The Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza is an esteemed annual event that brings together automotive enthusiasts, collectors, and industry professionals from around the world.
Held at the picturesque Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como in Italy, this prestigious gathering celebrates the beauty, innovation, and heritage of classic and vintage automobiles. Again for this 2023 season, the Concorso d’Eleganza once again captivated attendees with its stunning array of vehicle entries and prototypes, showcasing only the very best in automotive design and craftsmanship.
Curated by The BMW Group, this spectacle spans across three days, offering visitors, enthusiasts and press an immersive experience into the world of automotive elegance. With festivities commencing on the opening day in a grand arrival ceremony, owners of the participating cars drive their prized possessions onto the manicured lawns of the villa. This captivating display sets the tone for the weekend, showcasing a blend of timeless classics and cutting-edge concept cars.
This year, the public audience was finally able once again to experience all the joys of the festivities on the shores of Lake Como. Since the Public Day at Villa d’Este was a sell-out long before the beginning of the festive weekend, the committee extended the event space to the parkland of Villa Erba, an adjoining property that offered fans and guests an additional event on the Saturday that is part of the scene in Munich in the form of Wheels & Weisswürscht – or: Amici & Automobili. With the members of numerous BMW Clubs present, together they celebrated automobility in many dimensions with more than 160 vehicles and 6,000 visitors.
In addition, a little over nine thousand attendees meandered through the weekend programming at the main Villa, while guests had the opportunity to marvel at each meticulously restored vintage vehicle as well as admire the artistic beauty of newer, more contemporary automobiles on display. With showcasing to include renowned automotive designers and collectors, these experts from from various fields engage in passionate discussions, sharing insights and anecdotes about the historical significance, provenances and design nuances specific to the manufacturers and their coachbuilders. This year’s edition of the prestigious beauty contest for classic cars was also defined by numerous celebratory moments. Two award classes were dedicated to impressive anniversaries of automobile culture with, “Porsche at 75: Delving into the Stuttgart legend ́s iconic and eccentric back catalogue,” and, “A century of the 24 hours of Le Mans: Heroes of the most famous race in the world.”
The main highlight of the weekend is the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este competition. This highly respected competition brings together a carefully selected group of classic cars, each vying for the coveted titles awarded to the winners within their entry categories. With each auto being meticulously judged by a panel of experts, the competition assesses the vehicles based on their historical accuracy, originality, condition, and overall aesthetic appeal.
For this year, the Duesenberg SJ Speedster styled in the coachwork design by Gurney Nutting from 1935 won the overall contest. William Lyon was presented with the prestigious winner’s prize Trofeo BMW Group – Best of Show – by Helmut Käs, Head of BMW Group Classic und President of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, and Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange und Söhne. Alongside the dazzling trophy, the winner selected by the Jury also received a unique model of the 1815 Chronograph in white gold. The exquisite watch was created by A. Lange und Söhne exclusively for the winner of the Best of Show.
With over 250 Vehicles on display, this year once again proved to be a captivating celebration of automotive excellence and timeless classics.