With a new owner, venue and classic Italian style, Concorso Italiano at Monterey earlier this month proved to be a huge hit with the highest attendance in six years. Crowds and enthusiasts celebrated all things Italian with a variety of notable Italian cars, legendary icons and array of beautiful people, offering something for everyone.

The picturesque setting at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch gave attendees a breath of fresh air and received rave reviews for its open space and beautiful views of the Monterey Peninsula.

In attendance as guest of honour was the distinguished and legendary Lamborghini test driver, Valentino Balboni. There to greet Balboni was auto aficionado and icon Jay Leno, who collected the prestigious La Bella Macchina award for his contributions and dedication to the automotive hobby.

Placed into subgroups of Ferrari, DeTomaso, Alfa Romeo, Fiat/Lancia, Maserati and Lamborghini, the Concorso field included an abundance of both quality and quantity. History was made at the event, as a historic fifteen Ferrari 288 GTOs were exhibited to mark the model's 25th anniversary, setting a world record for attendance of the model at a single event.

Concorso Italiano’s centrepiece displays featured historic and iconic automobiles which enthusiasts could appreciate. What they call the “budget supercar,” the 1971 DeTomaso Pantera, formerly owned by Elvis Presley, was on display paying tribute to DeTomaso Automobili and the Pantera. Additionally, the ‘crown jewel’ of the manufacturer's fleet, the exclusive and stunning Alfa 8C Competizione brought real Alfa Romeo design, engineering and power to the Italian celebration. Another exceptional display highlighted all three of the Alfa Romeo BAT concepts from the 1950s. The BAT collection, brought by the famous Blackhawk collection featured the 1953 Alfa Romeo BAT 5, the 1954 Alfa Romeo BAT 7, and the 1955 Alfa Romeo BAT 9 and infamous BAT 11.

“We are very pleased with the positive reaction and truly felt we captured the return of the Italian soul that we were striving to achieve,” says Concorso owner Tom McDowell. “The event’s outcome and attendees’ enthusiasm was better than we had anticipated and we are thrilled to return to our ‘green’ roots at Laguna Seca next year.” Concorso Italiano will return to Laguna Seca Golf Ranch on August 13, 2010.

Concorso Italiano is a must-attend convergence of sophistication, taste and fun that embraces cultural elements of Italian style, including music, cuisine, fashion, and travel. The event is centred on as many as 1,000 collectible Italian automobiles, motorcycles, and boats. Keith Martin of Sports Car Market and Alan Richmond are Masters of Ceremonies and the event has support from the Ferrari Club of America, the Pantera Club, the Iso and Bizzarrini Owners Club, FIAT America, Ferrari Owners Club, as well as the Lamborghini Club America.