Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este reveals the beauty of Alfa Romeo and the shape of supercars to come

This year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este from May 26 to May 28 brought out the best of BMW; a new Rolls-Royce; and lent old money charm to the latest car and bike concepts. The three-day event has been exclusive since 1929, when many of Europe’s car-loving rich engaged coach builders at Villa d’Este, a palatial, 152-room grand hotel in Cernobbio, about 60km north of Milan. The picturesque Lake Como property had drawn the rich and famous for centuries, and in recent decades developed into an annual hub for big-budget car collectors and tough concours judges. In the classic car world, a prize at Villa d’Este is as good as it gets.

BMW spotted the concorso’s marketing benefits and became a co-organiser with the hotel in 1999. Their event has presented the rarest classics and the latest prototypes ever since. The organisers invited 51 cars and 40 motorcycles to compete for 22 prizes, judged by a panel of international experts or a public ballot of visitors. The “Best of Show”, the Trofeo BMW Group was won by a 1957 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SS Prototipo owned by Corrado Lopresto and designed by Franco Scaglione, the then chief stylist at Bertone. Fitted with a 100hp, four-cylinder engine, the aerodynamic, futuristic Prototipo led to Alfa’s launch of the Giulietta Sprint Speciale in 1959. It also won the best Italian and the visiting public’s “Best of Show” awards.

The concorso often unearths rare makes. The show’s public voted a 1935 Lurani Nibbio as their favourite car. Designed by Giovanni Lurani Cernuschi, the Count of Calvenzano, the single-seat had a 46hp 500cc motorcycle engine, and set several speed records, including being the first half-litre car to reach 100km/h.

Owned by Federico Göttsche Bebert, the grandson of its constructor, the car broke more speed records with a 250cc engine until 1947. It then rested for 70 years until Bebert brought the family’s car to life. Holding the Coppa d’Oro Villa d’Este, he said: “It is an incredible feeling to be able to celebrate the successes of my grandfather on a stage like this after so many years have passed by.”