As a car enthusiast, it's hard to imagine anything better than sitting on the terrace of the Hotel Villa d'Erba and watching some of the most beautiful cars of the last hundred years drive past, Lake Como in the background and an "espresso liscio" on the table.
And perhaps many a participant and owner of a car costing many hundreds of thousands of euros or francs would have been happy to swap places with the spectators, especially when it got very warm in the car, the clutch leg started to ache from the "stop and go" in the queue and the water thermometer began to indicate that the danger zone was approaching.
But this was all forgotten as soon as Simon Kidston described the car with anointed words and the prizes and trophies were presented. Corrado Lopresto in particular, who drove an Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 from 1931 with an Aprile body in front of the judges' podium, had every reason to be proud. Because the public had ennobled his car with the Coppa d'Oro. Not that this was a completely new experience for him, as he always brings exceptional cars to the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este.
Peter's benevolence
The conditions could not have been better. Beautiful weather, an almost cloudless sky and pleasant early summer temperatures spoiled the park landscapes of the Villa d'Este and, on Sunday, the Villa d'Erba; the spectators clearly enjoyed strolling between the cars, only the photographers suffered from the crowds of visitors. But they have actually been used to this for years.
51 historic automobiles
Cars at least forty years old in nine classes and additional concept cars from the modern era were presented to the interested public in the suburb of Como on Saturday and Sunday. The lion's share was accounted for by Ferrari (10) and Maserati (7), followed by Rolls-Royce (6), Alfa Romeo (5) and Mercedes-Benz (4). 14 cars were built before the Second World War, 27 in the 1950s and 8 in the 1960s. Just one car from the seventies was registered.
The participants came from far and wide. Twelve vehicles came from the USA, four from England, one from Argentina and one from Japan. With nine entries, the Italians made at least partial use of their geographical home advantage, and the four Swiss, five Germans and three Austrians could not complain about a long journey either.
The condition for participation is that the car must drive and start independently. In fact, some of the 51 vehicles probably covered more meters in Como than they usually do during the whole year.
100 years of Maserati
Naturally, a separate class was dedicated to the centenary of the Maserati brand in Cernobbio and this category in particular impressed with a wide range of vehicles. This began with the Zagato-bodied Maserati V4 Sport from 1929, which, equipped with a sixteen-cylinder engine, set speed records before the war.
The car ran perfectly, but according to the owner it is not easy to drive. All the better that the Como audience was able to see and hear it in motion several times. The reward was class victory.
Three Maserati A6Gs from 1953 to 1956 vied for the jury's favor. Dressed by Pinin Farina, Allemano and Zagato, this was less a competition of chassis than of coachbuilders, which Pinin Farina won with an honorable mention.
Concorso regular Mohringer also brought a very special vehicle to Italy, the Maserati 150 GT prototype with a body by Fantuzzi, which was modeled on the Frua Cabriolet based on the A6G. The four-cylinder sports car has its very own charisma and embodies one end of the spectrum, so to speak, while the early and luxurious Maserati Quattroporte from 1965, bodied by Pietro Frua, belongs to the other end.
Away from series production
An exciting class was "le fuoriserie". Here, vehicles from four bodywork companies and design schools came together to compete with the titans.
The Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM Superflow IV , which Pininfarina built in 1960 on the basis of a racing chassis from 1953, with which Fangio had once finished the Mille Miglia in second place, looked downright breathtaking.
Pininfarina had already placed three other bodies on the chassis beforehand. A special feature of the "Coupé Super Sport Speziale" was the glass dome, the middle section of which could be pushed backwards, as in the now discontinued 997 Targa models. Surprisingly, owner Steven Tillack had to travel home without a prize.
The winner of the "F" class was the Fiat Abarth 2000 Scorpione by Pininfarina from 1969. This concept car was indeed uncompromisingly designed and a feast for the eyes with its extreme wedge shape. The vehicle is not even one meter high and the minimal ground clearance made the Japanese, who had brought the car to Como, sweat just as much as the engine characteristics of the two-litre four-cylinder engine, which had developed 220 hp in the racing car.
The third Pininfarina creation, the Mercedes Benz 230 SL Coupé, designed by Tom Tjaarda in 1964, went home without a prize, as did the Zagato Aster based on the Fiat 132.
The Ferrari 250 GT SWB by Bertone from 1959 won an honorary award. This unique piece is an early work by Giorgetto Giugiaro.
The prototype of the Hudson Italia, which was the basis for a small series production, was very special and perhaps in the wrong category. The differences between the prototype and the production version are interesting. For example, the steering wheel came from Alfa Romeo, even the Alfa badge was still fitted, and various other elements were different from those in the later series production. With the Trofeo ASI, the car was honored as the best preserved post-war car.
Racing car elegance
Not only racing car chassis hidden among concept cars were shown in Cernobbio, but also real racing cars with documented racing history. In addition to the surprisingly resurfaced Jaguar XK 120 record car with a cheese bell over the driver, there was a D-Type with Le Mans history, the first Fantuzzi-Maserati 450 S, a Ferrari 500 TRC, a late Ferrari 250 GTO as well as a Porsche 904 GTS and a Competition Cobra from Shelby American to admire and, above all, to listen to.
Part of a Concours is that the car owners start the car for the jury and every time one of these racing car engines was started, all heads jerked in the appropriate direction and the audience flocked to the source of the roar.
The class winner was the Maserati 450 S from 1956. This car was the first production example to be sold to Tony Parravano in the USA and is regarded as the best-preserved example of the 10-strong 450S population. The "Best of Show" prize was added to the class victory.
The Jaguar D-Type from 1954, with which Hamilton and Rolt finished the 24 Hours of Le Mans of the same year in second place, received an honorary mention. The car was later exhibited at the Paris Motor Show and road-tested by John Bolster. For a significant part of its long life, the D-Type served as a road car in quasi-XKSS configuration until it was restored to its original condition.
Finally, the Shelby American 427 Competition Cobra was honoured as a sports car icon, while the Ferrari 250 GTO with a '64 body, the Porsche 904 GTS and the speed-optimized Jaguar XK120 MDU 421, which was measured at 277.47 km/h on the freeway between Jabbeke and Aeltre in 1949, were left empty-handed.
Great Gatsby and Rolls-Royce
Two classes at the 2014 version of the Villa d'Este Concours were dedicated to Rolls-Royce and the pre-war luxury cars of the 1920s. The Rolls-Royce class was won by a 1934 Phantom II with bodywork by Gurney Nutting. The special prize for the best-preserved pre-war car went to the owner of the oldest car at the Concours, a very early Silver Ghost from 1908.
In the "Great Gatsby" class, victory went to the Hispano Suiza H6 B with Chapron bodywork from 1922. However, the car was also notable for the ladies in period dress who draped themselves on the top of the Landaulet as it drove through the park.
Gone with the wind
A diverse field of open-top vehicles from the 1930s was brought together in the "Gone with the Wind" class, which was won by Corrado Lopresto, who is well known in Como, with an Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport with Aprile bodywork. In addition to the class victory, there were also audience prizes. In any case, there was hardly any room for the trophies in the cramped cockpit of the pre-war sports car.
The Wendler coupé based on the BMW 328 was awarded a "mention of honor".
Name related
The "Villa d'Este" category was not won by the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Berlinetta Villa d'Este of the hotelier of the same name, as it was out of competition. Victory went to the recently restored red Ferrari 250 Europa Pinin Farina from 1953.
However, an Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS was still honored, namely the Aerolux Touring version from 1949.
For gentlemen drivers
Two additional classes were set up for "Gentlemen Drivers" and the "From St. Tropez to Portofino" fair-weather drivers, both of which resulted in a class win for Ferrari. The owners of a Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France from 1957 and a Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider went home with the big golden trophy.
Unfortunately, neither the Talbot Lago America Coupé nor the Alfa Romeo 1900 C SS with Ghia Aigle bodywork won any awards.
Once again, a field of exquisite vehicles came together in Como in 2014, although one or two visitors wondered why, in addition to the breathtaking special bodies, the tableau also included production vehicles, some of which were produced in large quantities. And the fact that the event, which is strongly influenced by BMW, also included a separate class for Rolls-Royces was not appreciated by everyone either.
In general, satisfied faces predominated, because who wants to bend over their cappuccino or gelati with so much Italianita?
Almost 400 more photos can be found in the separate picture gallery.
List of vehicles and prizes won
| Cl | No | Make | Type | Body | Carrossier | year | Participant | Nat | Prizes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | Rolls-Royce | Silver Ghost | Roi des Belges | Barker | 1908 | Mark de Ferranti | UK | Trofeo FIVA (best preserved pre-war-car |
| A | 4 | Rolls-Royce | Phantom II | Boattail | Gurney Nutting | 1934 | Anthony Bamford | UK | Class victory |
| A | 6 | Rolls-Royce | Wraith | Sedanca de Ville | Park Ward | 1938 | Norbert Seeger | LI | |
| A | 8 | Rolls-Royce | Silver Cloud I | Enclosed Estate | Harold Radford | 1959 | Marcello Fratini | IT | Mention of Honor |
| A | 10 | Rolls-Royce | Silver Cloud III | Drophead Coupé | Mulliner | 1963 | Paolo Bianchi | IT | Trofeo Rolls-Royce (most elegant RR) |
| B | 12 | Hispano Suiza | H6 B | Sedanca Landaulette | Chapron | 1922 | Alexander Schaufler | AT | Class victory, Trofeo Roeckl (best overall appearance car, driver and passenger) |
| B | 14 | Duesenberg | A Straight 8 | Roadster | Millspaugh & Irish | 1923 | Peter Heydon | US | Mention of Honor |
| B | 16 | Rolls-Royce | Phantom I | Saloon | Hooper | 1928 | Knud Sassmannshausen | EN | |
| B | 18 | Packard | 640 Custom Eight | Roadster | Packard | 1929 | Roland D'Ieteren | BE | |
| C | 20 | Alfa Romeo | 6C 1750 GS | Spider | Zagato / Aprile | 1931 | Corrado Lopresto | IT | Audience Award "Coppa d'Oro" and "Trofeo BMW Group Italia Villa d'Erba" as well as Trofeo BMW Group Ragazzi, class victory |
| C | 22 | Mercedes-Benz | 500 K | Convertible A | Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen | 1935 | Winfried Ritter | EN | |
| C | 24 | Lancia | Astura Type 233 | Convertible | Pinin Farina | 1936 | Orin Smith | US | Trofeo BMW Group Classic (most sensitive restoration) |
| C | 26 | Bugatti | Type 57 | Coach | Gangloff | 1937 | Johan van Puyvelde | BE | |
| C | 28 | BMW | 328 | Coupé Streamline | Wendler | 1937 | Bernhard Knöchlein | EN | Mention of Honor |
| C | 30 | Lancia | Aprilia Type 239 | Spider | Pinin Farina | 1938 | Maria Teresa Orecchia | IT | |
| D | 32 | Alfa Romeo | 6C 2500 SS | Berlinetta Aerlux | Touring | 1949 | Heiko Seekamp | EN | Mention of Honor |
| D | 34 | Cisitalia | 202 B | Cabriolet Lusso | Vignale | 1950 | Sergio Lugo | AR | |
| D | 36 | Ferrari | 195 Inter | Berlinetta | Ghia | 1950 | Renaat Declerck | BE | |
| D | 38 | Ferrari | 212 Inter | Berlinetta | Vignale | 1951 | Peter S. Kalikow | US | |
| D | 40 | Ferrari | 250 Europe | Berlinetta | Pinin Farina | 1953 | Jan de Reu | BE | Class victory |
| D | 42 | Alfa Romeo | 6C 2500 SS | Berlinetta Villa d'Este | Touring | 1951 | Giuseppe Fontana | IT | |
| E | 44 | Alfa Romeo | 1900 C SS | Convertible | Ghia Aigle | 1954 | Stephen Bruno | US | |
| E | 46 | Lancia | Aurelia B24 | Spider America | Pinin Farina | 1955 | Fritz Kaiser | LI | |
| E | 48 | BMW | 507 | Roadster | BMW | 1957 | Jeffrey Lotman | US | |
| E | 50 | Mercedes-Benz | 300 SL | Roadster | Mercedes-Benz | 1958 | Christian Kramer | EN | Mention of Honor, Trofeo Automobile Club di Como (driven from farthest away) |
| E | 52 | Ferrari | 250 GT LWB | California Spider | Scaglietti | 1959 | Sarah Allen | UK | Class victory |
| E | 54 | Ferrari | 250 GT | Convertible | Pinin Farina | 1960 | Francesco Carozza | CH | |
| F | 56 | Hudson | Italia Prototype H01 | Coupé | Touring | 1953 | Jan Dyck | BE | Trofeo ASI (best preserved post war car) |
| F | 58 | Ferrari | 250 GT SWB | Berlinetta | Bertone | 1959 | William Heinecke | TH | Mention of Honor |
| F | 60 | Alfa Romeo | 6C 3000 CM Superflow IV (1960) | Coupé | Pinin Farina | 1956 | Steven Tillack | US | |
| F | 62 | Mercedes-Benz | 230 SL | Coupé | Pininfarina | 1964 | Russel Hook | US | |
| F | 64 | Fiat Abarth | 2000 Scorpione | Coupé | Pininfarina | 1969 | Shiro Kosaka | JP | Class victory |
| F | 66 | Fiat | 132 Aster | Coupé | Zagato | 1972 | Patrick Bischoff | CH | |
| G | 68 | Maserati | V4 Sport | Spider | Zagato | 1929 | Lawrence Auriana | US | Class victory |
| G | 70 | Maserati | A6GCS | Berlinetta | Pinin Farina | 1953 | Matteo Panini | IT | Mention of Honor, Trofeo Auto & Design (most exciting design) |
| G | 72 | Maserati | A6G/54 | Berlinetta | Allemano | 1956 | Jonathan Segal | US | |
| G | 74 | Maserati | A6G/2000 | Berlinetta | Zagato | 1956 | Claudio Scalise | AR | |
| G | 76 | Maserati | 150 GT Prototype | Spider | Fantuzzi | 1957 | Andreas Mohringer | AT | |
| G | 78 | Maserati | Quattroporte 1st Series | Saloon | Frua | 1965 | Ermanno Keller | IT | |
| H | 80 | Fiat | 8V | Berlinetta | Rapi | 1953 | Gabriele Artom | IT | |
| H | 82 | Mercedes-Benz | 300 SL Alloy | Coupé Gullwing | Mercedes-Benz | 1955 | Bernardo Hartogs | BR | Mention of Honor, Trofeo Foglizzo (best interior design) |
| H | 84 | Talbot Lago | America | Coupé | Talbot Lago | 1957 | Michael Kaufmann | AT | |
| H | 86 | Ferrari | 250 GT Tour de France | Berlinetta | Scaglietti | 1957 | Destriero Collection | MC | Class victory |
| H | 88 | Ferrari | 250 GT Interim | Berlinetta | Scaglietti | 1959 | Paul Pappalardo | US | |
| I | 90 | Jaguar | XK 120 | 2-Seater Sports | Jaguar | 1952 | Kurt Engelhorn | CH | |
| I | 92 | Jaguar | D-Type | Open 2-Seater | Jaguar | 1954 | Peter Neumark | UK | Mention of Honor |
| I | 94 | Maserati | 450 S | Roadster | Fantuzzi | 1956 | Albert Spiess | CH | Best of Show, class victory |
| I | 96 | Ferrari | 500 TRC | Spider | Scaglietti | 1957 | Claudio Caggiati | IT | |
| I | 98 | Ferrari | 250 GTO | Berlinetta | Scaglietti | 1963 | Lionshead West Collection | US | |
| I | 100 | Porsche | 904 GTS | Coupé | Porsche | 1964 | Kriton Lendoudis | GR | |
| I | 102 | Shelby American | 427 Competition Cobra | Roadster | AC Cars Ldt. | 1965 | Gary Bartlett | US | Trofeo Pommery (best iconic car) |
| X | C02 | F.LLi Frigerio | Berlinetta SS | Coupé Gran Turismo | 4 Cyl. / 1962 | 2013 | Vittorio Frigerio | IT | |
| X | C04 | Infiniti | Infiniti Q30 Concept Crossover | Crossover | 4 Cyl. / 2000 | 2013 | Shiro Nakamura | JP | |
| X | C06 | Italdesign | Giugiaro "Parcour" | Coupé | 10 Cyl. / 5200 | 2013 | Wolfgang Egger | IT | |
| X | C08 | Volvo | Volvo Concept "Estate" | Sports wagon | 4 Cyl. / 2000 | 2014 | Maximilian Missoni | SE | |
| X | C10 | Maserati | Maserati "Alfieri" | Coupé | 8 Cyl. / 4700 | 2014 | Harald Wester | IT | Design Award for Concept Cars & Prototypes |
| X | C12 | Zagato | Lamborghini 5-95 Zagato | Coupé | 10 Cyl. / 5204 | 2014 | Albert Spiess | CH | |
| X | C14 | Zagato | Aston Martin DBS Zagato Centennial | Coupé | 12 Cyl. / 5935 | 2013 | Andrea Zagato | IT |
