The floodgates of heaven: Villa d’Este Concorso 2019

By Steve Wakefield

30th May 2019

Boy, did it rain. But when the clouds lifted, the sun shone on a glittering display of the most elegant cars in the world. The stunning lakeside location, the usual mixture of sublime 1930s glamour, 1950s elegance and 1960s and 1970s drama – Villa d’Este once again had it all.

And added to the mix this year was a display of Riva speedboats including two from LastBid’s Peter Wallman who, despite anxiety that his bobbing fleet “was getting too wet” in the deluge, still found time for some spirited boating on Lago di Como.

The pre-event favourite was David and Ginny Sydorick’s Pebble Beach-winning 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B (pictured, top), and the gorgeous dark blue Touring Berlinetta duly did the double, scooping the Coppa d’Oro Villa d’Este on Saturday and winning the Trofeo BMW Best of Show on Sunday night.

As usual, a selected audience attended Saturday’s do at the hotel, while on Sunday, enthusiastic visitors to Villa Erba could see the cars close up. Both events were compèred by Simon Kidston, the torrential rain on Saturday failing to dampen his lively English commentary. From the unconventional love life of a 1930s nightclub owner (she never married), to the science behind the wacky 1967 Gyro-X two-wheeler, the urbane MC had, as usual, all the facts at his fingertips.

Everyone had their favourites. Phillip Sarofim’s futuristic Vivant 77 shook the windowpanes with its NASCAR big-block; David MacNeil’s raucous Ferrari 275 GTB/C burst onlookers’ eardrums under the awning; Anthony and Anna Maclean personified the spirit of grand touring by stoically driving their open Lancia through the thunderstorm (the combination had completed the Mille Miglia only the week before). The stunning restoration of the ex-Alain Delon Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider by Paul Russell – complete with the French star’s espadrilles – was a lesson in supreme craftsmanship to all.

Here are some of our memories of the weekend, captured brilliantly in difficult circumstances by ace photographer Tim Scott.

2019 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este Results

Trofeo BMW Group Best of Show

1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta, David Sydorick (USA)

Coppa d’Oro Villa d’Este Best of Show by Public Referendum

1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta, David Sydorick (USA)

Trofeo Group BMW Group Italia by Public Referendum

1938 Lancia Astura Serie IV Cabriolet by Pinin Farina, Filippo Sole (Italy)

Trofeo BMW Group Young People’s Referendum

1967 Lamborghini Marzal by Bertone, Albert Spiess (Switzerland)

Concorso D’Eleganza Design Award for Concept Cars & Prototypes by Public Referendum

2019 Bugatti 'La Voiture Noire' by Etienne Salomé and Achim Anscheidt