Each year, the Concorso d‘Eleganza Villa d’Este is an event full of absolute eye-candy. The beauty contest for historic vehicles took place this year on 25 to 27 May with the theme “Hollywood on the Lake”, in front of a magnificent setting in Northern Italy and thousands of visitors.
1958 Ferrari 335 Sport – Best of Show by the Jury
With its outstanding engineering and perfectly restored condition, the Trofeo BMW Group award for Best of Show as selected by the Jury went to a 1958 Ferrari 335 Sport owned by Andreas Mohringer of Austria. “When it was created, the Ferrari 335 Sport was the most powerful vehicle ever built, and for a long time it also remained the fastest,” said Jury President Lorenzo Ramaciotti. Indeed, on top of the tubular steel frame was the beautiful aluminium body designed by coachbuilder Carrozzeria Scaglietti. While an accident in the Mille Miglia brought the 355 Sport’s racing life to an end, the performance of the model was among the best. This particular 1958 example was fitted with an advanced V12 engine enhanced to generate 430 hp, making it capable of achieving a top speed of over 300 km/h.
1968 Alfa Romeo 33/2 Stradale – Best of Show by Public Referendum
The Coppa d’Oro Villa d’Este trophy was awarded to the Alfa Romeo 33/2 Stradale from 1968 as selected by visitors to the parkland of Villa d’Este. The mid-engine coupé is just 99 cm high but most famous for its handling agility with a swept body silhouette. This particular example is one of the twelve cars bodied by Franco Scaglione of Bertone. Under the lightweight chassis and aluminium body panels was a 230 hp V8 engine, while the car only weighed 700 kg. Its owner, Albert Spiess of Switzerland, should definitely be pleased with his car, as it also won the Trofeo BMW Group Italia award as selected by visitors to the event and the Trofeo BMW Group Ragazzi trophy, selected by young visitors up to the age of 16.
Of course there was much more on offer than just the two grand prize winners. A total of 50 classic cars, 25 motorcycles and five sidecar combinations were presented in front of Lake Como. Some of the latest concept cars and special models were also displayed with a scenic background, including the one-off Ferrari SP38 we introduced last week.
