Every May, car lovers across Italy gather for the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, where some of the world’s most well-preserved historic automobiles are displayed, judged and auctioned.
Held on the banks of Italy’s Lake Como, the concorso (contest) was founded in 1929 as an event for collectors, car aficionados and the public to gather around some of the world’s rarest and most valuable cars. A panel of experts judge the cars in order to award a best in show prize, the BMW group trophy. This year’s panel was led by legendary automotive designer Lorenzo Ramaciotti.
Among the other prizes awarded at the concorso are the Coppa d’Oro Villa d’Este, which is the best in show trophy chosen by the public, and awards for different categories, including historic motorcycles.
Read on to find out about a few of the exquisite models that took home this year’s prizes.
1950 Ferrari Barchetta 166M Touring Car: This Year’s Crowd Favorite
This year’s winner of the Coppa d’Oro Villa d’Este – Best of Show by Public Referendum, was a 1950 Ferrari Barchetta. This model was one of the last few remaining of its kind, and was completely restored in 1966. It was once even displayed at NYC’s Museum of Modern Art!
It features a 170hp V-12 engine, a five-speed manual gearbox, independent front suspension and four-wheel drum brakes. Students in auto mechanic training know that by today’s standards, 170hp on a Ferrari may not be that impressive, but this model had quite a few 1st place finishes in its day!
1952 Pegaso Cupula: Quirky Automotive Design that Won the Youth’s Vote
One of the concorso’s prizes – the Trofeo Ragazzi – is voted for by attendees under the age of 16. This year’s award in this category went to a very rare Spanish model that only the most seasoned auto technicians will have heard of: a 1952 Pegaso Cupula.
The car is sunshine yellow with red wheels and was one of 98 models produced at Empresa Nacional de Autocamiones SA in Spain. It made its debut at NYC’s World Motor Show in 1953, and was even owned at one point by former President of the Dominican Republic, Rafael Trujillo.
1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Spider: Highest Ranked in Automotive Excellence
The winner of the 2015 BMW Group’s best in show prize was an immaculate 1932 Alfa Romeo Spider owned by American collector, David Sydorik.
This particular model was styled with a Zagato body and was housed in Genoa between 1932-1936, before it was shipped to the US, where it has resided since.
Students enrolled in car sales training may be interested to know that there were only 188 of this 8-cylinder model built, and that it won both the La Mans and Targa Floria, placing its estimated highest sale value over $4,000,000!
Check out the video below that highlights some of the most amazing vintage cars showcased at this year’s event!
