Even the rain could not dampen the dreamlike flair of the Grand Hotel Villa d'Este on Lake Como and it once again provided the perfect stage to showcase the magic of mobility in all its diversity at the Concorso d'Eleganza on May 24-26, 2024.
Best of Show Alfa Romeo 8C 2300
Around 50 cars competed for the most beautiful in eight categories:
- Class A: The Dawn of the Performance Age
- Class B: Shaped by the Wind: The Evolution of Aerodynamics
- Class C: "The Best Car in the World" for 120 Years: Rolls-Royce celebrates a Historic Birthday
- Class D: "Faster!": The Arms Race on the Road
- Class E: The Best of Italian Grace and Pace: Maserati at 110
- Class F: Gentleman Drivers: Style for the Fortunate Few
- Class G: Time Capsules: Cars that the Outside World forgot
- Class H: The Need for Speed: Supercar Stars of the Video Generation
From the participants in these eight categories, the jury ultimately chose a radiant winner. The winner was the Alfa Romeo 8C 2300, a spider with a body design by Figoni from the 1930s. Vittorio Jano was responsible for the 8C 2300 at the end of the 1920s.
The turbocharged eight-cylinder engine with double overhead camshaft and dry sump lubrication consisted of two blocks arranged one behind the other, each with four cylinders and a centrally mounted camshaft.
The 8C became a successful racing car and won Le Mans from 1931 to 1934 and the Mille Miglia from 1932 to 34. With Turing, Zagato, Brianza and Figoni, four coachbuilders were looking for the ultimate solution.
The award-winning 8C is one of only ten Alfa Romeo road cars with a spider body and Figoni bodywork. The Alfa was probably originally sold to a certain Mr. Weinberg for participation in the Paris-Nice Rally in 1933 and 1934. In 1935, Count Francois de Bremont drove it with considerable success in the Grossglockner mountain race. The legendary Ferrari importer for North America, Luigi Chinetti, sold the Alfa to Henri d'Autichamp's father, claiming that it was prepared for Le Mans. He in turn gave the Alfa to his son, a graduate of the Anaval Academy, for his 21st birthday in 1937. The proud young owner served in the Navy in Asia during the Second World War and the car was hidden in a barn during the war.
After the end of hostilities, the 8C was rarely driven until the early 1970s and from then on it was kept in a garage, but was oiled and turned regularly. It was owned by the same owner for 77 years and it seems inconceivable that an original example of one of the greatest pre-war cars remained unknown until the 21st century, surviving in authentic original condition hidden away in France.
In 2014, when Henri d'Autichamp was already 98 years old, the Alfa was brought back into the light of day after many years. Helmut Käs, Head of BMW Group Classic and President of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, and Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange und Söhne, presented the proud owner of the HM Collection from Belgium with the prestigious "Trofeo BMW Group - Best of Show" award on Sunday.
Audience winner McLaren F1 GTR
The winner of the Coppa d'Oro Villa d'Este, chosen by public vote, was the McLaren F1 from 1995.
Tony Vassilopoulos' car from Great Britain was the first successful sports car from McLaren to win over the numerous visitors ( press release from May 26, 2024).
Art cars and concept cars
The official program opened with the presentation of the 20th BMW Art Car, designed by Julie Mehretu.
BMW then presented two world premieres: the BMW Concept Skytop, influenced by its historical ancestors, the BMW Z8 and the BMW 503, and the BMW R 20 Concept, a bold homage to the BMW Motorrad Big Boxer Roadster.
Rolls-Royce not only celebrated the brand's 120th anniversary with a historic class at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, but also presented the Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II, a further development of the leading luxury SUV.
Incidentally, the "Concorso d'Eleganza Design Award for Concept Cars & Prototypes", i.e. the prize for the most beautiful modern concept car, was won by the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale from the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo from 2023.
Crowds on the Public Day
The Public Day of the Concorso d'Eleganza in the Villa d'Erba Public Park attracted an incredible 12,000 visitors with numerous highlights and was already completely sold out in the early afternoon. The colorful mix of visitors was also impressive due to its age difference. Young and old alike were equally enthusiastic about the numerous unique body shapes.
In addition to the current 20th BMW Art Car by Julie Mehretu, BMW presented other iconic art cars with a long-distance past in the Rotunda in preparation for the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans. The M1 by Andy Warhol and the 3.0 CSL Coupé by Frank Stella were certainly the two big eye-catchers. Jeff Koons' M3 GT2 probably embodies speed and elegance most impressively.
While Warhol actually worked directly on the car with brush and paint, today's art cars are "only" covered in foil.
Gandini review
A "Tribute to Marcello Gandini" honored the Italian maestro of modern automotive design who passed away in March. No one else managed to inspire schoolchildren like the Italian.
Whether Countach, Stratos or Miura, whether in a quartet or on the road, Gandini's sense of sensational design was simply extraordinary.
A good deed
As a great gesture at the end of the parade on Sunday, Helmut Käs (Head of BMW Group Classic and President Concorso d'Eleganza), Carlotta Fontana (Member of the Board of Directors Villa d'Este) and Massimiliano di Silvestre (President BMW Italy) handed over the proceeds from Saturday's ticket sales as well as an additional donation of €50,000 from BMW Group Classic to Matteo Monti (Mayor of Cernobbio) for the municipal kindergarten of Cernobbio. This shows that you can also do good with cars.
Cars and prizes
| Class/No. | Make | Model | Year | Prices/comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A02 | Diatto | Tipo 20S | 1923 | |
| A04 | Isotta Fraschini | Tipo 8 AS | 1927 | |
| A06 | Bentley | 3 Litre Open Tourer Van den Plas | 1927 | Mention of Honor, Most sensitive restoration |
| A09 | Alfa Romeo | RL Sport 1st series | 1922 | |
| A10 | Bentley | 4 1/2 Litre Blower | 1930 | Class winner |
| B12 | Cadillac | V16 | 1934 | Class winner |
| B14 | Lancia | Astura | 1935 | |
| B16 | Aston Martin | 2 Litre | 1936 | |
| B18 | Lagonda | V12 Rapide | 1938 | |
| B20 | Delahaye | 135 M | 1948 | Mention of Honor |
| B22 | Ferrari | 225 S Tuboscocca | 1952 | |
| B24 | Talbot Lago | T26 Grand Sport - Prototype | 1953 | Trofeo Car with the best preserved interior |
| C26 | Rolls-Royce | Silver Ghost Torpedo Grand Luxe Van den Plas | 1914 | Mention of Honor, Most elegant Rolls-Royce |
| C28 | Rolls-Royce | Ghost 40/50 HP Springfield | 1923 | |
| C30 | Rolls-Royce | 40/50 HP Phantom II Continental | 1933 | Class winner |
| C32 | Rolls-Royce | Phantom III | 1938 | |
| C34 | Rolls-Royce | Silver Cloud II LWB | 1961 | |
| D36 | Mercedes-Benz | 300 SL | 1955 | |
| D38 | Ferrari | 335 S | 1957 | Class winner, Trofeo dei Presidenti |
| D40 | Ferrari | 250 GT SWB | 1960 | |
| D42 | Aston Martin | DB4 GT Zagato | 1960 | Most exciting design |
| D44 | Ferrari | 250 GT Speciale Aerodinamico (SWB) | 1962 | Mention of Honor |
| D46 | Ferrari | 330 GTC | 1966 | |
| D48 | Lamborghini | Miura P400 | 1967 | |
| D50 | Porsche | Carrera RS 2.7 | 1973 | |
| E52 | Maserati | A6GCS/53 Spider Frua | 1955 | |
| E54 | Maserati | A6G/54 Berlinetta Zagato | 1956 | Class winner |
| E56 | Maserati | 3500 Spider Vignale Prototipo | 1959 | Mention of Honor |
| E58 | Maserati | 5000 GT | 1966 | |
| E60 | Maserati | Ghibli | 1970 | |
| E62 | Maserati | Quattroporte AM 121 | 1971 | |
| F64 | Alfa Romeo | 6C 2500 Super Sport "Villa d'Este" | 1951 | |
| F66 | Mercedes-Benz | 300 SC Coupé | 1955 | Mention of Honor |
| F68 | BMW | 507 Touring Sport | 1957 | |
| F70 | Bentley | S2 | 1961 | |
| F72 | Ferrari | 275 GTS | 1966 | Class winner |
| F74 | Aston Martin | DB5 | 1966 | |
| F76 | Mercedes-Benz | 600 | 1972 | |
| G78 | Bugatti | Type 35C | 1928 | Mention of Honor, Best iconic car |
| G80 | Alfa Romeo | 8C 2300 Figoni Spider | 1932 | Best of Show, Class Winner |
| G82 | Ferrari | 250 GT | 1957 | |
| G84 | Mercedes-Benz | 300 SL | 1960 | |
| G86 | Abarth | Simca 1300 GT | 1963 | |
| G88 | Serenissima | Agena | 1967 | |
| G90 | Fiat | Dino Aerodinamica | 1967 | Best preserved post-war car |
| H92 | Lamborghini | Countach LP400 | 1976 | Trofeo Il Canto del Motore |
| H94 | Reputation | CTR "Yellowbird" | 1987 | Trofeo Car driven from farthest away |
| H96 | Porsche | 959 Comfort | 1988 | Mention of Honor |
| H98 | Lamborghini | Countach 25th Anniversary | 1990 | |
| H100 | McLaren | F1 | 1995 | Class winner, Coppa d'Oro |
| H102 | Lamborghini | Diablo GT | 1999 | Trofeo BMW Group Ragazzi |
