The Euro Set's Favorite Concours; Quality trumps quantity at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este.(Revs)

Byline: MATT DAVIS

Idyllic weather at a major concours shows off any classic car-and its old-time toxic flat paint-in the proper light. The 49 polished vintage rides vying for awards at this year's Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este never looked better. Entrants ranged from the 1914 Lancia Theta with torpedo coachwork by WNF Childs & Hammersmith to a 1974 BMW 3.0 CSL coupe in full weekend racer body by Karmann.

This 21st edition of the concorso on Italy's Lake Como also marked the 77th anniversary of BMW roadsters, a history that started with the Dixi 3/15 HP in 1929. An impeccably maintained Dixi was duly driven along the portico of the Grand Hotel Villa d'Este by retiring BMW communications chief Richard Gaul with company design overseer Chris Bangle in the passenger seat.

Real standouts at this year's lakeside parade included the light blue 1928 Rolls-Royce 17EX Phantom I with open sport body by Jarvis; a red 1931 Mercedes-Benz 770 K Grosser by Castagna; a black and white 1939 Bugatti 57 Gangloff-bodied Aravis cabriolet; a dark blue 1952 Maserati A6G 2000 spyder by Frua; a red 1956 Maserati Zagato A6G coupe; a factory green and yellow 1956 Aston Martin DB3 S; a red 1965 Serenissima Jet Competizione by Grandsport; and the only road-worthy 1972 Maserati Boomerang by Ital Design.

Saga-like stories abounded. Take the 1928 Rolls 17EX and its five years of meticulous planning and restoration seen through by Spyker boss Victor Muller. Or the 1956 Maserati A6G coupe uncovered from behind a brick wall in a Sicilian garage. A 1930 Isotta-Fraschini Castagna-bodied 8 A SS had just dried its fresh white paint on the day prior to the concours.

In addition to showing his Pininfarina-bodied custom Ferrari 612 ...