This was my second year of attending the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este and, quite frankly, I was a bit apprehensive about going again — I wondered if it could possibly measure up to the 2025 event? I needn’t have worried as 2026 was even better than last year. Part of it was that I had a better idea how the show worked, making it easier to navigate; the other part was that I honestly liked this year’s cars more than the amazing cars on display last year.
I arrived on a rainy Thursday afternoon, just in time to see a group of cars coming back from a tour. The majority of the cars here were provided by BMW Group Classic and included an M1, 3.0 CSL, and 507. Speaking with the drivers, I learned all the cars performed perfectly. The car spotters also were out in droves despite the precipitation, with hundreds present to see the conclusion of the road tour.
Friday started with a visit to the scrutineering of the cars. This is a process where each car is checked for matching numbers, correct components, and the like to ensure that each one on display is truly what the owner has said it is, and that it meets the measure of the vehicles as required.
I spent the rest of the day catching up with friends and then attended the cocktail affair at Villa d’Este, where BMW reintroduced the Alpina brand with a new Alpina concept coupe. This concept is simply spectacular, and BMW could have sold 100 cars right then and there. It is not yet known if it will build this concept as it has with its earlier introductions of the Skytop and the Speedtop, but we all hope that BMW steps up to the plate as the car is gorgeous in person. I ended the evening not attending the media dinner but instead eating at the Ville d’Este bar with my friend Trent Abbott, feasting on their legendary club sandwiches, which have been voted No. 2 on the planet. I am not sure what they put in these sandwiches, but it was the best club sandwich I have ever eaten.
Saturday started early, with us observing the show cars entering the event. Frantically running around is not a thing here (something that seems to happen at other concours events), and the owners seem relaxed but focused.
The field of cars was even better than last year’s event, with standouts being a 1954 Ferrari 375MM by Ghia (the last Ghia coachbuilt Ferrari road car), 1937 BMW 328 “Bügelfalte” Mille Miglia racer, stunning blue Ferrari 250 GTO, and the only street-legal Volkswagen W-12 supercar ever built.
One of the benefits of my second year at Villa d’Este is that I had a much better idea of timing and navigating the show layout. This allowed me to spend much more time at the Cars and Coffee event at Villa Erba and see some of the cars there in more detail. After disembarking from the water taxi, the first thing I saw was the BMW M3 heritage display featuring every generation of M3. My favorite was the Daytona Violet E36 with second being the E30 sedan.
On location at Villa Erba was the Broad Arrow auction, which had a nicely curated display of cars to bid on. My personal favorites were the original BMW 507 factory body buck and Ferrari SP3. There was literally something for everyone at this sale, whether you were into JDM cars, modern supercars, or pre- and post-war classics.
Then, I went back to Villa d’Este to watch the parade of cars. The small size of the crowds at Villa d’Este makes this a wonderful affair, mixing social moments with time gazing at the cars as they drive by the review stand. A bonus for me was that every one of my favorites was selected for awards — even Don Ghareeb’s 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham won the Trofeo Vranken-Pommery for Best Iconic Car. This example was number 221 out of 400 built.
The rest of the weekend was a bit of a blur, with the Sunday show at Villa Erba consisting of all the Villa d’Este entrants displayed for the general public. The second day of the Broad Arrow auction also was held on the same day, so I found myself bouncing between the auction and the cars. One neat extra element at Villa Erba was the BMW Art Car display, which included two of my absolute favorites: Robert Rauschenberg’s BMW 635 CSi from 1986 and John Baldessari’s BMW M6 GTLM from 2016. This was part of the BMW Art Cars World Tour, which will culminate with a display of every BMW Art Car at the BMW Welt in Munich from July 29-August 31, 2026. This is the very first time that every Art Car will be on public display together, and I am hoping that I can get to Munich to document this truly historical event combining fine art and automobiles as no other manufacturer has done.
As is tradition at Villa d’Este, the winner of the Best of Show is announced Sunday evening with much fanfare. You can tell when the announcement happens because you cannot avoid the fireworks. This year’s winner was the 1937 BMW 328 “Bügelfalte.” This car, which is in very original condition, has a fascinating history and is the best documented vintage race car I have ever seen — it even includes paperwork from its 1940 Mille Miglia technical inspection. It was a well-deserved win for a tremendous car with so much historical significance, being the only special roadster produced at the company’s Munich plant. This car was built in May 1937 for BMW’s development department under Rudolf Schleicher and was entered by BMW in a number of international events, including Le Mans and the Tourist Trophy.
In the fall of 1939, the car was redone by BMW’s racing department with a new open, streamlined body for the 1940 Mille Miglia. One of the Bügelfalte (trouser-crease) edging on the front wings was designed by BMW’s Wilhelm Kaiser. In addition, the brakes and gearbox were upgraded, and engine output increased to 130bhp, with the weight decreasing to 725 kilograms (approximately 1,598 pounds). At the 1940 Mille Miglia, the 328 Bügelfalte finished sixth overall.
So was my second trip to Villa d’Este as good as my first? Yes, it definitely was due to the quality of the cars on display, the fact that I knew my way around better, and I was able to spend much more time with the cars, their owners, and friends. Last year, I proclaimed the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este the best collector car event in the world, and I continue to feel this way.
