The real secret of the Concorso di Eleganza Villa d'Este is contained in what could be called the “garden of dreams": on the manicured lawn of Villa Erba, classic car enthusiasts display their “treasures” for the guests. This year there were no fewer than 51 of them, representing almost a century of history, divided into seven classes. The 2022 edition held many important celebrations. BMW M GmbH, the shortest acronym for Motorsport, will cross the impressive milestone of its first half-century. The sporting theme was also reflected in Ferrari: the brand with the prancing horse was born 75 years ago. The Grand Hotel Villa d'Este itself - venue of the event - boasts even more evocative numbers: in 2022 it celebrates its 150th season as a hotel of international prestige. Just like Pirelli, which this year celebrates the 150th anniversary of its foundation.
BMW and Rolls Royce
The competition on Lake Como features also a showcase for new models. BMW brought the M4 CSL (making its world début) and the i7, the first fully electric 7 Series. Based on the M 1000 RR Supersport model, BMW Motorrad unveiled a special anniversary edition.
Another special guest was the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail: The name Boat Tail harks back to a tradition of the 1930s and 1940s in which British and American coachbuilders added a tail inspired by motorboats, including Riva, to the shape of an open car, complete with wooden elements directly derived from the hulls.
More recently, this “provocation” has been taken up by Rolls-Royce, which has made the (very expensive) Boat Tail customisation a stylistic feature within the Coachbuild division's exclusive range and will only be replicated three times. Having already amazed in 2021 with the first Boat Tail, which is said to have cost $28 million, Villa d'Este saw sample number two, even more exclusive and refined than the first. The bodywork changes depending on the shade of the light.
The most beautiful: Bugatti 57S Cabriolet
It is never easy to choose the most beautiful among the beautiful for the jury of experts, this time chaired by Lorenzo Ramacciotti. At the end of the spectacular parade, the BMW Group “Best of Show” Trophy went to the 1937 Bugatti 57S Cabriolet, which also won in Class A “The golden Age of Elegance: The Art Deco Era of Motor Car Design.” The owner is Monegasque collector Andrew Pisker, while the car is the first of only four Bugatti 57S that the legendary Vanvooren was able to make with a convertible body, inspired by the prevailing Art Deco of the time. The vehicle has had ten owners, including a vice-president of General Motors who replaced the Bugatti 8-cylinder line with a 170 hp 3.3-litre Buick V8 for testing purposes.
The Gold Cup went to the Aston Martin Bulldog
If the experts chose a Bugatti, the public vote awarded the Gold Cup to the US billionaire Phillip Sarofirm's Aston Martin Bulldog. It is a unique model, characterised by a wedge-shaped design with pop-up headlights and gull-wing doors. Built in 1979, it is powered by the twin-turbocharged 5.3 V8 with 600 hp and 678 Nm mounted in a mid-rear position.
During the development of this engine, Aston Martin engineers brought it up to 710 hp, later limiting its output on the production version: in the late 1970s. The company estimated a top speed of 381 km/h made possible by the 0.34 Cd, but during testing the car reached 307 km/h. Last year the Bulldog was fully restored with the aim of reaching 320 km/h, with Pirelli contributing special tyres.
