Don’t let yourself be fooled by the images on Instagram: Como Car Week can be a quite draining affair. Whether you are dripping wet with torrential rain or toasted by a reckless summer sun while waiting for a shuttle stuck in endless traffic to take you to Villa d’Este in time for the parade while your editor pushes you for live content, the automotive world’s Shangri-La can quickly turn into a petrol-infused version of Kubrick’s Apocalypse Now. With roaring seaplanes taking the place of Army helicopters. But things change once you pass the gatekeepers at Villa Grumello – and enter another, calm and peaceful world. A garden Eden for car lovers, so to say.
Situated in the vast botanical jungle surrounding two classicist villas overlooking Lake Como, FuoriConcorso has secured itself the most beautiful location of all car events in the world. You could park an old Fiat Multipla on the lawn and it would still look exciting. But founder Guglielmo Miani and curator Andrea Luzardi have constantly raised the bar, remixed the formula and set new standards since they invented the format with a game-changing display of 1990s Bentleys five years ago. While over at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, the world’s blue-chip cars and their flamboyant owners compete for glory and trophy gold while mortals rarely get to enter the grand hotel’s secluded gardens, FuoriConcorso is taking a less competitive, more relaxed and contemporary approach to celebrating car culture. There are beautiful cars, yes, but there are no judges, there is no concours. Every visitor can decide for himself which car he likes most. And while the traffic creeps past on the lakeside road, you share a cup of excellent gelato with your friends standing in the shadow of ancient trees, overlooking the lake and discussing the finer aspects of automotive culture without ever considering that any one of all the amazing cars could actually be called a ‘Best of Show’.
This year, the team around Guglielmo Miani has paid tribute to British Racing heritage. And the event literally started with a bang: on the long alleyway leading up to the park surrounding Villa Grumello, the FuoriConcorso team lined up a grid of 15 iconic Formula 1 race cars from all eras and teams. There was a Lotus 24, a Cooper T81, a BRM P139 and a BRM P160, a Shadow DN13A, a Lotus 72, a Surtees T19, an Ensign N177, a Brabham BT45, an Arrows A1, a Copersucar F6A, two McLarens – a MP4/4 and a 4/14 – as well as a Jaguar R1 and a Williams FW23. How the small event team has managed to bring this all-star line-up of F1 legends to Lake Como is beyond us. Bravo!
Walking around the hidden paths of the park, one was able to discover other, equally exciting racing and rally machines made in the UK. Among Villa Grumello’s signature pine trees stood a modest, dark green Tojeiro Sport Tad while a Fina-sponsored McLaren F1 GTR sat just feet away. Strolling through the grounds towards Villa Sucota, one almost stumbled upon a Jaguar XK 120 that once raced the Panamericana, a beautiful Austin Healey 3000 MK3 Works racer and a Mini Cooper S that reminded us of the brand’s glorious rally heritage. And if you were more into more modern machines, a TVR Tuscan T400R and a Morgan Plus 8 GTR might have been your cup of petrol-infused tea.
Reflecting the highlights of British Racing History, one cannot get around the race and road cars built by Aston Martin. And thanks to the Golden Age Collection – that was also present over at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este with a stunning DB5 Shooting Brake – the FuoriConcorso line-up certainly did not let enthusiasts down. Starting with an Aston Martin Lagonda 2 Litre, the display continued with an Ulster, a 1.5 Litre, a race-battered DB2 and a beautifully functional DB3S. Next to it, car photographers surrounded the brand’s modern hypercars, including a One-77, a Vantage GT3, a V12 Speedster and the limited-edition Valour.
Meanwhile, FuoriConcorso has opened up the event for other brands that share their philosophy of celebrating the exceptional. This year, La Squadra and Zagato have chosen the event as a platform to launch their fascinating new AGTZ Twin-Tail sportscar along two classic Alpine A220 racers. Marc-Phillip Gemballa brought back the Marsien – this time as a production car painted in a shimmering light blue. Pagani stunned guests with a fleet of its latest, carbon-clad hypercar creations.
And, after FuoriConcorso ‘Sonderwunsch’ had presented the greatest creations from Porsche Exclusive two years ago, the brand’s wish factory claimed the beautiful Orangerie on top of the park with a display of green sports cars – including the all-new Porsche Macan Turbo and a jaw-dropping, heavily customized Porsche 911 Turbo S from the Larusmiani stables.
Classic Driver has supported the FuoriConcorso team as a media partner since the first edition of the event – and naturally, our front man J.P. Rathgen co-hosted a panel talks in the conversation program about car collecting, while our versatile team member Blazej Zulawski engaged with legendary photographer René Staud and contemporary artist Riocam in a talk about the art of car photography. Looking back at the last five years, we feel privileged and blessed to have played a small part in the evolution of the FuoriConcorso event – and we cannot wait to enter the paradise gardens above Lake Como again next May.
Photos: Fred Falco
