Events Coverage
Concours Week: 2005 Concorso Italiano
By words: Bryan Joslin, photos: Greg Stewart and Bates Marshall
Dec 19, 2005, 07:38

Editor's Note: Welcome to Concours Week. A pleasant reminder of warmer days as we wind down into the holiday season, Fourtitude has clustered coverage of five Concours events ranging from the hallmark events of the Monterey Weekend that include the Concorso Italiano, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and The Quail, to the East Coast's new startup New York City Concours d'Elegance and the club-sanctioned Deutsche Marque Concours held in the Washington, DC area. We hope you enjoy this brief respit from snowy December weather and bask in the light of some truly remarkable automobiles.

Those of us who grew up in the Eighties will probably always place Italian cars on a pedestal. Sure, the Daytona Spyder on Miami Vice may have been a kit car, and the Lamborghinis on the posters of my bedroom walls would look extremely tacky by today’s standards. It didn’t matter that none of us could actually pronounce Countach, we all knew that Italian cars were special. They defined the term “exotic.”



The Eighties are well behind us now, but Italian cars remain exalted among car enthusiasts. And there is no better display of this passion than Concorso Italiano, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. The annual gathering, billed as “a celebration of Italian style,” is but one of the major events that make up the Monterey Historic Automobile Weekend, which also includes the Monterey Historic Races and Pebble Beach Concours.

The fairways and greens of Seaside, California’s, Black Horse Golf Course are the stage for the one-day concours. The featured marque for 2005 was one with a rich history- Alfa Romeo. Historically, Alfas have been among the most prolific cars in attendance at Concorso, and this year was certainly no exception.



Ferrari and Lamborghini are always popular with attendees, but the field of participants also includes Maseratis, Lancias, and Fiats of all vintages. Even more rare are the De Tomasos and Isos. Italy is also home to many specialty coachbuilders, including Giugiaro, Bertone, Ghia and Abarth, all of who were represented this year.

The beauty of Concorso Italiano is that encompasses more than just automobiles. While the cars may be the stars, they are backed up by an impressive supporting cast that includes Ducati, Aprilia and Moto Guzzi motorcycles, Vespa motor scooters, and Riva boats. There is even a fashion show, highlighting the latest designs from the hottest names from Italy.



In true Italian form, the atmosphere at Concorso is relaxed and casual. Trophies are awarded, but you won’t find judges wiping the undersides of fenders with white gloves. Instead, the organizers place value on display and appreciation of the vehicles instead of outright competition. This year’s Best of Show was awarded to a1954 Maserati A6G Zagato Spyder.



Concorso Italiano is one of the few events that should be on every true car enthusiast’s life list. Rarely can one experience such rare and exotic machinery in an atmosphere more friendly. The 21st annual Concorso Italiano will take place on August 18, 2006.



Focusing on the Audi Brand Group, the event gallery button below leads to a gallery primarily focused on Audi sister brand Lamborghini. A full event gallery can be found at our sister website www.TheCarLounge.net

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