Concorso
D'Eleganza Villa D'Este 2011, Cernobbio, Italy
Cernobbio - The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is the world’s most
tradition-laden beauty contest for automobiles. The weekend
from April 20-22, 2011 just gone the town of Cernobbio on
the banks of Lake Como reprised its status as the centre of
attention for all car enthusiasts – and this year motorcycle
fans also had much to admire. The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa
d’Este brought together a selection of classic models and
new concept cars to the acclaim of the assembled audience.
For the first time the cars
were joined by motorcycles competing for class and overall
victory in a competition of their own, as fans of
two-wheeled classics headed to the Villa Erba for Saturday’s
motorcycle concours. Another new feature of the Concorso was
the sale held by RM Auctions on Saturday evening, which
tempted collectors with a line-up of 32 extraordinary cars.
Karl Baumer, President
of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este and Director
of BMW Group Classic
“Our aim was to take this long-established event
into new territory while preserving its character,”
said Karl Baumer, President of the Concorso
d’Eleganza Villa d’Este and Director of BMW Group
Classic, outlining the reasons behind the changes.
“The main initiative we introduced to give people
extra opportunity to visit the Concorso was the
addition of a second Public Day,” continued Baumer.
Dr Jean-Marc Droulers, President of Villa d’Este
S.p.A., also declared himself pleased with the
weekend: “We’ve seen cars and motorcycles which made
our hearts beat a little faster – both within the
small, exclusive environs of the Villa d’Este and
together with the wider public at the Villa Erba.”
A tradition of this kind demands to be nurtured, something
the President of the Concorso d‘Eleganza Villa d’Este and
Director of BMW Group Classic, Karl Baumer, is very much
aware of: “This kind of tradition can only thrive through
ongoing development; in other words, it’s a matter of
cultivating a tradition of change, so to speak. There are
many definitive examples of this cautious approach to its
development, such as the introduction of the Concept Car
competition, the initiation of the Design Talk, and the
opening up of the Concorso to a wider audience with the
public day on Sunday.
There
will be five competition categories, as well as an hors concours design show.
Based on the criteria familiar from the Concorso d’Eleganza
Villa d’Este – such as design, state of preservation and
originality – a jury of five will select the best in class
and an overall winner from among the 40 or so competing
motorcycles. In this first year there will be no prizes
awarded by public referendum. “That is sure to follow in the
coming years, but our aim right now is to create a new
pillar for the Concorso step by step and with due caution,”
says Karl Baumer.
The winners of the Concorso
d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2011
1968 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
The jury awarded the Trofeo
BMW Group, and with it “best of show” honours, to a 1968 Alfa
Romeo 33 Stradale, while the time-honoured Coppa d’Oro prize
decided by public referendum went to an Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS
from 1942.
1942 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS
Another model making
its debut at the event was the BMW 328 Hommage,
unveiled by the Bavarian company to mark the 75th
birthday of its iconic BMW 328 sports car from the
1930s.
The “Concept Cars and
Prototypes” category, meanwhile, was topped by the Aston
Martin Zagato celebrating its world premiere at the Concorso
d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.
Aston Martin Zagato Concept
The Trofeo BMW Group in the
first Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este for motorcycles was
won by an American Pierce Four from 1910. After presenting
the award, General Director of BMW Motorrad Hendrik von
Kuenheim shifted the spotlight to plans for the years ahead:
“We are looking to develop this concours into a meeting
point for all enthusiasts of motorcycle design. That fits in
with both the tradition of the BMW motorcycle brand and the
passion for bikes here in Italy.”
Adrian van Hooydonk,
Director BMW Group Design, joined Lotus Cars chief designer
Donato Coco and Laurens van den Acker, Vice President of
Renault Corporate Design
The extent to which tradition
can inspire and the potential – and desired – impact of the
past on the future of car design were both on the agenda at
the high-powered annual Design Talk round table, which this
year addressed the issue of heritage in design under the
heading “Tradition & Future in Automotive Design”. Adrian
van Hooydonk, Director BMW Group Design, joined Lotus Cars
chief designer Donato Coco and Laurens van den Acker, Vice
President of Renault Corporate Design, to mull over
future-oriented design at car brands with a strong heritage.
Text:
Friedrich Major/UWM
Photos: Automotive
Intelligence
