A total of 35 classic motorcycles have registered for this year’s competition and the Concorso – now staged in even more spectacular style. On the Saturday of the event, the convoy of historic machines will be accompanied by a local police escort on its way from the Villa Flori hotel in Como to Cernobbio. This year, for the first time, the bikes will pause briefly at the showplace for the Historic Car Parade at Villa d’Este before heading on to the adjacent parkland of Villa Erba. There, the motorcycles will line up in front of the jury, who on Sunday will crown the winning entrants in five classes.
As before, an entry list of vehicles showcasing both their eye-catching beauty and the development of engineering and design in all its historically significant glory defines the unique appeal of the Classic Weekend on Lake Como this year. The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este once again provides a bridge between the past and future of vehicle aesthetics, with visionary designs from various eras competing for the Concorso d’Eleganza Design Award for concept studies and prototypes. Outside of competition, the BMW Group will again reveal a pair of concept studies created by its automotive and motorcycle design experts.
A number of additional special exhibitions will give visitors the opportunity to deepen their knowledge in areas such as the history of individualisation in motorcycle design. The “Customized Bikes” exhibition, for example, displays spectacular one-off creations based on boxer-engined BMW motorcycles. The MINI brand, meanwhile, turns its attentions to another anniversary: 50 years ago, the classic Mini won the legendary Monte Carlo Rally for the first time. And exactly 55 years have now passed since the presentation of the BMW 700, which went on to become the brand’s highest-selling model to date, paving the way for the company’s successful development over the years that followed. And at the gala evening at Villa Visconti, a BMW 700 from the BMW Group Classic collection will be auctioned – in cooperation with RM Auctions – with proceeds donated to a good cause.
(18.03.2014)