One of the many awards that were given out at the 2022 Concorso d’Eleganza of Villa d’Este is the Best Preserved Vehicle Award. It recognizes the historical and cultural significance of the motor car.
In 2016, FIVA (Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens or international federation of historic vehicles) created the Best Preserved Vehicle Award to recognize the custodians of perfectly maintained and truly authentic historic vehicles. They wanted to honor vehicles that were able to keep a very high proportion of original components, materials, and finishes that they can be considered and viewed as important cultural and historical artifacts.
So it is not an easy feat for Swiss collector Fritz Burkard to be able to get a FIVA Best Preserved Vehicle Award for the impressively well-preserved 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports.
FIVA vice president and chairman of the FIVA Events Commission Malcolm Grubb shared, “At Villa d’Este, FIVA presents its award in the pre-War category, and despite hot competition, the Bugatti scooped top place because the judges considered its historical importance and extreme originality quite outstanding.”
Grubb added, “Originally a Grand Prix racing car in Bugatti Blue but repainted early in its life, this Type 59 was later modified by the factory for sports car racing and sold to King Leopold III of Belgium. It remains an extraordinarily original and well-preserved pre-War car, as well as being one of the few road cars that was initially a Grand Prix racer.”
