The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2015 will be staged on the weekend of 22-24 May on the grounds of the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este and neighboring Villa Erba on Lake Como in Cernobbio, Italy. The 2015 edition will again see an intimate selection of 50 historic automobiles displayed against the incomparable backdrop of Lake Como.
First held at the same location in 1929, this year’s Villa d’Este Concours d’Elegance will celebrate the glitz and glamour of the 1970s with the theme, “Seventies Style – the Jetset is Back”. The Concorso di Motociclette will take its place in the programme for the fifth time, alongside other highlights including a look back at 90 Years of the Rolls-Royce Phantom.
Taking centre stage at the three-day 2015 Villa d’Este Concours d’Elegance is the beauty contest, in which historic cars and motorcycles of outstanding class and with a fascinating past battle in a number of competition categories.On the occasion of the model’s 90th anniversary, Rolls-Royce Phantoms from various decades will also be competing in a special class for the favour of the jury and thus the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este trophies. As well as seeking approval from the experts, contestants will by vying for the affections of the public as well, with their votes determining the winners of several special prizes.
The support programme for the visitors, entrants and guests of honour will also be held in the style of the uproarious seventies. The traditional celebration of beauty on two and four wheels begins with a scene-setting open-air event on Friday evening. The grounds of Villa Erba will also be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday. This year’s special exhibition in the rotunda at Villa Erba is devoted to the Art Cars which captured the imagination of art and motor racing fans alike in the 1970s. This decade alone produced four powerfully-engined works of art, with Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol following in the brush strokes of the BMW 3.0 CSL painted by US artist Alexander Calder that raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This was the car that launched the ‘Art Car’ tradition initiated by BMW and today remains a fascinating representative of a dazzling era. The most recent addition to the series is the BMW M3 GT2 Art Car created by Jeff Koons.
The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is one of the most tradition-steeped stages for historic cars and motorcycles. The event in the northern Italian town of Cernobbio was first held in 1929 as an exhibition for new creations from the auto industry, but since the 1980s it has majored instead on the history of motoring. In 1999 the BMW Group took over patronage of this tribute to automotive rarities, and since 2005 BMW Group Classic and the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este have acted as co-hosts. As well as classic vehicles boasting stand-out aesthetics and historical significance, the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este also presents design studies and prototypes from various eras for visitors to admire.
For further information, visit ConcorsodEleganzaVilladEste.com.
[Source: Concorso Villa d’Este]
So looking forward to your coverage of the 2015 show!