To learn more about the Moto Talbott Collection, visit mototalbott.com.
65% of Garage-Condos Already Gone
With owners now moving in, demand has been so strong that already 65% of the 84 units ranging from just under 700 sq. ft. to around 2,100 sq. ft. have been sold. Each unit offers:
- An oversized rollup door for easy vehicle access
- Walk-in door for comfortable entry for you and your guests
- Security features such as 24×7 proactive video monitoring, plus access-controlled entry gates and security lighting
- High-speed, fiber optic Internet options for TV and VoIP phone service
- Available for personal or business use
To arrange a tour, contact our brokerage team:
- Josh Jones, Mahoney & Associates, [email protected], (831) 233-2196
- Ryan Clark, Cushman & Wakefield, [email protected], (831) 755-1635
- Dennis Chambers, [email protected], (408) 605-6760
- You can also get in touch with Gordon McCall, who’s part of the development team and will be relocating his business — McCall Events — to the community upon build-out, at [email protected] or call (831) 372-9311.
- Or you can contact Ralph Borelli at [email protected] or call (408) 521-7117.
