A 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 S Berlinetta Touring has been crowned ‘Best of Show’ at the inaugural Concorso d'Eleganza Varignana 1705 event at the Palazzo di Varignana in Bologna, Italy. Taking inspiration from the Concours events in Britain, the event was a celebration of automotive artistry and elegance and featured a carefully curated selection of classic cars built before 1973.

The crowning moment for the winning 1939 Alfa occurred on Saturday evening during an exclusive dinner in the majestic halls of Palazzo Bentivoglio, as owner and renowned collector Corrado Lopresto picked up his 300th event win in total. Beating 23 other cars, the judges praised the Alfa for its design, rich history and meticulous restoration with the car in pristine condition and containing its original registration document and license plate.

The Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 S Berlinetta Touring Best of Show claimed the top spot in another category by winning the ‘Pre-war Elegance’ class. Sharing in the glory, a rare 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 SS triumphed in the ‘Heroic Races’ class and is believed to be one of the last four Alfa Romeos crafted by English coachbuilder James Young.

A 1950 FIAT 1100 E Vistotal by Silvia Nicolis, brought to the event from the Nicolis Museum in Verona was victorious in the ‘Italian Fine Gems’ class.

The ‘Great Class Sports Car’ trophy was claimed by Andrea Baroni's 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso, surpassing rivals with its allure and elegance. During its history, it has proven popular with petrolheads and counts Steve McQueen and Eric Clapton as examples of previous owners.

Victorious in the category of ‘Grit & Style’, the 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider owned by Gianmarco Rossi stood out, distinguished by a rare Pininfarina hard top and Resinflex interior. It’s one of only 59 examples of the model built for right-hand-drive markets and even fewer were given its removable hardtop roof.

Triumphant in the ‘German Icons’ category was Lorenzo Matteucci's 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL which was impeccably preserved and easily distinguishable due to its unique "inca orange" paint. Also representing Germany and picking up a victory was Alessandro Maccaferri's 1993 Porsche 964 Speedster which took home the ‘Spirit of Varignana’ award, a special prize that recognised the Porsche for embodying and reflecting the Italian lifestyle. Despite the event being limited to cars from before the mid 1970s, the Speedster was allowed to sneak in without opposition.

Next year’s Concorso d'Eleganza Varignana is set to take place between September 27-29 2024.

Words: Mike Booth
Pictures: Concorso d'Eleganza Varignana 1705