The big car festival: Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2023 and the premiere of the new BMW 5 Series

A beautiful place and equally beautiful cars… The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is a prestigious international event featuring some of the world’s finest classic cars. This event has been held since 1929 in the same unique location – the luxurious Villa d’Este hotel on the shores of Lake Como in Italy. This event attracts car enthusiasts from all over the world. This year, at the invitation of the BMW Group – the brand that is the patron of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, Vivy’s editorial office appeared among the guests!

During the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, we had the opportunity to see the real gems of the automotive industry, including some of the most sought-after classic and vintage cars. Cars are judged by a jury. The first day of the event takes place in the wonderful Villa d’Este and is reserved for a small group of car enthusiasts, including car owners, of course, participating in the competition. A famous parade takes place on this day. On the second day, during the presentation of the cars at Villa Erba, the cars can be enjoyed by everyone who buys tickets early enough. This event is very popular and tickets are hard to come by.

History of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este

The “Coppa d’Oro Villa d’Este” competition was held for the first time on September 1, 1929, on the initiative of the Automobile Club of Como, the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este and the Comitato di Cura di Como. The popularity and beauty of the locations chosen for the event quickly made the competition a cult favorite in the motoring world. This event evolved and over the years became known as the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. For the last time in its original form with the first new cars after the war, the event took place in 1949, the event was forgotten for almost 40 years.

It is the Italian historian and writer Tito Anselmi who revived the Consorso and teamed up with Villa d’Este to re-establish the Concorso d’Eleganza. The first attempt at revival was made in 1986. The next Concorso was held in 1995. The next two were held in 1996 and 1997. But the event was still waiting for its true return. In the late 1990s, the Concorso attracted the attention of the BMW Group, which took on a unique role as patron of the Concorso d’Eleganza.

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Premiere of the new BMW 5 Series

This year, during the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, held from 19 to 21 May, we could see the premiere of the new BMW 5 Series.

The cars will enter the market in October 2023. This is the eighth generation of the classic model with many digital innovations and for the first time in a fully electric version! Worldwide, the new BMW 5 Series will be offered with the previously mentioned electric drive and, depending on the region, also with plug-in hybrid drives, including gasoline engines and mild hybrid technology.

And what happened when Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2023? Check out the photos in our gallery!