Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d’Este 2025: A Celebration of Provenance, Presence, and Pure Elegance
Jamie Ong
The Cannes Film Festival of the Car World
There are automotive events, and then there is the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este- an affair that transcends exhibitions and auctions to become something far more intimate and essential to the collector’s psyche. Held on the serene shores and storied banks of Lake Como, this annual gathering is less a car show of handpicked collection of the rarest and most breathtaking automobiles across eras and continents. It’s more a curated celebration of provenance, design, and timeless automotive beauty.
This year, we were there of course, on the ground - observing, connecting, and curating insights that matter to serious collectors. And what we witnessed was nothing short of remarkable. This is where history rolls on four wheels.
Where Elegance Meets Legacy: Two Villas, One Story
The weekend unfolded across two grand estates: Villa d’Este and Villa Erba. While the initial evaluations and elegance judging take place at Villa d’Este, Sunday’s spectacle at Villa Erba is when the event truly comes alive - an extraordinary spectacle of icons moving through the cobbled lanes of Cernobbio.
On that final day, we witnessed the procession - an extraordinary moment where machines worth tens of millions glide through the narrow corridors of Cernobbio, a town carved into the contours of Lake Como itself. Among the highlights: a Ferrari 250 GT California Spider threading through streets barely wider than the car itself - a reminder that beauty, when well engineered, makes its own space, flanked by master photographers and impassioned media scrambling for the perfect frame. This wasn’t just movement - it’s theatre.
The Parade of Icons and the People's Choice
Once at Villa Erba, the machines were presented by category elegantly linked up - pre-war, post-war, grand tourers, concept cars, style icons, and more - each judged according to its class, history, and condition. View all of the 2025 Class Winners and Entrants here.
While a distinguished jury of judges had their rubric and deliberated on class winners for the official awards, the Coppa d’Oro - the “Golden Cup” and public’s choice award by popular vote - always reveals which car stirred the soul. This year, the honor went to the BMW 507.
The Coppa d’Oro and the BMW 507: A Victory for True Provenance
It wasn’t a surprise. One of the most iconic BMWs ever made, it carries serious cultural weight, not least because Elvis Presley himself owned one. Recently, his personal 507 was recovered and restored by the BMW Museum - an event that reignited collector attention around this model. With fewer than 260 units ever made, it remains a deeply coveted piece of German automotive heritage.
The 507 roadster stands as a blue-chip asset in post-war collecting. Its win here confirms a broader market sentiment: that emotionally resonant, technically elegant models from the 1950s and '60s continue to hold - and grow - their value.
Voices of the Concorso: Simon Kidston and the Cars That Spoke
Guiding the day’s narrative was Simon Kidston, a legendary name among Europe’s elite collector circles. His commentary - delivered effortlessly in both English and Italian - added texture and gravitas to each unveiling. For many, hearing Kidston speak is akin to watching a seasoned auctioneer introduce a lost Caravaggio.
And the cars? They did more than shimmer - they spoke. One of our personal highlights was seeing a Ferrari Dino finished in Verde Pino, a car we were instrumental in brokering for a client in Singapore. To see its twin displayed among such rarified company affirmed what we already knew: these cars are not only blue-chip investments but enduring artistic statements.
Similarly, we spotted a Ferrari 275 GTB, a model we recently transacted in the even rarer GTB/4 configuration. Few cars carry the same balance of visual poetry and mechanical perfection. In today’s market, properly restored 1960s Ferraris are not just holding value - they are setting benchmarks.
Bugatti EB110 - A Dream Realized
For me personally, the car that continues to hold my imagination is the Bugatti EB110 - the very car that embodied hypercar ambition in the ’90s. As a young enthusiast, this was the poster. Today, it remains underappreciated in broader collector circles, but those in the know understand its significance: the rebirth of Bugatti, the all-wheel-drive revolution, and that quad-turbocharged V12.
- Colin Chow, Founder of Auto Icons
Among insider discussions, the Bugatti EB110 sparked more than its fair share of attention. Once misunderstood, the EB110 is now being reassessed by collectors who appreciate its role in shaping the modern hypercar. With all-wheel drive, quad turbos, and a carbon chassis, it was decades ahead of its time - and now, finally, getting its due in the investment spotlight.
Technical Triumph: The McLaren F1 GTR, Reborn
My own pick of the weekend, however, goes to the orange McLaren F1 GTR - not just any GTR, but the specific chassis that Mercedes-Benz acquired to develop the CLK GTR. This prototype served as the bridge between McLaren and Mercedes dominance in the GT1 era. Painstakingly restored to its original delivery spec, it is a unicorn with unrivaled pedigree - a factory-developed blueprint of motorsport engineering.
- Jamie Ong, Auto Icons team
Design Bravery on Display: The OSI Silver Fox
Of course, no Villa d’Este would be complete without a touch of the surreal. Enter the OSI Silver Fox - a wedge-shaped, twin-boom concept from 1967 that looked more submarine than supercar. Words barely do it justice. Part boat, part aircraft, and fully outrageous, it’s the kind of car that could only have emerged from Italy’s 1960s coachbuilding fever dreams. Speaking with the team that restored it was a reminder that the Concorso is not just about beauty - it’s about bravery, eccentricity, and vision.
It may never command Ferrari-level valuations, but its presence was a testament to Italy’s fearless design era, when anything was possible - and often built.
A Reverence for Craftsmanship, A Reflection of Legacy
In a world increasingly dominated by algorithmic auctions and digital bidding, Villa d’Este offers something rare: tactile connection, lived heritage, and informed curation. It’s where stories unfold in person, and where reputations - of both cars and collectors - are made.
It isn’t for the casual observer. It’s for those who understand that the right car is not merely acquired - it is curated. It’s about alignment: of history, design, rarity, and relevance. For us, these aren’t just showpieces. They are market signals, cultural markers, and barometers of true value.
While the next generation of collectors begins to turn its attention toward the 1980s and 1990, our approach remains measured and rooted in perspective. At Auto Icons, we maintain trusted relationships with marque specialists, restoration experts, and private custodians across eras, ensuring access to a quality pool of cars that speak not just to nostalgia, but to provenance and potential.
In a market governed by supply and demand, our focus isn’t on what’s trending - it’s on what endures. By staying true to our exposure and insights, we identify vehicles with genuine value, cars that may be overlooked today, but will be revered tomorrow. And when the right car meets the right collector, we consider it more than a transaction - it’s a handover of stewardship.
Most importantly, it is to guide our collectors toward acquisitions that don’t just turn heads - but source and build legacies with provenance. If you’re looking to add rare, appreciating icons to your portfolio, we invite you to reach out to us via Whatsapp, email, or submit your information on the contact form.