Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2004
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The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2004 takes
place against the backdrop of a number of important anniversaries.
The most traditional Concours d’Elegance in the world celebrates its
own 75th incarnation this year, while its year of birth, 1929, also
marked the start of BMW automobile production. It was 85 years ago
that Carrozzeria Zagato was founded and, finally, a century has
passed since Charles Rolls and Henry Royce joined forces to build
the best cars in the world.
Within the scope of the
Concorso d’Eleganza there will be many superlative automobiles to
marvel at, bearing witness as they do to the remarkable history of
the companies that are marking their anniversaries – names that have
left their stamp on the motoring world in a variety of ways. It
seems apposite that the following statement by French writer André
Malraux seems to apply to the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, BMW,
Zagato and Rolls-Royce alike: “If you want to design the future, you
must leaf through the past.” |
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The organizers of the
Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este never lose sight of the worthy
tradition in which the event is rooted, and together with the BMW Group,
they work unceasingly to develop it further. The introduction of the
Design Award means that contemporary concept cars now complement the
range of vehicles on display and take the Concorso back to its origins.
The inclusion of design discussions is further evidence of the
creativity and high standards of this event even in its 75th year. On
behalf of the BMW Group, I wish the Organizing Committee a propitious
hand as they continue to shape the future of the Concorso. I am
delighted that, as patrons of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, we
can go down this route together.
Stefan Krause
Member of the Board of the Management BMW AG,
Finance
From left to right:
BMW 2002, BMW E30 M3,
BMW 507 and BMW Z1
World's Oldest Concours Event
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Seventy-five years - the
space of three generations. This is one of the reasons why Villa
d’Este is the world oldest elegance pageant for automobiles. It is
not by chance that this event takes place in such an evocative
setting and that it is also one that BMW is proud to sponsor. The
location itself is just brimming with history, adding an aura to an
already heady atmosphere. We need only to recall that the Villa was
built in the sixteenth century for Cardinal Tomomeo Gallio and that,
after a series of vicissitudes, it was inherited by the Marquis
Bartolomeo Calderara.
Among the owners of Villa d’Este were Caroline
of Brunswick, wife of the Prince of Wales who was to become King
George IV of England; and among those who leased it for a period of
time there was even the Empress of Russia, the widow of Czar
Nicholas I. With such a glorious past and a full share of posh names
(a rundown of the list of the hotel’s guests will leave you duly
impressed), Villa d’Este has always been the ideal setting for the
Concorso d’Eleganza, an event that was typical of the epoch in which
“a car in every garage” was still only a dream and that often
brought fashion and engines together. |
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A date not-to-be-missed for
all those who love beautiful cars, there is yet an additional reason
making this year’s Villa d’Este event a “must”: indeed, it will offer an
opportunity to view - in a separate section - a show of many of the cars
that won in previous editions. The magic of the past blends wonderfully
with the technology of today. There is a kind of bridge linking two
splendid automobiles like the BMW 507 and the
645Ci Convertible - a link
made up of unrepeatable style, great technology, and unique appeal.
The joy of admiring
beautiful cars of yesterday and today, along with the prototypes that
are the foreshadowing of what we will be driving tomorrow, is linked to
our admiration for the men who created them, interpreting the desires
and the trends of their epochs.
The seventy-five years of
the Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este are a source of price for BMW as
it remembers also the 75-year history of the design of its models,
starting with the past and moving forward to the very latest. And what
can we say about the one hundred years of Rolls-Royce? One section of
the event is devoted to the high points in design marking the history of
this company - true milestones in the automobile history. Unfortunately,
the 2004 edition of the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza also bears a
sad note. The death of the President of the Jury, Carlo Felice Bianchi
Anderloni, the unforgettable soul of the Carrozzeria Touring, leaves a
void that will be difficult to fill. A special show of his most famous
creations and an award in his memory represent a suitable way to
commemorate a figure who had become a point of reference for the
pageant.
And with respect to great
Italian body designers and builders, it is appropriate also to remember
the 85 years of the Carrozzeria Zagato, which brought to life so many
unmistakable “double bubble” cars, whose two humps marked an entire
epoch - a phase of Italian styling.
In a world like that of
today, where living frenetically is the norm, we should hold on to our
awareness that there is still room for beautiful things that will never
go out of style. A predilection for distinction, without excess or
tastelessness, and for discrete class mirrors significant concepts that
deserve proper emphasis. Accustomed as we are to the culture of
applause, of fleeting moments of glory, at times we forget the joy of
contemplating calmly and in silence the values that do remain - those to
which time is kinder. And it is wonderful to contemplate that behind
every work of art, whether it be Villa d’Este itself or one of the many
stupendous automobiles the estate will be hosting, there are the
commitment and the passions of men who have put all their genius to work
in bringing to life those residences and those automobiles. It is a
splendid location for splendid creations on wheels. It is a unique and
unrepeatable opportunity to admire them together - with the respect for
all things beautiful that they so well deserve.
Dott. Marco Saltalamacchia
Presidente e Amministratore Delegato BMW Italia |
