US-based Zagato aficionado David Sydorick’s 1956 Ferrari 250GT Berlinetta scooped Best of Show at the 2011 Uniques Special Ones concours d'elegance last weekend in Florence.
Sydorick’s car - the first of five Berlinettas bodied by Zagato on a long wheelbase chassis and one of only three with the trademark ‘double-bubble’ roof – narrowly beat off a 1938 Bugatti Type 57 S Cabriolet and a 1962 Ferrari 268 SP to take the prize.
The runners up were just two of the stars in the spectacular, 82-strong car line-up at the 3-4 September event, dedicated to celebrating the finest efforts by coachbuilders. The two-day show took place in the Giardino of the Palazzo and Conventino of the Gherardesca, today a Four Seasons Hotel in the Italian city and was eligible for one-offs, cars remaining from an extremely limited production run (less than 20) and prototypes - together with concept and show cars. Also considered were cars with famous owners and those that scored a famous victory.
Entrants in each of the nine classes competed for awards for Best of Class for Originality and Restoration and Best of Class for Styling, with an Overall Best of Class award uniting the two classifications. The Best of Show was then chosen from nine Overall Best of Class winners.
Beverly Hills-based Sydorick’s 250GT took part in the 1956 Mille Miglia with Camillo Luglio at the wheel before being exported to the USA four years later. Sydorick acquired it 1999 and has entered the car in n several concours d’élégance over the years, including Pebble Beach, Villa d’Este, and the Ferrari 60 on the Fiorano Circuit in 2007.
Judges considered both styling and technical aspects of the cars: “Selecting the winning vehicle was an extremely difficult choice and caused the members of the judges panel to debate for over two hours,” stated Adolfo Orsi, Automotive expert and Chief Judge of the International Judges Panel.
Graeme Hurst