On May 6, 2023, more than 50 of the world's most beautiful automotive treasures gathered in Piazza Bernardino Luini in Lugano for the "Lugano Elegance" Concours. The prize for the best car at the exhibition went to a Bugatti Type 57 from 1938 with a convertible body by Gangloff, which also won the pre-war category called "Traveling in Style".
In Class B, which was reserved exclusively for Mercedes-Benz 300 SLs, the winner was a roadster from 1960 in an extraordinary ochre yellow. Class C "Quadrifglio Verde" for Alfa Romeo vehicles went to a 6C 2500 SS Villa d'Este from 1949, while a 356 Carrera Speedster won Class D "Happy Birthday, Porsche" to celebrate Porsche's 75th anniversary.
The winner of Class E "Gran Tourismo" was painted even more strikingly than the 300 SL: The 1966 Jaguar E-Type 2+2 wore pastel piggy pink. In contrast, the Ferrari 250 GT/L in the black mass-produced suit as the winner of Ferrari Class F "Cavallino Rampante" was very classically elegant. The Italians that did not fall under category C or F competed in class G "Made in Italy", which was won by the Lancia Sibilo Bertone study from 1978.
An Alvis TE 21 with Graber bodywork won over the judges in Class H, which is open to all.
The recipient of the Premio Speciale Best Documented Car award, on behalf of "The Motor Chain", was Alfa Romeo 6C2500 Cabrio Turinga, vintage 1949.
"For the Best Documented Car award, I had the pleasure of working with 7 specialists from the world of classic cars.
With a large number of unique and complete documents, the car has earned the top score in this edition: 45 out of 58 points. An interesting detail: the owner couple drove the car to all previous owners (8 in total) to meet all former owners! During these trips, all documents, photos, videotapes and even 8mm footage were collected," explained Julio Saiz, founder of "The Motor Chain".
Prominent jury
The jury consisted of: Chris Kramer (Presidente), Alessandra Giorgetti, Allan Winn, Ben Erickson, Carlo Bonzanigo, Christoph Grohe, Christoph Knecht, Duccio Lopresto, Francois Melcion, Giovanni Ribotta, Hakon Tjaum, Hugo Modderman, Julius Kruta, Kai Billesfeld, Ken Gross, Massimo Delbò, Max Girardo, Nigel Matthews, Peter Larsen, Raoul San Giorgi, Sebastian Büchel.
Jury extended for the Lugano Elegance competition dedicated to the Best Documented Car: Julio Saiz (Presidente), Antti Mäkitalo, Benoit Dumont, Frederic Vert, Ignacio de la Puente, Matthew Kenigstein, Rénald Egloff.
The charity dinner, which was held for the second time this year, was once again fully booked within a few days. With 200 participants, it took place in the Sala Panorama of the LAC cultural center.
After a fashion show by designer Miriam Tirinzoni in collaboration with Petra Peter, a charity auction was held with Max Girardo. Among the items was a rare and sought-after book on EB110 by Julius Kruta. The evening was rounded off with a virtual form of NFT for a creation by Marco Pagot - creator of figures from Calimero e Grisù and other Lugano Elegance prizes.
The 9th edition of Lions in Classic
On Sunday, May 7, 2023, the 9th edition of the rally took place according to the rules of Lions in Classic, with a route that is different every year. The focus is on discovering and appreciating the local landscape.
And so this year the participants gathered in Rivera at Splash&Spa to show off their skills on the roads of the Mesolcina and Valle Calanca. As far as Lostallo, they were able to enjoy this beautiful region and experience the hills and valleys in all their beauty.
The lunch, which was opened by the mayor of Lostallo, offered the opportunity to enjoy some delicacies from Swiss Lachs in the spring sunshine.
However, none of this would have been possible without the genuine passion and motivation of all the friends, institutions, clubs and sponsors who worked so hard to make this remarkable event a success. All of them deserve a big thank you from the organizers!
