The 2011 edition of the Uniques Special Ones was held Sunday, September 4th on the grounds of the Giardino of the Gherardesca located at the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence, Italy.
The Uniques Special Ones event, created and organized by MAC Group for the second consecutive year, starred vehicles unique in their kind, all gathered in the setting of the Giardino, Palazzo and Conventino of the Gherardesca, a Four Seasons Hotel. The event saw a field of more than 80 automobiles displayed in the gardens.
“It was wonderful to see the enthusiasts’ excitement in finding themselves at this event for the second time,” recounted Sandro Binelli, President of MAC Group. “The cars and their collectors succeed in creating a unique atmosphere that only so striking a setting can accommodate. These aren’t my words, but the words of the participants themselves, and I can’t help but feel proud of them.”
The Unique Cars International Concours is open to the following: one-off cars, the remaining cars of extremely limited series, prototypes, concept and show cars, famous cars (cars that belonged to celebrities, cars that have become famous for their racing victories, cars with special bodies, cars with the first or last chassis numbers) and limited edition cars (fewer than 20 examples built or that still remain) are the categories chosen for the selection process of eligible cars.
Notable entries include the 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Zagato; 1938 Bugatti Type 57S Cabriolet; 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Gran Sport Spider; 1951 Alfa Romeo Tipo 159 Alfetta; 1953 Bandini 750 Siluro; 1962 Ferrari 268 SP; 1964 Lancia Flavia Sport Prototipo Zagato; 1948 Maserati A6 1500 Panoramica; 1955 Maserati A6GCS/53; 1952 Lea-Francis 2.5 Litre Sports; 1954 Austin-Healey 100S; 1961 Facel-Vega Facellia Cabriolet; 1963 Alfa Romeo 2600 SZ Prototype; among many other ‘unique’ cars.
The 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Zagato earned the title of Best of Show at the 2011 Unique Cars International Concours. The car belonging to collector David Sydorick won the favour of both panels of judges charged with naming in unison the most beautiful vehicle, on both technical and stylistic levels, among those present at the event.
The panel of judges, composed of figures from the fields of Design, Automobiles, Culture, and the Media, adopted rigorous judging criteria, which they applied in examining the competing cars over the two days of the event. The Best of Show was revealed during the Uniques Special Ones closing cocktail party in the Conventino of the Gherardesca.
“Selecting the winning vehicle was an extremely difficult choice and caused the members of the judges panel to debate for over two hours,” stated Adolfo Orsi, Automotive expert and Chief Judge of the International Judges Panel. “The final showdown played out between the 1938 Bugatti Type 57 S Cabriolet and the 1962 Ferrari 268 SP, as both perfectly fulfilled the Competition’s criteria of uniqueness. Having to assign the Best of Show title to only one car, the vote fell to the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta built by Zagato.”
For each of the nine established classes, two separate awards were given: the Best of Class for Originality and Restoration and the Best of Class for Styling, with an Overall Best of Class award uniting the two classifications. This formula led to some classes having three different winners, while in others certain ‘uniques’ vehicles swept the board. The Best of Show was then chosen from among the nine Overall Best of Class.
The Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta owned by David Sydorick is the first of five berlinettas bodied by Zagato on a long wheelbase chassis and one of only three with the trademark ‘double-bubble’ roof. Bought new in Italy, the car was entered into competition in the 1956 season, participating even in the Mille Miglia with Camillo Luglio at the wheel. Exported to the USA in 1960, it was bought by its current owner in 1999 who has participated in several Concours d’Elegance over the years, including Pebble Beach, Villa d’Este and the Ferrari 60 on the Fiorano Circuit in 2007.
Uniques Special Ones 2011 – Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)
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Uniques Special Ones 2011 – Class Winners
Best of Show
1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Zagato, David Sydorick
Pre-War Elegance
1937 Bugatti Type 57 S Cabriolet, Arturo Keller
Pre-War Sport Car
1937 Jaguar SS Jaguar 100 2.5 Litre, Florian Seidl
Post War British Elegance
1947 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Sedanca Coupe, Robert Matteucci
Post War Open Cars
1960 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster, Wael Buheiry
Post War Italian Style
1951 Ferrari 212 Export Coupe, Peter McCoy
Barchettas
1954 Austin-Healey 100S, Michael Darcey
Gran Turismo Coupes
1955 Ferrari 250 GT Europa, Kenneth Roath
Gentleman Driver’s Choice
1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Zagato
Show Cars
1973 De Tomaso Pantera Serie II 7X ‘Monttella’, Corrado Lopresto
[Source: MAC Group]
Really neat–dare I say unique–entry list. I may have to put this show on the 2012 calendar. Sorry I missed the 1963 Alfa Romeo 2600 SZ Prototype. Hideous, but I like it!