We are close to crossing the first hundred editions of the Concorso Eleganza Villa d’Este. 2022 marks the 93rd edition of the most prestigious event geared towards petrolheads and their cars, mixing past, present and future like no other organization has achieved. What’s on display alongside the shores of Como Lake every year is unique.
The event’s leading partner, BMW, hit the nail by introducing the all-new BMW M4 CSL, whose acronym marks the pinnacle of “Lightweight” M cars since the German carmaker launched its first-ever E46-based CSL. Remember that BMW celebrates the Motorsport‘s 50th anniversary in 2022; therefore, the brand was under the spotlight during the weekend.
Interestingly, European collectors were on fire, judging by the type of participants and winners, with those coming from Germany, Belgium, and Switzerland sitting atop the winning list in most categories, along with a few flying to Italy from overseas. To car geeks, the Concorso Eleganza Villa d’Este 2022 was equally impressive for “Bimmers” (the new BMW i7 took centre stage amidst the “Villa”) and for some of the most eagerly wanted sports cars including the Touring Superleggera Arese RH95 and a countless list of vintage cars, plus one-off prototypes from the late seventies.
We admired the legendary Ferrari Enzo based Maserati MC12 as we took our breath away in front of the jaw-dropping minimalistic Aston Martin Bulldog, whose license plate dates back to 1979. The gull-wing door design was a prominent theme, including the legendary Mercedes SL300.
The Concorso Eleganza Villa d’Este is a rare combination of new and old school philosophy, and it works despite offering the same formula repeatedly. On one side was a brand paving the way in fostering innovation and leading the carbon-neutral automotive industry while showcasing its legacy in car racing with several M1 cars and a 320 Group 5: BMW. Alongside BMW is the Haute Horlogerie partner A.Lange & Söhne. I can hardly think of any different watchmaker to award the “Best in Show” winner someday.
The 1815 Chronograph Como Edition‘s lucky winner was Andrew Pisker, owner of a stunning 1937 Bugatti 57S. He can now pride himself on owning a one-of-a-kind car and a one-off timepiece, housing a pink gold dial with contrasting brown registers and whose see-through case back on the brand’s flyback chronograph movement is covered by an engraved lid.
The Limited Edition model is a one-off take on the 39.5 mm large and 11.9 mm thick 1815 chronograph, one of the loveliest and sleekest A.Lange & Söhne watches; as far as I’m concerned, it is among the most attractive “Como Edition” Lange watches ever made. Thumbs up to the Concorso Eleganza Villa d’Este‘s organizational committee and A.Lange & Söhne‘s sartorialist approach to watchmaking.
(Photo credit: A.Lange & Söhne, BMW)
Redazione @Horbiter®
