When the most beautiful and elegant vehicles in the world arrive in Cernobbio, the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este is on the agenda. The organizers have spent a year searching for, judging and eliminating vehicles in order to finally present a show of around 50 vehicles, from which the eleven-member jury and the expert audience can award prizes to the best.
From one-offs ...
As always, the field of 51 classics (one vehicle, a Lancia Astura, was conspicuous by its absence) is made up of one-offs and series vehicles. The one-offs include a teardrop-shaped Volkhart V2 Sagitta (1947), a Ferrari 250 Europa Coupé Vignale (1955), a Lancia Flaminia Coupé by Pininfarina or a prototype of the later Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, as well as many other special bodies on the chassis of pre- and post-war sports cars.
... to classic production sports cars
At the other end of the spectrum are vehicles that were built in significant numbers, such as the BMW 507, the Mercedes 300 SL, the Ferrari 250 GT Spider California and the Lamborghini Miura and Countach models. However, you can still find something special and extraordinary about practically every model if you ask around.
The Concorso Villa d'Este is also a showcase for coachbuilders: Graber, Figoni, Zagato, Chapron, Vignale, Pininfarina, Allemano, etc., it is rare to be able to compare so many styles and results in so little space.
Popular and direct
What always fascinates visitors to the Concorso is the direct contact between vehicle owners and spectators/specialist audience. The drivers who come to the Concorso patiently answer the questions of interested spectators. And there is a lot to learn. For example, you can learn how the gearbox of a Cord 812 S/C from 1937 works, how the gears are electrically preselected and engaged on the steering wheel, and then the command is sent to the servomotors via electrical signals to engage the next gear as soon as the clutch electrically signals that the clutch is disengaged, provided everything is installed correctly. You can also see how the two pop-up headlights are extended manually using two hand cranks. Owner von Allmen says that he is now quite good at getting the two lights into position before entering the tunnel.
Alfieri Maserati and his OSCA
Alfieri Maserati is the son of Ernesto Maserati, who first founded the Maserati brand and later the Osca sports car brand. In 1963, he built an aerodynamic sports car that was to cause a sensation in motor racing. However, other projects followed and the car was never used seriously. Alfieri was never allowed to race himself because his father had forbidden him to do so and so today he is bringing the unrestored beauty with a 1.6-liter engine to the Villa d'Este to compete in the "Little Jewels" category, against two Abarths, a Porsche 550/1500 RS and a pretty little Moretti 750 Grand Sport.
Beautiful Le Mans racing cars?
The organizers have taken on something special with the "Heroes of Le Mans" category. They have put together six very sporty vehicles, all of which have raced at Le Mans, if not themselves, then at least their brothers. For example, there is the light blue Porsche 917K, which Mark Finburgh bought directly from Porsche in 1973 and has owned for many years. The largely unrestored racing car, which won the Trofeo ASI for the best-preserved post-war car, does not feel at home at the Concours and causes the driver some grief with its rough-and-tumble behavior, but impresses the audience with its combination of beauty of form and sheer power and volume. The Le Mans racer, which was once also driven by Jo Siffert and Pedro Rodriguez, can be forgiven for not wanting to start when the jury asked to hear the hoarse twelve-cylinder engine.
In the same class, the Jaguar D-Type (1956), the Aston-Martin DBR1 (1959), the Ferrari 250 GTO (1962), a Ferrari 250 LM from Scuderia Filipinetti (1964) and a road-going Ford GT40 Mk 3 from 1968 are all rare racing cars "at the start".
And in answer to the question of whether an uncompromising focus on speed and elegance are mutually exclusive, it can be confidently stated that at least the vehicles on show look very beautiful and elegant and can compete for beauty prizes with some less sporty vehicles.
Competition between restorers
A Concours d'Elegance is not only a competition of shapes and vehicles, but also of restorers, whether private or professional. Old foxes know what is important. Complete equipment (e.g. tool kit, manuals, etc.), age-appropriate choice of colors and materials for repairs, 100% originality, attention to detail and a willingness to provide information on all points at any time - that's half the battle for a potential Concours winner. Heinrich Kämpfer, for example, proudly displays his independently restored Ferrari 250 Europa Vignale from 1954, which was built so quickly at the time that not only are the doors unequal in length, but the swing on the trunk lid on the left and right also shows clear differences, which of course remained unchanged during the restoration.
It can hardly come as a surprise that the driving experience falls by the wayside for some owners. Some of the cars shown have hardly seen the road since the restoration, but all of them are still running and cover the individual transfer routes under their own power.
But there are other ways, such as Karol Pavlu and his 1939 Tatra 87 Sedan Aerodynamic traveling by axle from Slovakia to win the Trofeo Automobili Club die Como, which recognizes the longest journey.
Monumental Rolls-Royce and BMW Turbo as special guests
Out of competition, but no less impressive, is a Rolls-Royce Phantom II by Jonckheere from 1934. Truly monumental and elegant at the same time, the car is extremely futuristic for its time. According to the latest information, it was originally a Phantom I (chassis 94MC) from 1925, which was built by Hooper. It is said to have been with a dealer in London in 1933. It then came to Belgium where it probably received its current bodywork from Jonckheere in 1934/5. It first appeared in the USA in 1937, where it remained under various owners, first in gold, then later in white. The car changed hands several times and finally took part in the Concours d'Elegance at Pebble Beach in 2005, now restored, without bumpers and with black paintwork, entered by the Petersen Museum, whose collection still includes the car.
As a surprise, BMW presents the first concept car built by the Munich-based company, the BMW Turbo from 1972. The indirect forerunner of the later M1 still impresses today with its futuristic exterior, unorthodox paintwork and the forerunner of the "Check-Control" instrument in the interior, which can be accessed through hinged doors.
Difficult task for the jury
The eleven members of the jury, including well-known designers such as Harm Lagaay, Patrick Le Quément and Lorenzo Ramaciotti, classic car fans such as Lord March and Nick Mason and specialists such as Winston Goodfellow, Stefan Pasini and Carlo Otto Brambilla, do not make choosing the most beautiful cars an easy task. In subgroups, they take around ten to fifteen minutes per vehicle, talk to the driver, listen to the history and specialties, look under the hood, check the condition of the vehicle and listen to the engine.
Coppa d'Oro for the Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Coupé Figoni
The public, who award the Coppa d'Oro Villa d'Este (Best of Show), have an easier time of it. The worthy winner was the Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS from 1933, which coachbuilder Figoni gave an elegant coupé dress in black and white two-wheel drive paintwork. Truly elegant! The fact that this vehicle has hardly been seen in public since 1934, when it was shown at the Concours d'Elegance in Monte Carlo, makes the car even more extraordinary. The wonderful engine noise of the supercharged six-cylinder engine is just a bonus, but what a bonus! And the fact that the jury also awarded the Trofeo BMW Group (Best of Show) to the Alfa Romeo shows that the charm of the teardrop-shaped classic is hard to resist.
Rain of prizes
The jury selects a class winner in each category and also awards an honorary mention. The Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster from 1939, the Delahaye 145 Coupé Chapron from 1937, the Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Coupé Figoni from 1933, the Abarth-Fiat 500 Zagato from 1957, the BMW 507 from 1958, the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Zagato from 1956, the Ferrari 400 Superamerica Pininfarina from 1962, the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Ghia from 1947 and the Aston-Martin DBR5 from 1959 were chosen as the best in their category.
Special prizes and honorary mentions were awarded to the Cord 812 S/C from 1937, the Chrysler Town&Country from 1941, the Tatra 87 Sedan from 1939, the Porsche 550/1500 RS Spyder from 1954, the open Ferrari 212 Inter Pininfarina from 1952, the Ferrari 250 GT SWB from 1962, the Lamborghini Countach LP 400 from 1975, the Alvis TD 21 Coupé Graber from 1962 and the Ford GT 40 Mk 3 from 1968.
The little ones make a big impression
A particularly impressive addition is the special exhibition of very small vehicles, where you can admire exotic cars such as the Kleinschnittger, the Brütsch Zwerg or the Reliant Bond Bug alongside vehicles such as the Renault 4CV, BMW Isetta, Messerschmitt or Fiat 500C, which many people still remember. The little ones could hardly come out any bigger.
BMW racing special show
The special show of racing cars on display on Sunday can only be seen as the icing on the cake with all the highlights. From the Mini, to the BMW 1800 TISA, to the current DTM BMW, there is a lot that makes up the BMW Palmares.
The registered vehicles in the various categories
| Class | No | Make | Type | Year | Comment | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 02 | Rolls-Royce | Silver Ghost Piccadilly Roadster | 1922 | Trofeo Rolls Royce | CH |
| A | 04 | Rolls-Royce | Phantom I Drophead Coupé Manessius | 1925 | CH | |
| A | 06 | Packard | Twelve 15th Series | 1937 | E | |
| A | 08 | Rolls-Royce | Phantom III Convertible Voll&Ruhrbeck | 1937 | FL | |
| A | 10 | Cord | 812 S--C | 1937 | Mention of Honor | CH |
| A | 12 | Mercedes-Benz | 540 K Special Roadster | 1939 | Class Winner | D |
| B | 14 | Talbot | AV105 Sport Tourer James Young | 1933 | CA | |
| B | 16 | Alfa Romeo | 6C 2300 Pescara Spider Touring | 1935 | CH | |
| B | 18 | Delahaye | 145 Coupé Chapron | 1937 | Class Winner | US |
| B | 20 | Lancia | Astura IV Series Roadster Motto | 1937 | not present | I |
| B | 22 | BMW | 335 Cabriolet Autenrieth | 1939 | I | |
| B | 24 | Chrysler | Town & Country Station Wagon, Pekin Wood Products | 1941 | Mention of Honor | US |
| C | 26 | Alfa Romeo | 6C 1750 GS 6th Series Coupé Figoni | 1933 | Coppa d'Oro Villa d'Este, Trofeo BMW Group, Trofeo BMW Group Italia, Class Winner | CA |
| C | 28 | Avions Voisin | C 25 Berline Aerodyne | 1935 | Trofeo FIVA | CH |
| C | 30 | Aston Martin | C Type Speed Roadster Berelli | 1939 | I | |
| C | 32 | Tatra | 87 Sedan Aerodynamic | 1939 | Trofeo Automobile Club di Como, Mention of Honor | SK |
| C | 34 | Volkhart | V2 Sagitta | 1947 | A | |
| C | 36 | Maserati | A6 1500 Coupé Pininfarina | 1947 | I | |
| D | 38 | Abarth | 204 A Spider Motto | 1950 | AR | |
| D | 40 | Porsche | 550--1500 RS | 1954 | Mention of Honor | CH |
| D | 42 | Moretti | 750 Grand Sport | 1954 | GR | |
| D | 44 | Abarth | Fiat 500 Coupé Zagato | 1957 | Class Winner | JP |
| D | 46 | OSCA | 1600 SP Coupé | 1963 | I | |
| E | 48 | Ferrari | 212 Inter Cabriolet Pinin Farina | 1952 | Mention of Honor | US |
| E | 50 | Ferrari | 212 Inter Coupé Pinin Farina | 1953 | CH | |
| E | 52 | Porsche | 356 Pre A Cabriolet Reutter | 1953 | D | |
| E | 54 | Mercedes-Benz | 300 SL | 1956 | Trofeo Vranken Pommery | F |
| E | 56 | Maserati | A6G 2000 Coupé Allemano | 1956 | NL | |
| E | 58 | BMW | 507 | 1958 | Class Winner | D |
| F | 60 | Ferrari | 250 Europa Coupé Vignale | 1954 | Trofeo Foglizzo | CH |
| F | 62 | Ferrari | 250 GT Europa Coupé Pinin Farina | 1955 | I | |
| F | 64 | Ferrari | 250 GT Berlinetta Zagato | 1956 | Class Winner | US |
| F | 66 | Ferrari | 250 GT Spider California | 1961 | UK | |
| F | 68 | Ferrari | 250 GT SWB Berlinetta | 1962 | Mention of Honor | CH |
| F | 70 | Ferrari | 250 GT Lusso Scaglietti | 1964 | CH | |
| G | 72 | Ferrari | 400 Superamerica Aerodynamic Pininfarina | 1962 | Class Winner | US |
| G | 74 | Maserati | 5000 GT Coupé Allemano | 1962 | NL | |
| G | 76 | Lancia | Flaminia Coupé Pininfarina | 1963 | I | |
| G | 78 | Ferrari | 365 GTB--4 Daytona Prototype | 1967 | NL | |
| G | 80 | Lamborghini | Miura SV--J | 1972 | I | |
| G | 82 | Lamborghini | Countach LP 400 | 1975 | Trofeo Auto & Design, Mention of Honor | NL |
| H | 84 | Alfa Romeo | 6C 2500 Cabriolet Ghia | 1947 | Class Winner | I |
| H | 86 | Bentley | R Type Drophead Coupé Mulliner | 1953 | D | |
| H | 88 | Bentley | Continental S1 Drophead Coupé Park Ward | 1957 | I | |
| H | 90 | Bentley | Continental S1 Coupé Fastback Mulliner | 1958 | UK | |
| H | 92 | Alvis | TD 21 2nd Series Coupé Graber | 1962 | Mention of Honor | UK |
| I | 94 | Jaguar | D Type | 1956 | CH | |
| I | 96 | Aston Martin | DBR1 | 1959 | Class Winner | UK |
| I | 98 | Ferrari | 250 GTO | 1962 | US | |
| I | 100 | Ferrari | 250 LM | 1964 | UK | |
| I | 102 | Ford | GT 40 MK 3 | 1968 | Trofeo BMW Group Classic, Mention of Honor | US |
| I | 104 | Porsche | 917 K | 1969 | Trofeo ASI | UK |
In addition to the photos shown here with the article, there are a large number of other pictures organized in photo galleries per vehicle category (see recommended articles above left).
