The 20th edition of the most prestigious Concours d'Elégance for classic cars in Europe was once again split in two parts.

Saturday saw the actual Concours take place in the very private setting of the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, whereas on Sunday the cars were exhibited in the more spacious grounds of nearby Villa Erba, with additional displays being put on by Pininfarina, Rolls-Royce and BMW, sponsors for the event since 1999.

The Sunday celebrations were open to the public, although they were sadly undermined by torrential rain throughout the day. But come rain or come shine, the show must go on, and a phenomenal show it was too. The Concours d’Elégance is characterised by a selection of the world’s most significant automobiles of yesteryear, which never fails to amaze, year after year.

In that context, Maseratis often play an important role (the coveted Coppa d’Oro trophy went to a rare A6G 2000 coupé by Frua in 2003). This year a single model from the Modenese manufacturer was entered.

The model in question was another A6G 2000 with Zagato coachwork, just fresh from the completion of a painstaking restoration project. One of 19 Zagato coupes built on the A6G/54 chassis, this one has a very interesting history, and indeed a unique body. In fact, upon completion of the body work in 1956, the car was taken out for a test drive and badly crashed. This led to a new body being crafted on the same underpinnings some months later, but this time Zagato changed the form to give Maserati’s management an idea of what their proposal for the new 3500GT would look like.
 

With a distinct three-box profile, eyelids over the headlights, signature double-bubble roof and pronounced rear fins, the shape was indeed unique and attractive, but in the end though did not affect Maserati’s decision to hand the 3500GT commission to Touring.

The jury of the Concours elected the one-off Alfa Romeo Canguro by Bertone as the Best Car of the Show, whereas the public voted for a 1951 Vignale-bodied Ferrari 212 E Spider.

The next day, Villa Erba was the stage for a retrospective of Pininfarina’s creations to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Turinese coachbuilder and design concern. Thirty-five stunning models coming mostly from Pininfarina’s own museum were on display, many of them concept cars and one-offs which have rarely seen in public. The centrepiece was the MC12-based Maserati Birdcage 75th show car, introduced in March at the Geneva Motor Show, and presented at Villa Erba alongside the current Quattroporte. Further highlighting the connection between Maserati and Pininfarina was a rare A6G 2000 coupé built in 1951 and recently restored to perfection.

Undeterred by the poor weather, there were significant crowds. All those who were present would certainly agree that Villa d’Este confirmed itself as an event not to be missed for classic car enthusiasts.