Photo: Concorso d'Eleganza Varignana 1705
The 2024 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance recently chose an unrestored vehicle as its “Best of Show.” The 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports is a conservation car owned by Fritz Burkard, the man behind The Pearl Collection in Zug, Switzerland. As Burkard said, “A car can only be original once.” For classic car enthusiasts, there may be another opportunity to see such gems with the 2024 Concorso d’Eleganza Varignana 1705, an event that has set itself a very lofty goal: to be the most exclusive automobile “concours” in the world.
Those who want to take a look at what will be presented at the Palazzo di Varignana in Bologna will have to wait until September 27 to discover all the attractions of the “concorso”. Considering what the organization communicated, visitors will have a great time, especially if they were unable to attend the Monterey Car Week in 2024.
These guys will be able to see 30 amazing cars made before 1973, divided into six classes, two of which have yet to be defined because there are other possible attractions that will join the show. Of the four that have already been created, the first is called Before the Storm and is dedicated to cars made before 1937, when World War II began. While this may give us the impression that these classes are all tied to production periods, this is not the case.
Photo: Nicolis Museum
The second class is dedicated to cars produced in Germany and has been named Eccellenze Di Stuttgart. The third is Il Meglio Di Motor Valley, which focuses on cars produced in the Italian Motor Valley. Finally, we have the British Postcards class, a name that needs no explanation. In addition to these exhibition divisions, the “concorso” has also created something called FuoriConcorso which will present a single and unique car.
Enzo Ferrari worked for Alfa Romeo until 1939. After he left, Alfa made sure he couldn't legally use his name to create a competitor for four years. That's how Auto Avio Costruzioni was born. Although it focused on producing aircraft parts and milling machines, it also produced two units of a model called the 815. Both featured a spider body, but the long-tail version was eventually scrapped after suffering an accident. The short-tail unit was saved by Alberto Ascari, who sold it to Enrico Beltracchini. It was from him that Mario Righini purchased it as an important piece of his car collection. Righini accepted the invitation to present what is unofficially considered the first Ferrari at the Concorso d'Eleganza Varignana 1705. Checking out this car in person may be one of the highlights of the event, but it shouldn't be the only one.
Another vehicle that deserves attention is the 1914 Benz 8/20PS Jadgwagen. It was commissioned by an Indian Maharaja from Schebera, an armor company that took care of the unusual wooden body. Ironically, the boa constrictor-shaped air horn was only added after delivery. Although there are many surviving Benz 8/20S units, there is not a single one that shares the same specifications. This makes the Jadgwagen another unique vehicle, probably something you can see in the Before the Storm class. Unlike the Bugatti that was voted Best of Show at Pebble Beach, this Benz was restored in the 1970s. And so it was another incredible attraction at the “concours”: a 1966 prototype for the Lamborghini Miura.
Photo: Georg Dr. Gebhard
Originally painted in Arancio Miura (orange), it has been painted in 19 other colors, as you can see in the pictures included in this article. They must be from the restoration process it underwent in 2011, when it regained its original color. The paint has been sanded in several places, probably to reveal all the color changes it has undergone as Lamborghini wanted to show customers the options they could have at different car events. This car is probably in the Best of Motor Valley class.
If I were to attend the event, I wouldn’t miss the 1947 Isotta Fraschini 8C Monterosa Coupe Touring. It underwent a full restoration in 2017 and is one of five prototypes the brand built between 1947 and 1959 in an attempt to sell cars again, which it failed to do until its relaunch in 2022. The company has announced the Tipo 6 LMH Strada, but there’s no word on whether it has delivered any units so far. All we know is that only 12 are planned to be built. Compare that car to the Monterosa and you’ll see how the company’s plans have changed over the decades. Unfortunately, I’m not supposed to be in Bologna in September and I don’t have the deep pockets to be there. We’ll have to rely on more knowledgeable people to assess whether this classic is as exclusive as its organization wants it to be. Expect to hear more in a few weeks.