Good friend of the Spies, Ernesto Stoccoro from Italy, has scooped the world and sent us the first and I can guarantee you the most beautiful photo gallery, from the 2008 Concorso Villa D'Este show.
http://shows.autospies.com/gallery/2008-Villa-DEste-78/
Here is a note and the Concorso full details directly from Ernesto:
Concorso Villa D’Este
Cernobbio
25-27 APRIL 2008
BEAUTIES on the LAKE of COMO
A famous Italian writer wrote “ The sky of Lombardy which is so nice when it is nice”….words could not be more true here today. The scenery of the Villa D’Este is always quite nice but today was special. Its Lake, its flowers and the beautiful cars in show gave the final touch to an experience to be remembered.
Ok, not everything was perfect and The Concorso, this year, did show some weak points and was not as good and of the same high quality as the one of last year, organization included but we are speaking here of minor details for a meeting that anyway keeps a very high standard.
52 were the cars on show ( N° 34 & 40 were missing ) plus 12 Concept/Prototypes, see attachment and photos.
All of the Classic cars in exhibition were in very good condition and in some way special but few were truly outstanding. The same could be said for the Concept/Prototypes most of which have already been seen/presented in previous shows.
The Concorso should have been also the home for the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the BMW M1 launch but few of these cars were here and the ones that were present were not in
perfect shape.
Probably the subprime crisis did play its role even among these beauties.
But I do not want to be too negative all in all it has been a very nice meeting with a lot of nice cars, beautiful sun and scenery and with many car designers present……(see Chris Bangle trying the cramped seat of a Lancia Stratos Photo N° 144 ) and I already look forward to be here for the one of next year !
Ernesto Stoccoro
The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is one the most significant event celebrating the mystique of Historic Cars. It is undoubtedly the most traditional event which was held for the first time as early as 1929. At the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este visitors breathe an air of authentic aristocracy, and not the slightly commercial atmosphere of other events.
The focus on design, originality, perfect preservation and the noble spirit bring together important and beautiful cars from all over the world year by year in Cernobbio .
The grounds of the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este, one of the world's leading hotels, lapped by the waters of Lake Como, offers guests and visitors the chance to admire 52 Historic Cars built between the twenties and the seventies, organized by different categories. An exclusive panel of judges led bypresident Lorenzo Ramaciotti judges for the Best of Show prize, the BMW Group Trophy. This is defined for an extraordinary automobile, which expresses beauty, passion and uniqueness. At Villa d’Este, the public is also a key element, rewarding participants with applause and their votes. In fact the most traditional prize of the Concours, the Coppa d’Oro, is decided by a public vote.
A prize awarded to the contemporary concept car was introduced in 2002. The prize has been a regular fixture of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este since then and creats a link between the glorious past and the future of the automobile. This competition also goes back to roots of the Concorso when designers and car companies presented their newest automobiles to the public.
12 Concept Cars & Prototypes are presented - some of them making their world debut during the days at Lake Como – to be elected by public vote.
BMW M1
This year, celebrating its 30th anniversary
the BMW M1 has prompted BMW to devote its 2008
Concorso exhibition to the iconic sports car that came from the
drawing board of Italian stylist Giorgio Giugiaro. Alongside
the production model, the various racing versions will also be
on show at Lake Como.
Rolls-Royce
Villa d’Este will once again provide the
stage for a Rolls-Royce heading straight from its world debut
at the Geneva Motor Show to the shores of Lake Como. The 101EX
Experimental Car
Classic beauties
Once again, more than 50 stunning classics covering six decades
of motoring history have been selected for the Concorso d’Eleganza. Urs Paul Ramseier, the Selecting Adviser responsible for choosing the vehicles that take part in the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, already provided a few tasters from this select field of participants in Geneva.
Streamlining: Mercedes-Benz 540 K Autobahnkurier (1938)
Just two streamlined coupé bodies were mounted on the chassis
of the Mercedes-Benz 540 K. In 1938 this model was acquired by
Dr Ignacio Barraquer and remained in family ownership until
2004. The Autobahnkurier was then purchased by Deborah and
Arturo Keller and subsequently underwent complete restoration
before being presented again in 2006. 70 years after its world
premiere, the Mercedes-Benz 540 K Autobahnkurier makes its
reappearance in Europe at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.
Winning type: Ferrari 166 MM Touring Berlinetta, 1949
Count Giannino Marzotto bought the Ferrari 166 MM from Enzo
Ferrari. Touring provided it with an aerodynamic coupé body in
Touring Superleggera construction. The car had been presented
at the 1950 Geneva Motor Show, and Count Marzotto’s aim was to
drive it to victory in the 1950 Mille Miglia. He was not happy
with the output of the 166 MM, however, and so Ferrari gave him
with a new V12 Type 195 Colombo engine. This proved a
resounding success: Count Giannino Marzotto and co-driver Marco
Corsaro in car no. 724 swept to victory in the 1950 Mille
Miglia. Sporting the spurs of this challenging “1,000-mile
race”, the Ferrari was exhibited at the Turin Motor Show that
immediately followed. Whereas Raymond Sommer had been less
successful in the 1950 Le Mans race, Marzotto went on to win
the Rome 3-hour race in 1950 as well. In the late 1950s the
Ferrari was deployed in smaller races in the USA before being
sold to an American collector in 1965 along with its original
engine of 1949. The new owner kept the car until 2001. Today’s
owner acquired it in 2003 and had it completely restored to its
original condition.
Ahead of its time: the ATS 2500 GT (1963)
The mid-engine sports car built by Carlo Chiti and designed by
Franco Scaglione must have caused a minor sensation at the 1963
Paris Motor Show. The ATS was not destined to be a commercial
success, however, and only very few examples left the ATS
automobile factory before it closed its gates permanently.
After the Paris Show, the ATS 2500 GT went to a French
collection, where it remained until 1984. Its current owner
managed to obtain the car in 2003 and will present it at the
Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este with its original odometer
count of just 1,300 kilometres.
Pininfarina’s yellow masterpiece: the Dino 206 Competizione (1967)
The Dino Competizione Pininfarina was unveiled for the first time at the 1967 Frankfurt Motor Show. This concept car, built on the basis of the Ferrari 206S chassis, remained in the Pininfarina Collection until 2007 – more than 40 years. Ferrari
enthusiast James Glickenhaus succeeded in purchasing this
exquisite one-off and, as its first owner, will present the car
in complete original condition.
http://shows.autospies.com/gallery/2008-Villa-DEste-78/
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http://shows.autospies.com/gallery/2008-Villa-DEste-78/
Full list of cars shown at the 2008 Concorso Villa D'Este