Over many years, this classic weekend has enjoyed a unique position among beauty contests for classic
automobiles and motorcycles thanks to the elegance of the event, the unforgettable atmosphere, and the
small, exclusive field of participants.
The Selecting Committee made up of international experts has already defined five of the planned nine vehicle
classes:
1. Speed Demons: Endurance Pioneers of the Golden Age
This class features pre-war sports and record cars combining Old World style with rugged performance.
2. Faster, Quieter, Smoother: Heroes of the Jet Age
Beautiful automobiles from the 1950s and beyond that continue to define their raison d’être by long-distance
feats.
3. Travelling in Style: Around the World in 40 Years
If Phileas Fogg, the hero of Jules Verne’s iconic novel, had embarked on his epic journey around the world 40
years later, how would he have motored? Help him choose from the best in Edwardian luxury.
4. The Grand Tour Continues: The Next 40 Years
Would Fogg‘s descendants have followed in his intrepid footsteps? And would their taste in motor cars have
been as impeccable as Great-Uncle Phileas‘? Unquestionably. Here‘s how they would have travelled between
1946 and 1986.
5. Racers on the Road: Playboys’ Toys
The road-converted racing machines in this category are loud, unsuitable for the public highway and wholly
impractical. In short, the perfect match for their exuberant first owners, the playboys of their era.
However, the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is not simply a snapshot of the glittering past of automobile
construction. The show also looks at the future of the sector. The class of Concept Cars and Prototypes
presents automobile studies and concepts which showcase the automobiles of tomorrow. No other classic
event in the world looks at the sector from this perspective. The class features cars penned by the most
prestigious designers of our time. These visions for the automobile design of tomorrow provide an enticing
contrast to the retrospective show of important historic vehicles and their epochs.
The vehicles in all award classes are judged by a distinguished Expert Jury. However, the participants also
have to appeal to the public because their votes – as in the case of Concept Cars and Prototypes – decide on
the winners of several special prizes.
Historic two-wheelers and a milestone for mobility.
An outstanding field of participants also awaits friends of classic two-wheelers. The Concorso di Motociclette
is one of the high points on the second event day. In 2017, the convoy of rare motorcycles will once again go
on an outing along public roads to reach Villa d’Este and Villa Erba.
In many ways, the motto of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in 2017 connects the cars of the present to
the cars in history. In 1873, the novel written by Jules Verne was published for the first time. This was also
the year when Villa d’Este opened its doors as the Grand Hotel. Even today, the wonderful parkland, grounds
and gardens bear witness to the glamour of this era and this is where the competing vehicles will be
presented. The era famous for travel around the world also marked a milestone in the mobility of humanity.
This was the first time that people other than sailors, missionaries or scientists were able to embark on a
journey – it became possible for all those passengers who embarked on steamships or travelled by train. This
was an era when a system of global transport was being created together with its network structures. During
this time, ground-breaking inventions like telegraphy and the telephone were dramatically changing the world.
The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este was held for the first time in 1929 – at the time it was still a show for
new launches in the automobile sector. In 1999, the BMW Group took over as patron, and since 2005 BMW
Group Classic has been working together with the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este as the organiser of the pageant of
illustrious rare vehicles. Every year, thousands of enthusiasts and participants from all over the world come to
the Concorso.
Registrations
Owners of rare historic automobiles and motorcycles can still register their vehicle >>> The international
Selecting Committee then decides on the final approval for this illustrious contest.
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