Beyond the ordinary
ON THE SHORES OF LAKE COMO IN ITALY, 52 CLASSICCAR MASTERPIECES FROM AS FAR AS ARGENTINA AND THAILAND ASSEMBLE FOR A THREE-DAY BEAUTY PAGEANT (THAT ISN’T LIMITED TO THE CARS)
UNDER the meticulous guidance of Lorenzo Ramaciotti, chief designer at Pininfarina for 33 years and the lead jury member at the Bmw-backed Concorso d’eleganza Villa d‘este, the jury pores over the details of the 1930 Duesenberg J Convertible Berline’s 6,9-litre inline-eight engine. The cream-coloured luxury drop-top was brought to these shores by Romanian owner and all-round affable gent, Ion Tiriac (the erstwhile tennis pro and Boris Becker’s former manager).
Ion smiles nervously as he slides in behind the steering wheel and fires up the 198 kw engine, revs it for the jury and leaves it to idle. This is a big deal; if the Berline can convince the 12 members that it deserves the award for Best of Show, the hard work and money Ion lavished onto his pride and joy has not been in vain. Not to mention what such an honour would do for the car’s value.
Later, the Berline would win the trophy for best car in its class, but not the main prize. Best of Show goes to a 1957 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SS Prototipo, the overhang-heavy but gorgeous result of a collaboration between Alfa and Bertone. Brought here by Giovanna Scaglione, daughter of Bertone’s chief stylist at the time, Franco, the Giulietta’s part in the origin of the production Sprint Speciale ultimately wowed the jury.
On the other side of the grounds at Villa d’este, facing the lake with Riva boats flitting the tanned guests (everyone here looks like they’ve just returned from a holiday in Saint Barthélemy) between d’este and Villa Erba, which hosts the motorcycle event, a tiny blue racer draws the crowds. I overhear a man in salmon-coloured pants clutching a glass of French champagne (at 10h00 in the morning, but it’s Como, so who cares!) trying to pronounce Lurani Nibbio, but without much success.
Later, I have a chat to the Nibbio’s owner, Federico Göttsche Bebert; despite their great wealth and my apparent lack of pedigree displayed by having donned dark colours, not lurid pastels, every owner is all too happy to share the history of their prized possessions.
According to Federico, the Nibbio was crafted by the eighth count of Calvenzano and Federico’s grandfather, Giovanni Lurani Cernuschi, a man with a prodigious appetite for life (and cars). In 1935, the count and the Nibbio set four world records – including being the first automobile with a capacity of 0,5 litres to crest 100 mph – and four years later, after coachbuilder Carrozzeria Riva optimised the body, it nabbed another eight records. And then six more in 1947 after the engine was swapped for the current 250 cm3 supercharged single-cylinder Moto Guzzi powertrain. The attendees at Concourso love the Nibbio so much that it would later be awarded the audience prize for event favourite.
These are just three of the embarrassment of riches that were on display at Concourso d’eleganza Villa d’este. There was also a pea-green (or Verde Germoglio) 1976 Ferrari 365 GT/4 Berlinetta Boxer; a ’52 Osca MT4 that looked like it could fit on the rear seat of the Duesenberg; a ’55 Mercedes-benz 300 SL with the most painstakingly detailed restoration I’ve seen; the initial favourite to net the overall prize, a ’57 Ferrari 250 GT Spyder California Prototipo; and my personal favourite, a ’38 Mercedes-benz 540 K Cabriolet A. To hear the scream of the Roots supercharger and inline-eight echo across the lawns of Villa d’este as the jury scrutinised the engine bay left a lasting impression…
EVERY OWNER IS ALL TOO HAPPY TO SHARE THE HISTORY OF THEIR PRIZED POSSESSIONS