Classic Cars Concours
Rank 03
Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este
Europe's most exclusive concours lawn: small and jury-led; in 2026 it crowned the 1937 BMW 328 'Bügelfalte'.
Photograph: Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este by Buch-t, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons, resized
Why it is here
Il Sole 24 Ore says the event is 'considered the most important of its kind in the world' (2026-05-17). The 2026 edition (15–17 May) gave the jury's Best of Show to the 1937 BMW 328 'Bügelfalte', sixth overall in the 1940 Mille Miglia. The public Coppa d'Oro went to an original-paint 1963 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (Magneto 2026-05-20). The most-sensitive-restoration trophy went to Ferrari 250 GTO 3589GT (Magneto; Il Sole). Tatler covered the garden-party side (2026-06-05). Score drivers: prestige 9.6 from Il Sole's framing and global press; provenance 9.4 because it runs separate preservation and sensitive-restoration awards; expertise 9.2 because the jury is led by Lorenzo Ramaciotti; community 8.6 because the field is small and invitation-only; experience 9.4 for the Lake Como setting. A BMW won Best of Show at a BMW-run event, which is a conflict-of-interest optic to note.
Who it is for
Collectors of significant European cars who value a small, jury-judged field and a weekend at Lake Como over scale.
Sources
- BMW 328 takes home Best of Show at Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2026Full 2026 results: BMW 328 Bügelfalte Best of Show; 300 SL Coppa d'Oro; 250 GTO 3589GT most sensitive restoration.
- Mercedes wins the Coppa d'Oro at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'EsteSays Villa d'Este is 'considered the most important of its kind in the world'; original-condition 300 SL wins the public prize.
- Villa d'Este Concorso d'Eleganza: a turbocharged garden party on the shores of Lake ComoSociety-press coverage of the 2026 edition.
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