From May 20th to 22nd, 2011, the fantastic setting of the Grand Hotel Villa d'Este and the Villa Erba in Cernobbio on Lake Como will once again be transformed into a unique ambience for the most beautiful automobiles and motorcycles from bygone eras and the most extravagant concept vehicles of modern times. The Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este was held for the first time in 1929 and is today considered the world's most traditional event of its kind.
This weekend, the Concorso offers all car and motorbike lovers the opportunity to experience dreams on two and four wheels in the parks adjacent to Villa Erba. In addition to the automobiles and motorcycles presented the day before, numerous other high-ranking classics will be shown in special shows.
There are five different classes to start with. There is also a design exhibition hors concours. A five-person jury selects the best in class and an overall winner from around 40 two-wheelers according to the criteria known from the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, such as design, state of preservation and originality.
As every year, the classic car competition will be divided into several vehicle groups. Around 50 classics are waiting in eight different classes for the assessment of the five-strong jury. What is new this year is that a focus has been set within the competition: under the generic term "the sixties", around twenty icons in three vehicle classes are presenting this style-defining decade for automobile enthusiasts on Lake Como. Even the names of the vehicle classes of the "sixities" promise a lot of quality and style: "The Glamour", "The Sport" and "The Unexpected".
For the competition, the pre-selection committee has again selected extraordinary beauties from six decades of automotive history for the Concorso d'Eleganza. On Lake Como you will see, among other things:
Alfa Romeo TZ2 coupe, Zagato, 1965
Alfa Romeo presented the TZ 1962 as a roadworthy racing car at the Turin Motor Show. The namesakes are the T from 'turbolare', i.e. a space frame and Z for 'Zagato', the bodybuilder. The Alfa Romeo TZ 102, which was much more successful on the race track, followed the 1965 examples that were produced in small series until 2. The performance was increased to 165 hp, the weight was reduced again to 620 kg and the chassis was improved. Alfa Romeo determined a breathtaking 265 km/h as the maximum speed for its sports car. With the TZ2, the coachbuilder Zagato succeeded in becoming an important representative of Italian automobile design of the 1960s. Only twelve copies left the production hall until 1967.
Rolls Royce Phantom II Special Town Car, Brewster, 1933
The Rolls-Royce from the American Rolls-Royce dealer and coachbuilder Brewster&Co is nothing other than the most expensive car of its year. But it wasn't just the price that made it a superlative in automotive history, but also its design. This Rolls-Royce Phantom II combines design elements of its time into a coherent and unique whole. The long bonnet, the low greenhouse and, last but not least, the V-shaped windshield are the main characteristics of this one-off. The inner values are also second to none: gold-plated fittings, indirect lighting and the finest leather and wool carpets spoil the passenger. All of this adds up to one of the best and most important Rolls-Royce ever built, according to many experts.
Jaguar E Type coupe, 1961
The Jaguar E-Type is one of the most famous automobiles in the world. In addition to the qualities that it combines with all production vehicles of its type, this E-Type also has a unique history. This vehicle was at the Geneva Motor Show in 1961, making it one of the first E-Types ever built. Over the decades, however, its special origin has faded into the past – until 1999. The car was advertised in a Swiss advertising newspaper and it soon became clear that it was the 'Geneva car'. A Swiss collector then gets down to work and restores the first model at great expense and according to the original templates. It took almost a decade for the work to be completed. The car has more than 30 differences to the production car.
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