Concorso d"Eleganza 2012: Coppa Doro Winner - Alfa Romeo 6c

Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS 6th Series (1933) was the winner of the Jury Prize and the Public Best of Show Prize in this year's Concorso D'Eleganza 2012.

Note interesting annotation - Alfa Romeo Paris on badge

This magnificently restored car features a standard six cylinder inline engine with a displacement of 1752cc. This type was originally developed by Vittorio Jano and was presented in Rome in 1929. And presented to the 2012 Concorso by its current owner David Cohen from Canada.

This car is a particularly rare Alfa Romeo 1750 with a unique coupe body by Italian coachbuilder Figoni.

This car is fone from the sixth and last series of the Type 1750 and was presented at the Paris Motor Show in 1933. Later the car won several beauty contests and winning in its class at the 24 hour Le Mans in 1935.

The beautiful sweeping lines of the car is amazing. And the immaculate paintwork!

As is the wonderfully immaculate interior....note the interesting dashboard.

As winner of the Coppa Doro, the car also won a special prize from this Concorso's new partner - the fine watchmaking firm of A. Lange & Sohne, who presented the winner with a special edition of the Lange 1 Timezone. This watch has a special city indication on the timezone dial which indicates Como instead of the customary Berlin. And features a semi- hunter caseback with the coat of arms of the Concorso D'Eleganza engraved by hand at the engraving workshops in Glashutte.

Magnificent cars at the Concorso D'Eleganza della Villa D'Este 2012

A survey of the cars which caught my attention during the recent showing at Concorso D'Eleganza Villa D'Este in Cernobbio, Italy.

This is a premier event for vintage cars...showing the most elegant, the most beautiful examples on the planet. Held annually since 1929, and only stopped...like the Olympic Games during the war years in Europe, this Concorso is where the creme de la creme...the best of the best vintage cars are shown. I attended as a guest of A. Lange & Sohne, one of the new sponsors of the Concorso.

Here is a selection of my favourites. More on each car to follow...

The lead Rolls Royce...not entered in competition, but by special request from the Peterson Museum in Los Angeles. Magnificent car...comments ranging from Batmobile to Darth Vader's car abount...but this is a masterpiece. Magnificent, massive, imposing.

The rest of the cars...in the order they were presented to the judges and jury.

Rolls Royce Phantom 1 (1925)

Packard Twelve 15th Series (1937)

Delahaye 145 (1937)

Mercedes Benz 540k (1939)

Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS 6th Series (1933). This car won the Jury Prize, the Public Prize of Best of Show Prize...the prestigious Coppa d'Oro Villa d'Este. And special for this year, the additional prize from the newest sponsor to this event: the fine watchmaking house of A. Lange & Sohne who presented a special edition of the Lange 1 Timezone to the winner. This piece unique has the city of Como engraved on the timezone disk instead of the customary Berlin. And features a hunter caseback, with a hand engraved motif of the coat of arms of the Concorso.

Porsche 550/1500 RS (1954)

Mercedes Benz 300SL (1956)

Maserati A6G 2000 (1956)

Ferrari 250GT Europa (1955)

Lamborghini Miura SV/J (1972)

Jaguar D Type (1956)

Ford GT40 Mk3 (1968) and Porsche 914/K (1969)