Alfas clean up at Lake Como concours

By Graeme Hurst

| 23 May 2011

Alfas took centre stage at this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on 21 May after the judges favoured Clive Joy’s 1968 33 Stradale racer.

The Trofeo BMW Group ‘Best in Show by the jury’ award on Sunday 22 May followed the news that Corrado Lopresto’s Bertone-bodied 1942 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS had scooped the coveted Coppa d’Oro Villa d’Este after the traditional public vote the day before.

The judges’ choice was endorsed when Joy’s Milanese racer scooped the Trofeo BMW Group Italia ‘Best of Show’ public award at Villa Erba – the open-to-the public part of the two-day event on the banks of Lake Como.

Lopresto’s Best of Show accolade sealed a hatrick of wins at Villa d’Este for the noted Italian collector, who became the first entrant to take home the award for the third time. His 2500SS is part of a collection of ‘one off’ coachbuilt takes on Italian cars and scooped the Alfa Centennial class at Pebble Beach last year.

Also boasting Pebble Beach provenance was last year’s Best of Show recipient – James Patterson’s 1933 Delage D8 S de Villars, which clinched the Open Sky class.

But it was Joy’s Alfa that got the judges’ attention. Their choice highlighted the event’s strong display of competition fare with standouts including Gabriele Artom’s V12-engine 1961 Maserati 63 (below) and the Lindner /Knocker Low Drag 1963 Jaguar E-type, making its show debut fresh out of an incredible 7000 hour restoration.

The E-type (above) picked up a Mention of Honour in the Colour and Speed – Post-war Racing Icons class which was won by Andreas Mohringer’s sensationally original 1953 Ferrari 375MM Spider, the judges swayed no doubt by its Phil Hill Sebring 12 Hours history and untouched-for-40-years, barn find condition.

Other stars on the preservation front included Friedhelm Loh’s marvellously un-restored, 28,000kms-from-new 1948 Talbot-Lago T26 GS (above, on right) while Andrea Capra’s 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux picked up the Trofeo Automobile Club di Como award for the car driven to the furthest distance to the event; Capra having motored some 300kms from his Basle home.

And there was plenty on offer when it came to newer classics, with the four door Citroen SM Opera, 1967 Frua-bodied Glass 3000 V8 coupe and rare 1968 DAF 5 Siluro three of the highlights in the Masters of Creativity class which was won by Michael Ulbig’s BMW 2000 CS, Coupé.

The result was fitting for event sponsor BMW, which celebrated 50 years of its ground breaking ‘Neue Klasse’ series with a display of five of cars, at its BMW Classic display at neighbouring Villa Erba.

Also being celebrated was the Munich maker’s iconic 328 which first hit the roads some 75 years ago. BMW marked the anniversary with a display of three examples and by unveiling a carbonfibre 328 ‘homage’ by BMW design supremo Adrian van Hooydonk.

Other concepts wowing the crowds included the Aston Martin Zagato and the Ferrari Super America – the latter the latest bespoke acquisition by Ferrari nut Peter Kalikow.

Andreas Mohringer’s sensationally original 1953 Ferrari 375MM Spider

Michael Ulbig’s BMW 2000 CS Coupé and Frua-bodied Glas

Bugatti T57 Ventoux was driven furthest to the event, from Basle

Graeme Hurst