Concours d’Elegance are marvelously silly things. Lining up a bunch of expensive cars and bikes seems at times an exercise in pride (of ownership) and envy (of same), with a dressing of greed (the value bump from a win); deadly sins all. Owners sweat while judges – and who anointed them? – pronounce ‘winners’ and ‘best of show’ over a display of obsolete industrial design. I was one of those judges at the Concorso di Villa d’Este; so why did I readily accept the inviation? It was equally silly for me to fly to Italy from San Francisco for a long weekend, especially as I was scheduled to fly right back to Europe 10 days later, to show my MotoTintype photography at Wheels+Waves in France. So again, why do it?






“where’s your electric motorcycle?”
Saturday morning was open to the public at Villa Erba (for the first time – and quite a crowd had queued up), while judges scanned the bikes, a less formal process than at other shows. It’s expected all the bikes run, and they do, so there’s no moment of tension for owners as 5 guys in blue blazers (the bikies don’t wear them, but the car guys do) stand around and watch you work up a sweat. The focus of this Concorso is ‘eleganza’ and ‘best of theme’ with no points system; less subjective than it sounds, and our discussion in the judge’s chamber mid-afternoon was enlightening. In a first for me, it was suggested one bike was ‘too shiny’ to be a winner, and that a gorgeous Brough SS100 shouldn’t win because it isn’t American, in the ‘Great Gatsby’ class (I’ve been overruled at a show when the chief judge simply assumed a Brough should win for Brough-ness itself, and so it did).

The Concorso at Villa d’Este; no bad angles, no bad viewpoints…
[Paul d’Orleans]



The Riva water-taxi service between the two Villas… [Paul d’Orleans]








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Great Writeup, Paul
The air is too thin to breathe at this altitude. Thank you for taking me where my wallet never could.
Finally ! I’ve been waiting and hoping for this . BTW the snaps are fine regardless . On Pebble beach vs Villa d’Este though ? Hmmn . Lets see . Italy with all its history , food , wine , cars , bikes/bicycles and women . Versus Pebble Beach with its pretentious N.California attitudes trying to act old world . Hmmm . Methinks thats a no brainer . Spend the extra dollars .. deal with the genuine old world snobs [ which IMO are an easier lot to comprehend ] and go to Villa d’Este ! Ecco ! Va bene !
Droooooooool!!!!! Fantastic experience. I’ve never been more jealous in my entire life.