Famous for its diverse and significant collection of over 1,000 Italian cars from rare to exotic, this year’s show, the 33rd annual Concorso Italiano, exhibited many iconic Italian vehicles like a 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO, a 1951 Siata Gran Sport Spyder and the 1966 Bizzarrini P538, to name but a few.
The automotive event also celebrated the Ferrari this year, as one of the nameplate’s most iconic grand touring cars has just reached its golden anniversary. It was 50 years ago in 1968 that the Ferrari 365 GTB4 made its grand debut in Paris. The car was official designated as the Ferrari Daytona, which was a name given after the 1-2-3 victory at the 1967 Daytona 500 race. What makes the Daytona very special? It’s the replacement for the 275 GTB4. The GTB4 has become a highly sought after car in collector circles as a rare barn find. Now the Daytona’s 50th year is being honored as the last of the true ENZO Ferraris created before the Fiat influence arrived in 1969. The big Daytona is a car, and a legacy worth celebrating in grand style.
Concorso Italiano declared a 1951 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport, the last 6C cabriolet ever built, as this year’s winner of the Best in Show award. Presented by Mitja Borkert, Lamborghini Head of Design, Herb and Rose Wysard of Fullerton, California, the owners of the 1951 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport, received a custom sculpture as the award for Best in Show.
“Concorso Italiano continues to be a guiding force in the automotive collector and enthusiast world and we are proud to showcase more exotics and collectibles than any other event during Monterey Historics Week,” said Tom McDowell, Chairman of Concorso Italiano. “Attendees enjoyed a staggering amount of curated programming this year, from one-of-a-kind vehicles to automotive industry legends. We’d like to personally thank all of our partners, sponsors, participants and attendees for making this year’s show a great success.”
Concorso Italiano had gathered many rare Italian vehicles this year, which even reached an estimated total worth of $200 million. What made the event particularly great was the ambiance that provided the guests with entertainment such as musical performances and on-stage interviews with authorities in the auto industry like Franco Bacchelli of Bacchelli & Villa.
This automotive event embodies Italian culture by not only having a stellar line-up of Italian vehicles, but also incorporating traditional Italian music, gourmet and more.
