The big winner of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2022 has been announced. The "Trofeo BMW Group" for the Best of Show goes to the Bugatti 57 S from 1937, which was brought to Lake Como by Andrew Pisker from Monaco. The winner impressed the judges with its ideal symbiosis between the technical excellence of a Bugatti 57 S and a convertible body characterized by exciting elegance. The bodywork specialist Vanvooren from Courbevoie near Paris created this elegant sheet metal dress, whose perfectly balanced proportions subtly emphasize the calm, razor-sharp lines. Vanvooren eschewed all forms of opulence and extravagant ornamentation in favor of sleek, aesthetic clarity.
A well-established tradition of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este is the presentation of the third grand prize on Sunday afternoon. In the "Concept Cars & Prototypes" class, the public chose the Bugatti Bolide (2020) as the winner. This torpedo embodies uncompromising sportiness with its radical contours. The visual appearance with impressive acoustic background music drew long-lasting applause as the bullet drove past the guests at a leisurely pace. Achim Anscheidt, Design Director at Bugatti, oversaw the formal creation of the concept car and devoted his full attention to every last detail.
On Saturday, the public voted the 1979 Aston Martin Bulldog their favorite with the "Coppa d'Oro". The 1454 kg car has a height of just 1092 millimeters. The 5.3-liter eight-cylinder engine has an output of 600 bhp. The car was sold by the factory in 1982 to the highest bidder, a customer from the Middle East. The Bulldog spent many years in the USA and then returned to England. In September 2020, the now modified and disfigured Bulldog was completely restored to its original appearance.
Special features away from the award winners
A few more automotive rarities found their way to Lake Como. First and foremost was the wonderful Bugatti Type 59 Sports from 1934 - an incredibly fantastic, unrestored car with a wonderful patina. It showed slight rust in the corners here and there, but gave free rein to all emotions.
In keeping with Ferrari's 75th anniversary celebrations, the rare 365 P Berlinetta Speciale Tre Posti from 1966 was parked in the Villa d'Este park. Long before the Matra-Simca Bagheera or the McLaren F1 were introduced as three-seaters, Pininfarina had already presented a car with the driver in the middle of the longitudinal axis with the mid-engined Ferrari.
The Ghia coupé based on the 1952 Lancia Aurelia B52 B Junior is also not something you see every day. The half-hidden wheel cut-outs make the car, painted in two shades of blue, striking. You wouldn't immediately guess it was a Lancia from its US front end and slight tail fins.
Stuttgart heavyweights and miscolors
The Mercedes-Benz 770 Pullman from 1939 weighs just under five tons. It is therefore only approved for speeds up to 70 km/h, as there is a risk of the tires bursting at higher speeds.
Not all 300 SLs were silver. In addition to the familiar strawberry red metallic, there is actually a roadster in uranium yellow. Yes, the color is really called that. The buyer at the time saw the color on a truck at a dealer in the USA and then ordered his SL in exactly this shade.
The plum-colored Mercedes-Benz 630 K Coupé de Ville from 1928 was even more garish and took some getting used to. Who other than Saoutchik would dare to do such a thing? Opinions differed widely on the color of the bodywork. Surrounded by its black and cream-colored compressor siblings, the city coupé stood out from all the other vehicles like an Elvis impersonator at a funeral.
Champagne, sports cars, sausage
The Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este was held for the first time in 1929. Despite its venerable tradition, there was also an innovation this year: under the motto "Wheels & Weißwürscht", a large number of fans, clubs and interest groups of all makes came together for an enjoyable and very special meeting in the nearby parkland of Villa Erba.
Although the cars were not quite as high-caliber as in the Villa d'Este, visitors were still able to see one or two rare classics, such as the Ferrari 308 GT Rainbow by Bertone.
BMW also celebrated the 50th anniversary of BMW M on the grounds with its own exhibition and many guests. This format is already well established in Munich and, of course, the white sausages - a Munich delicacy that is not very common in Italy - were accompanied by a large selection of Italian delicacies. Admission was free for all participants and visitors.
The next Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este will take place from May 19 to 21, 2023.
Participating vehicles and prize/honor winners 2022
| No | Make | Type | Year | Prizes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A02 | Rolls-Royce | 20 h.p. | 1927 | |
| A06 | Bugatti | Type 59 Sports | 1934 | |
| A08 | Hispano-Suiza | J12 | 1935 | |
| A10 | Bugatti | Type 57 C Stelvio | 1936 | |
| A12 | Cord | 812 Phaeton | 1936 | Mention of Honor |
| A14 | Bugatti | 57 S | 1937 | Best of Show, Class Winner |
| A16 | Lagonda | V12 Rapide | 1939 | |
| B18 | Mercedes-Benz | 630 K Coupé de Ville Saoutchik | 1928 | |
| B22 | Mercedes-Benz | 710 SS | 1929 | |
| B24 | Mercedes-Benz | 500 K | 1935 | |
| B25 | Mercedes-Benz | 540 K Cabriolet A | 1936 | Class winner |
| B26 | Mercedes-Benz | 540 K Special Roadster | 1936 | Mention of Honor |
| B27 | Mercedes-Benz | 770 Pullmann Limousine | 1939 | |
| C28 | Alfa Romeo | 6C 2500 SS Villa d'Este | 1950 | |
| C30 | Lancia | Aurelia B52 B Junior | 1952 | |
| C32 | Bristol | 404 | 1953 | |
| C34 | Siata | 208S | 1953 | Mention of Honor |
| C36 | Mercedes-Benz | 300 SL | 1955 | |
| C38 | Chrysler | Boano Coupé Speciale | 1956 | Class winner |
| C40 | Cadillac | Sixty-Two Sedan | 1959 | |
| C41 | Mercedes-Benz | 300 SL Roadster | 1960 | |
| D46 | Ferrari | 375 America | 1953 | |
| D48 | Ferrari | 250 GT Zagato | 1956 | Mention of Honor |
| D50 | Ferrari | 335 S | 1958 | |
| D52 | Ferrari | 400 Superamerica Aerodinamica | 1964 | |
| D54 | Ferrari | 365 P Berlinetta Speciale Tre Posti | 1966 | Class winner |
| D56 | Ferrari | 275 GTB/4 | 1967 | |
| D57 | Dino | 206 GT | 1968 | |
| D59 | Ferrari | 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider | 1971 | |
| E60 | Maserati | A6 GCS MM | 1954 | |
| E62 | Aston Martin | DB4 GT | 1960 | |
| E64 | Porsche | 356 B Carrera Abarth GTL | 1961 | Class winner |
| E66 | Alfa Romeo | TZ1 | 1964 | |
| E68 | AC | 289 Cobra | 1964 | |
| E70 | Ferrari | F40 LM | 1993 | |
| E72 | Nissan | R390 GT1 | 1998 | |
| E74 | Maserati | MC12 | 2004 | Mention of Honor |
| F77 | BMW | 327/28 sports convertible | 1938 | |
| F78 | BMW | 507 | 1959 | |
| F80 | BMW | 700 RS | 1961 | |
| F82 | BMW | 3.0 CSL | 1972 | Class winner |
| F84 | BMW | 2002 turbo | 1974 | |
| F86 | BMW | 320 Group 5 | 1978 | Mention of Honor |
| F88 | BMW | M1 Procar | 1979 | |
| F90 | BMW | M1 | 1981 | |
| G92 | Citroën | SM | 1971 | Mention of Honor |
| G94 | Lamborghini | Miura P400SV | 1972 | |
| G96 | Aston Martin | Bulldog | 1979 | Coppo d'Oro (Audience Award) |
| G98 | Ferrari | 288 GTO | 1986 | |
| G100 | Lamborghini | Countach LP5000S Quattrovalvole | 1987 | |
| G102 | Porsche | 959 Sport | 1989 | Class winner |
