After the picture story, which is not always to be taken seriously in all respects, but which is peppered with a lot of humor and irony, conveyed few cars, but all the more emotion from the event in Cernobbio, now comes the story eagerly awaited by Zwischengas readers with many pictures of a very well-attended weekend on May 16/17, 2026 in great weather.
Full house
As Saturday in the Villa d'Este park was not open to the public, more than 9,000 visitors crowded into the Villa Erba park on Sunday for "Wheels and Weisswürscht", which was open to everyone. While there was little, or even nothing, going on at the first edition, this event has blossomed into a major event within five years.
Many young people crowded into the park, where everything from bread and butter cars to tuned one-offs could be seen, if they could be caught among the many visitors. The traditional public parade of the Concorso on Sunday, also in the park of Villa Erba, was crowded like the Oktoberfest in Munich.
Broad spectrum
Under the motto "The future needs the past", the Concorso Villa d'Este once again presented a selection of automotive treasures, ranging from its beginnings, with the S.P.A. from 1923 as the oldest car, to the latest ultra-modern concept cars and prototypes. The result was a fascinating overview of more than 100 years of automotive history.
A total of 54 vehicles from 13 countries took part in eight different categories, with a class winner emerging from each. While some classes were dedicated to a specific era, others represented more unusual combinations, such as the spectacular Ferraris from the 1950s and 60s, or the vehicles from different decades, which exude a very special aura thanks to their original condition.
Rare Ferrari
The starting field of the Italian road and sports car races with the wonderful Barchettas and Coupés in the classic body look enchanted every observer. This included the winner of the 1953 World Sports Car Championship, when Ferrari took the world title to Maranello against British rivals Jaguar and Aston-Martin. Ferrari again came away empty-handed from the battle against Jaguar at the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, the 340 MM celebrated numerous successes, such as at the Mille Miglia, the 24 Hours of Spa and the 1000 km race on the Nürburgring, which ultimately secured the Italians the world championship title in the 1953 World Sports Car Championship.
The 340 MM shown here was built in April 1953 with a spider body by Touring. It entered the Mille Miglia as a works car with the starting number 613 and Luigi Villoresi at the wheel. However, Villoresi had to retire from the race after an accident. In June 1953, the car was sold to the renowned Swiss privateer driver Hans Rüsch, who immediately entered it in the British Empire Trophy on the Isle of Man in June 1953 and finished third overall. However, tragedy struck in September at the Grand Prix Supercortemaggiore in Merano:
A serious accident claimed one spectator's life, the Ferrari was badly damaged and brought back to Modena, where it was repaired and at the end of 1954 Scaglietti gave it a new body in the style of a 750 Monza Spider. In 1955, the car was purchased by Luigi Chinetti in the USA, where it remained until the turn of the millennium before returning to Europe.
The operatic voice of Jonas Kaufmann rightly awarded the trophy for the best sound to the Ferrari 375 MM with its Lampredi V12 racing engine.
The 212 Coupé Speciale, which belonged to the then Argentinian President Juan Péron, came from a famous previous owner and the silver Testarossa Spider with the registration number "T0 00000G" was built by Pininfarina with a special permit from Ferrari for Gianni Agnelli.
Something for the next generation too
The hypercars were a hot topic among young people. The Pagani Zonda, as can be seen in the picture story, caused chaos in the narrow streets of Cernobbio. The white and blue Bugatti Veyron caused quite a stir at the time of its market launch, as pictures of the 400 km/h sports car undergoing high-speed tests in the Black Rock Desert went around the world. Hundreds of postcards of this campaign were distributed to the right and left of the car on the way from Villa d'Este to Villa Erba.
But the car that stole the show was neither a Ferrari nor a Bugatti, but, believe it or not, a Volkswagen! The black VW W12 set the still unbroken 24-hour speed record on the high-speed Nardo circuit in 2002 with an average speed of 322.9 km/h.
This is how the Volkswagen from the pen of Giorgetto Giugaro under the direction of Ferdinand Piëch got its name: Nardo! The black W12 on display at the Concorso is the only example in private ownership and documents the state of VW's W12 engine technology at the end of the 1990s.
Despite its large displacement, the engine was so compact that it could be integrated into a vehicle just over 4.5 meters long, with permanent all-wheel drive and a mid-engine design, making the car barely longer than a VW Golf. The W12 served as technical proof of the feasibility of the concept and thus provided the basis for use in the Group's later super sports cars.
Pre-war car as best of show
In the end, the 328 MM, which was christened in May 1937, was once again crowned the winner. The so-called "crease" from 1937 was chosen as the overall winner of the Concorso d`Eleganza Villa d'Este 2026 with the title "Best of Show" by the top-class jury from all over the world.
This car with chassis number 85032 was also used by the factory in Le Mans and the Tourist Trophy, among others.
In the fall of 1939, the factory decided to enter the 328 with a streamlined body in the following year's Mille Miglia. The aerodynamic 328 owes its nickname "Bügelfalte" (crease) to Wilhelm Kaiser from the design department at the time because of the distinctive crease on the two front fenders. This car with starting number 71 finished the Mille Miglia in 6th place.
In 1945, this crease was sent to Moscow and only returned safely to the West after the fall of the Berlin Wall and is still enjoying a wonderful unrestored original condition today. The two other Mille Miglia roadsters built at the same time received their aerodynamic livery from Touring in Milan.
On Sunday evening, the "Trofeo BMW Group - Best of Show" was presented to the proud owner Stefano Martinoli by Helmut Käs, Head of BMW Group Classic and President of the Concorso d`Eleganza Villa d'Este, Wilhelm Schmid (CEO of A. Lange & Söhne) and the jury president Lorenzo Ramaciotti.
The Trofeo Coppa d'Oro Villa d'Este, which is awarded by the public, went to the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster of Eric Blumencranz from the USA. This SL from 1963 is one of the last 300 to leave the factory in Stuttgart. The car is still in its original condition, first paint (code DB50) and first leather (code 953). The car is only in third hand.
The youngest voted for one of the oldest
The youngest generation, who are allowed to award their own prize, opted for the fifth oldest car in the field, the wonderful unrestored Bugatti T37 from 1928.
The car is one of the last eight examples of this type built. Charles Faroux, a close friend of Ettore Bugatti and editor-in-chief of the magazine "La Vie Automobile", bought the car, but quickly sold it on to the Parisian artist René Durey, who owned it until his death in 1959. At the end of the 1960s, it went to Jean de Rochechouart de Mortemart, then in 1972 it was auctioned in Paris to Louis Blériot and in 2015 it came to Belgium.
Anniversaries
Several anniversaries were also celebrated, firstly the 90th birthday of the BMW 328, then 40 years of the BMW M3 and finally the voice of Briton Simon Kidston, who has tirelessly hosted the Concorso for 25 years.
The BMW 328 was built in 464 units from 1936 to 1940 and is considered a milestone in automotive history with its 2-liter inline six-cylinder engine. It was also the most successful sports car in the late 1930s. It shaped the character of BMW like hardly any other model and still fascinates today with its elegant shape.
But of course the 40th anniversary of the BMW M3 also attracted a lot of attention, especially from the younger public.
Changes
The Delage D8 from 1931 and the concept study of the Delage D12 from 2024 clearly show how the automobile has changed in 93 years. Against Chapron's monstrous four-seater convertible body, the D12 looks like an amphibious vehicle.
The remarkable features of the D8's convertible body included the long, curved hood, the high beltline and the full four-seater configuration. Designed for comfort and excellent driving characteristics, the body offers a spacious interior, a robust fabric top and carefully integrated chrome details.
Some of these ingredients were definitely lost in the D12, as the passenger is positioned directly behind the driver, just like on a motorcycle, and can hardly find any reasonable space.
Presentation of a new BMW Alpina
The automobile made history and must continue to do so, so BMW took the opportunity to present the "Vision BMW Alpina", a V8 speed sedan in the absolute luxury segment. The Alpina label, founded in the early 1970s by Burkard Bovensiepen, focused on tuning BMW vehicles and built its own BMW-based vehicles from 1978 onwards.
This year, BMW took over the brand rights from Alpina and intends to offer its own Alpina-based line in the future, which will not compete with the M line.
In addition to the beauty contest, two auctions were also held on Saturday and Sunday by Broad Arrow Auctions , where many younger and older classics were sold.
The cars and the prices
| No | EMPTY | Make | Type | Year | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A02 | S.P.A. | Tipo 23 Coupé de Ville Garavini | 1923 | ||
| A04 | Rolls-Royce | Silver Ghost Picadilly Roadster Miramac | 1924 | ||
| A06 | Rolls-Royce | New Phantom I Convertible Barker & Co. Ltd | 1926 | ||
| A08 | Mercedes-Benz | 630 K Sports Tourer Thomas Harrington Ltd | 1927 | ||
| A10 | Cadillac | V16 Roadster Fleetwood | 1930 | Mention of Honor | |
| A12 | Delage | D8 Sports Tourer Henri Chapron | 1931 | Class Winner | |
| A14 | Rolls-Royce | Phantom II Sedanca Coupé Gurney Nutting | 1934 | ||
| B16 | Bugatti | Type 37 Grand Prix | 1928 | Trofeo BMW Group Ragazzi | |
| B18 | Duesenberg | Model J Dual Cowl Phaeton LaGrande | 1935 | ||
| B20 | Bentley | Derby Fixed Head Coupé Vesters and Neirinck | 1935 | ||
| B22 | Auburn | 852 Supercharged Convertible LaBourdette | 1936 | ||
| B24 | Mercedes-Benz | 540 K Special Coupé | 1937 | Mention of Honor | |
| B26 | BMW | 328 "crease" Streamline Roadster | 1937 | Class Winner, Best of Show | |
| B28 | Bugatti | 57C Aravis Special Cabriolet Gangloff | 1939 | Jury Prize | |
| C30 | Ferrari | 212 Coupé Speciale Coupé Ghia | 1952 | Class Winner | |
| C32 | Isotta Fraschini | 8C Monterosa Coupé Touring | 1947 | ||
| C34 | Siata | 208 CS Coupé Balbo | 1953 | ||
| C36 | Pegaso | Z-102 Touring Coupé Touring | 1953 | ||
| C38 | Ferrari | 375 MM Coupé Ghia | 1954 | Trofeo Il canto del motore | |
| C40 | Alfa Romeo | 1900 C SSZ Berlinetta Zagato | 1955 | ||
| C42 | Cadillac | Eldorado Brougham Sedan Fleetwood | 1957 | Mention of Honor, Most Iconic Car (Trofeo Vranken-Pommery) | |
| C44 | Lancia | Flaminia Sport Berlinetta Zagato | 1959 | ||
| D45 | Mercedes-Benz | 300B Cabriolet | 1953 | ||
| D46 | BMW | 507 Convertible | 1958 | Class Winner | |
| D48 | Ferrari | 400 Superamerica SWB Convertible Pininfarina | 1960 | Mention of Honor | |
| D50 | Ghia | G230S Prototype Spyder | 1965 | ||
| D52 | Maserati | Ghibli Spyder | 1969 | ||
| D54 | Ferrari | Testarossa Spider | 1986 | By the President of the Jury | |
| D56 | Aston Martin | V8 Vantage Valante Convertible | 1988 | ||
| E58 | Ferrari | 250 MM Spyder Vignale | 1953 | ||
| E60 | Ferrari | 340 MM Spider Vignale | 1953 | ||
| E62 | Ferrari | 375 Plus Spider Pininfarina | 1954 | ||
| E64 | Ferrari | 250 GT Berlinetta Zagato | 1957 | Class Winner | |
| E66 | Ferrari | 250 GT Competizione "Tour de France" Berlinetta | 1958 | ||
| E68 | Ferrari | 250 GT SWB Competizione Berlinetta | 1960 | ||
| E70 | Ferrari | 250 GTO | 1962 | Mention of Honor, Trofeo BMW Group Classic | |
| F74 | Fiat | 8V Zagato Berlinetta | 1954 | Best preserved post-war-car (Trofeo ASI) | |
| F76 | Mercedes-Benz | 300 SL Roadster | 1963 | Coppa d'Oro (Audience Award) | |
| F78 | Shelby | Cobra 289 Roadster | 1964 | Class Winner | |
| F80 | DeTomaso | Mangusta Coupé | 1969 | Mention of Honor | |
| F82 | Monteverdi | Palm Beach Convertible | 1974 | ||
| G84 | Ferrari | 275 GTB Berlinetta | 1965 | Mention of Honor, Trofeo Automobile Club Como (longest journey) | |
| G86 | Aston Martin | DB5 V8 Saloon | 1966 | ||
| G88 | Bizzarrini | 5300 GT Strada Berlinetta | 1967 | ||
| G92 | Lamborghini | Miura SV Berlinetta | 1971 | Class Winner | |
| G94 | Lamborghini | Countach LP400 Coupé | 1974 | ||
| H96 | BMW | M1 | 1980 | Trofeo dei Schedoni Modena (best-preserved interior) | |
| H98 | Ferrari | F40 Michelotto | 1989 | Trofeo Auto & Design | |
| H100 | Bugatti | EB 110 GT | 1992 | Mention of Honor | |
| H102 | Jaguar | XJ220 | 1997 | ||
| H104 | Mercedes-Benz | CLK GTR | 1998 | ||
| H105 | Pagani | Zonda C12 S 7.0 Coupé | 2000 | ||
| H106 | Volkswagen | W12 Nardò Coupé | 2000 | Class Winner | |
| H108 | Bugatti | Veyron 16.4 Coupé | 2005 | ||
| P02 | Delage | D12 Coupé | 2024 | ||
| P04 | Praga | Bohema Coupé | 2025 | ||
| P06 | Totem | GT Super Sport Prototipo Coupé | 2025 | ||
| P08 | Capricorn | 01 Zagato "Tutto Rosso" Coupé | 2026 | ||
| P10 | Kimera | K-39 Coupé | 2026 | Concorso d'Eleganza Design Award |
Prizes/awards (vehicles and owners)
Trofeo BMW Group
Best of Show by the Jury
First Prize
Winner: BMW 328 "Bügelfalte", 1937, Stefano Martinoli, Italy.
Trofeo BMW Group
Best of Show by the Jury
Honorary Award
Winner: Ferrari 250 GT, 1957, Collezione Abetone, Switzerland
Class Winners and Mentions of Honor
CLASS A: Automotive Tailoring: Over A Decade Of Opulence, 1923-1934
Class Winner
Delage D8, 1931 , 1933, Hans Jörg Hübner, Germany.
Mention of Honor
Cadillac V-16, 1930 , Singleton Collection, United States.
CLASS B: Future Couture: Dressed For Speed, 1928-1939
Class Winner
BMW 328 "Bügelfalte", 1937 , Stefano Martinoli, Italy.
Mention of Honor
Mercedes-Benz 540 K, 1937, Auriga Collection, Germany.
CLASS C: Viva Villa d'Este: Extravagant 1950s Style
Class Winner
Ferrari 212 Coupé Speciale, 1952, Dennis Garrity, United States.
Mention of Honor
Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, 1957, Don Ghareeb, United States.
CLASS D: "The Top Goes Down. The Price Goes Up": Selling Sunshine
Class Winner
BMW 507, 1958, John Stafford III, United States.
Mention of Honor
Ferrari 400 Superamerica SWB, 1960, Nancy & Ron Rosner, United States.
CLASS E: They Earned Their Names: Enzo's Endurance Legends
Class Winner
Ferrari 250 GT, 1957, Collezione Abetone, Switzerland.
Mention of Honor
Ferrari 250 GTO, 1962, Keybridge Collection, Hong Kong.
CLASS F: Every Scratch Tells A Story: Aging Gracefully Without Restoration
Class Winner
DeTomaso Mangusta, 1969 , Thomas Shannon, United States.
Mention of Honor
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, 1963 , Eric Blumencranz, United States.
CLASS G: From Carnaby Street To The Autostrada: The Swinging GT Driver
Class Winner
Eric Blumencranz, United States, Allan McDonnel, United States.
Mention of Honor
Ferrari 275 GTB, 1965, Andrew Bagley, United Kingdom.
CLASS H: The Pace Race: The Supercar Comes Of Age
Class Winner
Volkswagen W12 Nardò, 2000, Gregor Piëch, Austria.
Mention of Honor
Bugatti EB 110 GT, 1992, Victoria Dold, Germany.
Special prizes
Trofeo BMW Group Ragazzi
By Young People's Referendum
Winner: Bugatti Type 37, 1928, HMG van der Anker, Netherland.
Concorso d'Eleganza Design Award For Concept Cars & Prototypes
by Public Referendum
Winner: Kimera Automobili K - 39, 2026, Kimera Automobili, Italy.
Trofeo del Presidenti della Giuria
By the President of the Jury, Lorenzo Ramaciotti
Winner: Ferrari Testarossa, 1986, Ronald Stern, United Kingdom.
Trofeo dei Presidente
By the Presidents of International Concours
The Presidents and Chairpersons of the world's leading concours
come together to crown their favorite.
Winner: Bugatti 57C, 1939, Thomas Price, United States.
TROFEO Coppa d'Oro Villa d'Este
Best of Show by Public Referendum
Winner: Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, 1963, Eric Blumencranz, United States.
TROFEO BMW Group Classic
For the most sensitive restoration by the Jury
Winner: Ferrari 250 GTO, 1962, Keybridge Collection, Hong Kong.
TROFEO Vranken-Pommery
For the best iconic car
Winner: Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, 1957, Don Ghareeb, United States.
TROFEO ASI
For the best preserved post-war car
Winner: Fiat 8V Zagato, 1954, Johan Lont, Switzerland.
TROFEO Auto & Design
For the most exciting design
Winner: Ferrari F40, 1989, Christopher Stahl, Germany.
TROFEO Il canto del motore
For the best engine sound
Winner: Ferrari 375 MM, 1954, Thomas Peck, United States.
TROFEO Automobile Club Como
For the car driven from farthest away
Winner: Ferrari 275 GTB, 1965, Andrew Bagley, United Kingdom.
TROFEO dei Schedoni Modena
For the car with the best preserved leather interior
Winner: BMW M1, 1980, Marcus Wolsdorf, Germany.
