The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2013 was held the weekend of 24-26 May at the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este and neighboring Villa Erba on Lake Como in Cernobbio, Italy. A crowd of more than 6,000 patrons traveled to the shores of Lake Como for this exquisite and tradition-steeped display of historical and prototype automobiles.
First held at the same location in 1929, the Villa d’Este Concours d’Elegance has been held each May since 1999 on the grounds of the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este and the adjacent parkland of Villa Erba under the patronage of the BMW Group. Set against the incomparable backdrop of Northern Italy’s Lake Como, the 2013 edition of the Villa d’Este Concorso brought together 50 cars and 35 motorcycles from widely varying eras in automotive history. In addition, six concept vehicles and prototypes went on show, each representing their own distinctive perspective on automotive design. Away from the competition, the event also provided the setting for the world premiere of the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupe and the BMW Concept Ninety.
The Trofeo BMW Group, awarded “Best of Show” by the judges at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2013 went to the 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, while the historic Coppa d’Oro Villa d’Este – Best of Show by Public Referendum at Villa d’Este was also awarded to the Bugatti owned by Ralph Lauren. Known as the ‘Atlantic’, the Bugatti Type 57SC on display is one of four examples of this automobile built between 1937 and 1938 at the legendary factory in the Alsace. The ‘masterpiece’ of Jean Bugatti, son of company founder Ettore Bugatti, the winning Atlantic is chassis number four in the production run.
In the Concorso d’Eleganza Design Award for Concept cars and Prototypes, the public voted for the 2013 Alfa Romeo Disco Volante by Touring. The car pays homage to the Alfa Romeo 1900 C52 “Disco Volante”, a coupe with unique characteristics that sees its 60th anniversary this year. The backbone of the Alfa Romeo Disco Volante by Touring is the chassis of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, powered by a 450 HP, 4.7-litre V8 that propels the Alfa to a top speed of 290 km/h.
“The competition entrants and the special exhibitions at this year’s event have taken it to a quite extraordinary level,” commented Dr. Ralf Rodepeter, Director of the BMW Museum and member of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2013 Selecting Committee. “We’re therefore delighted that more than 6,000 visitors came along to experience the event on the Sunday alone.”
Classes at the 2013 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este included Prancing Horse vs. Trident (Ferrari and Maserati), California Dreamin’, Racing Improves the Breed, an Aston Martin class in honor of their 100th anniversary and a Lamborghini class to celebrate the 50th birthday of the marque, among others.
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Senior Photographer Tim Scott documented the 2013 Villa d’Este Concours d’Elegance, offering up a seductive series of images from the shores of Lake Como. We split up Tim’s 275 pictures into two galleries. The first gallery features our top 80 images, all displayed in the full-width view of our website, while the second gallery (and event results) are found on the last page of the article and gives a comprehensive view of all the photographs. To see more from Tim, visit fluidimages.co.uk.
Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2013 – Top Photo Gallery
