The shores of Lake Como in Italy have once again witnessed the beauty of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d’Este. To the sound of the "Symphony of Engines”, the theme chosen for this edition, a tradition of 90 years was upheld. Of course there was no shortage of classic cars at the glamorous event organised jointly by BMW and the classic Italian hotel (Villa d’Este). But the party was equally about motorcycling and the prototypes. The concorso took place between May 24 and 26 and, unsurprisingly, it proved a spectacle like no other.
In 1929, shortly before "Black Thursday” on Wall Street, the automotive world was left awestruck by the first edition of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, northern Italy. At the time, the event started off by being essentially a catwalk for carmakers to present their new models. Who could have known? Today, this is not only the oldest of the three most respected classic car circuits in existence, but the only one on the European continent. And so, for the last 90 years, the most varied of manufacturers have proudly placed their rarest and peerless pieces of art on display. BMW, Ferrari, Bentley, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Aston Martin, Lamborghini are some of the brands that are represented. And at the end, after the jury and the public have cast their votes, there are always winners. This year, 50 beautiful and exclusive classics were parked on the shores of Lake Como to be admired, divided between the two magnificent properties of Villa d’Este and Villa Erba.
The motto of this exclusive edition was "The Symphony of Engines”. From pre-war vehicles to cars that belonged to legendary music stars, such as Elvis Presley, there were classics representing all the great eras, from 1925 to the present day. And so as not to clash with the sound of the engines, the sky added to the roaring sounds with rain and thunder. But even that couldn’t stop the party. Because tradition is tradition.
After the excitedly presented parade, the results were announced to great applause. The cars taking place in the competition were divided into eight categories, but the most iconic trophy is the "Best in Show”, and both the Coppa d'Oro Villa d’Este (the public choice), and the Trofeo BMW Group (the jury’s choice) were unanimously awarded to the 1937 Alfa Romeo, 8C 2900B, Berlinetta, Touring. The Trofeo BMW GroupItalia was awarded to the 1938 Lancia Astura Serie IV, Cabriolet, Pinin Farina. However, the show didn’t just present some of the greatest successes in history, but it also lifted the veil of what the future may hold. We are talking about the concept and prototypes class, which also had a winner. And in the Design Award category the winner was this year’s Bugatti La Voiture Noire, Coupé.
The BMW Group, which has been the patron of the event since 1999, took the opportunity to present its BMW Garmisch Concept, designed by Marcello Gandini and originally presented in 1970 at the Geneva Motor Show, at the time, a tribute from the Bertone design house to the German insignia. The car was reproduced only based on the few images of the time, with the help of the memory of the designer who created it. A priceless vehicle, unlike others, whose price tags are easy to check, with the majority of the cars on display worth close to or above 1 million dollars. All this makes this one of the most eagerly awaited events for classic car fans.
In 1929, shortly before "Black Thursday” on Wall Street, the automotive world was left awestruck by the first edition of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, northern Italy. At the time, the event started off by being essentially a catwalk for carmakers to present their new models. Who could have known? Today, this is not only the oldest of the three most respected classic car circuits in existence, but the only one on the European continent. And so, for the last 90 years, the most varied of manufacturers have proudly placed their rarest and peerless pieces of art on display. BMW, Ferrari, Bentley, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Aston Martin, Lamborghini are some of the brands that are represented. And at the end, after the jury and the public have cast their votes, there are always winners. This year, 50 beautiful and exclusive classics were parked on the shores of Lake Como to be admired, divided between the two magnificent properties of Villa d’Este and Villa Erba.
The motto of this exclusive edition was "The Symphony of Engines”. From pre-war vehicles to cars that belonged to legendary music stars, such as Elvis Presley, there were classics representing all the great eras, from 1925 to the present day. And so as not to clash with the sound of the engines, the sky added to the roaring sounds with rain and thunder. But even that couldn’t stop the party. Because tradition is tradition.
After the excitedly presented parade, the results were announced to great applause. The cars taking place in the competition were divided into eight categories, but the most iconic trophy is the "Best in Show”, and both the Coppa d'Oro Villa d’Este (the public choice), and the Trofeo BMW Group (the jury’s choice) were unanimously awarded to the 1937 Alfa Romeo, 8C 2900B, Berlinetta, Touring. The Trofeo BMW GroupItalia was awarded to the 1938 Lancia Astura Serie IV, Cabriolet, Pinin Farina. However, the show didn’t just present some of the greatest successes in history, but it also lifted the veil of what the future may hold. We are talking about the concept and prototypes class, which also had a winner. And in the Design Award category the winner was this year’s Bugatti La Voiture Noire, Coupé.
The BMW Group, which has been the patron of the event since 1999, took the opportunity to present its BMW Garmisch Concept, designed by Marcello Gandini and originally presented in 1970 at the Geneva Motor Show, at the time, a tribute from the Bertone design house to the German insignia. The car was reproduced only based on the few images of the time, with the help of the memory of the designer who created it. A priceless vehicle, unlike others, whose price tags are easy to check, with the majority of the cars on display worth close to or above 1 million dollars. All this makes this one of the most eagerly awaited events for classic car fans.
