From May 19 to 21, 2023, the BMW Group Classic is organizing the legendary Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in cooperation with the Grand Hotel Villa d'Este. This year's event includes the following eight vehicle classes
Class A: A Century of the 24 Hours of Le Mans: Heroes of the most famous race in the world
Class B: The Fast and the Formal: Pre-War High-Speed Luxury
Class C: Grand Vitesse: Pre-War Weekend Racers
Class D: Incredible India: The dazzling Motoring Indulgences of the mighty Maharajas
Class E: Porsche at 75: Delving into the Stuttgart Legend's iconic and eccentric back catalogue
Class F: Gran Turismo: Experimenting with the Post-War European GT
Class G: "Made in Italy" Look: Styles which conquered new worlds
Class H: Here comes the Sun: "Topless" done differently!
In addition, spectacular concept cars from various manufacturers will once again be awarded prizes in a separate class.
Proven program
The Concorso d'Eleganza parade in front of the Villa d'Este will take place as usual on Saturday. The jury will select the main prize "Best of Show" and announce it on Sunday evening with the Trofeo BMW Group. In addition, all participants and participating vehicles will compete for the respective class victories, the Coppa d'Oro audience award and numerous other prizes, such as the Trofeo del Presidente, which will be awarded by the Head of BMW Group Classic and President of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, Helmut Käs.
Jonas Kaufmann, star tenor and BMW Group Classic brand ambassador, will be given a special task in this context: he will be awarded the "Trofeo Il Canto del Motore" for the best engine sound, chosen by the jury. BMW Group Classic brand ambassador and racing driver Bruno Spengler will also be there.
Back at the Villa Erba
On Sunday, May 21, the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este "Public Day - Il Festival" on the grounds of the nearby Villa Erba will once again give the general public the opportunity to experience the famous parade of all Concorso d'Eleganza vehicles. But that's not all. It will be a cultural automotive day with many facets - a colorful program with music and entertainment for the whole family. The vehicles taking part in the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este will be on display before the parade and can be viewed up close.
The BMW Group will also be presenting spectacular new vehicles with the most advanced technologies on Public Day, from the BMW XM Label Red to the MINI Cooper SE Convertible and an electric scooter from BMW Motorrad. The new all-electric M Performance model of the BMW 7 Series will also be on display in an exclusive "two-tone" paint finish.
As a highlight, the BMW Group is celebrating the premiere of a sporty and elegant one-off: a tribute to traveling as a couple.
BMW M GmbH is bringing a special automotive guest to Lake Como: the new edition of the legendary BMW 3.0 CSL. The legendary vehicle will be on display both on Saturday in front of the Villa d'Este and on Sunday in front of the Villa Erba, flanked by its ancestor, the BMW 3.0 CSL from 1973.
The well-known Munich event "Amici & Automobili - Wheels & Weisswürscht" on Saturday, May 20 on the grounds of Villa Erba will set a Bavarian accent. On this day, vehicles of all kinds will be celebrated and models from automobile clubs and communities of all makes from all over the world will be warmly welcomed.
Before the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este starts, the traditional Prelude Tour will once again take place, this year including a stopover at the Monza racetrack. The vehicles will arrive in the port of Cernobbio late in the afternoon on Thursday, May 18 and will be open to the public.
With this range of events and the variety of themes on show on site, BMW Group Classic, as organizer of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, is underpinning its efforts to carefully develop the event without compromising its historic character too much. Its aim is to make the event more accessible to a wide audience by integrating various thematic focuses and to celebrate the cultural heritage of the automobile.
Villa d'Este, Lake Como and the extraordinary surroundings continue to provide the perfect setting in which the most exceptional automobiles of their time sparkle like precious gems. The aura of a unique classic event, the value of the masterpieces on display and the perfection of the iconic hotel form a sublime symbiosis that combines tradition with modernity every year in May. This is precisely what has created the special flair of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este since 1929.
Further information can be found on the event website.
