Heritage

Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2026, everything you need to know

The event scheduled from 15 to 17 May on the shores of Lake Como is the traditional spring parade for the rarest historic cars, futuristic car and motorbike concepts, and auctions of collectors' cars. To which is added, this year, the public debut of the new Bmw Alpina

by Corrado Canali

4 May 2026

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Alpina will have a specific role within the Bmw group
Car parades and prizes awarded by the jury and the public
The evolution of Bmw's iconic models with new architecture
Motorrad motorbike division exhibits a concept for the future
Three BMW anniversaries to celebrate: M3, 6 Series and 02 Series
The 120-car event for international clubs and communities
Not just a nostalgic appointment, but the showcase of the BMW group

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The Concorso d'Eleganza of Villa d'Este returns, as it has every year since its centenary in 1929, to the shores of Lake Como on a long weekend in mid-May that has become an unmissable appointment for the many enthusiasts and collectors from all over the world. For Bmw Group Classic, which organises the event together with the Hotel Villa d'Este, it is a unique opportunity to highlight the historic heritage of the Munich brand. The programme of the event is even richer, with not only the unveiling of some of the rarest historic cars in circulation, but also prizes awarded by the jury and the public. Among the many protagonists of the 2026 event is the new Alpina brand, which became part of the BMW group at the beginning of this year.

Alpina will have a specific role within the Bmw group

Alpina has been an integral part of the BMW family as a high-performance luxury car brand since January 2026. It will present itself to the public at Villa d'Este with a renewed logo, Bmw Alpina, focusing on exclusivity, limited production, craftsmanship and sporty performance. Its role will be to conquer a dedicated space in an increasingly competitive premium market, inserting itself in the highest bracket between the BMW and Rolls-Royce models with an exclusive offer in terms of power and performance similar to those of the M division, but also in terms of recognisability, greatly increasing the amount of customisation available, so much so that the new Alpina will change its aesthetic appearance as well as its mechanics in the future.

Car parades and prizes awarded by the jury and the public

Around 50 cars will be competing, selected from models representing very different eras, stylistic schools and construction philosophies. The most important prize remains the Bmw Group Trophy - Best of Show awarded by the jury to the best car of the 2026 edition. Then there will be the class victories, the Gold Cup awarded by the public and the President's Trophy.

The classes envisaged represent a century of automotive culture, from the 1920s and 1930s, from custom-built bodies to gran turismo, cabriolets, endurance and supercars. A choice to reconfirm the vocation of the Concorso, on the shores of Lake Como, not only as an exhibition of rarities, but also as a celebration of the car as an industrial, cultural and economic object.

The evolution of Bmw's iconic models with the new architecture

For BMW, Villa d'Este has long been a key event that brings past and future together. This was also emphasised by the president and CEO of the Italian subsidiary, Massimiliano Di Silvestre, at the presentation of the 2026 event, reiterating that the role of the Concorso is to offer historical memory, design and a vision of mobility. A message that is consistent with the current phase that sees the Bavarian brand committed to promoting its evolution among iconic models, new technological architectures on the way and the brand's traditional premium positioning. So much so that one of the most important events at the Concorso d'Eleganza 2026 will be the first public debut of the revamped Alpina brand, now part of the BMW group.

Motorrad motorbike division exhibits a future-oriented concept

The future is increasingly protagonist at the Concorso di Eleganza 2026 with appearances through concept cars. Motorrad, the two-wheeler division of BMW will in fact present a new concept, designed to anticipate design and performance solutions in the world of motorbikes. While almost all international car and motorbike shows have lost much of their centrality, much more selective events such as the Villa d'Este now become privileged spaces to offer an international audience how luxury brands such as Bmw's will evolve in the future. The 2026 edition of the Concorso is also an opportunity to celebrate three of the most important anniversaries for the brand: 40 years of the M3, 50 years of the 6 Series and 60 years of the 02 Series.

Three BMW anniversaries to celebrate: M3, 6 Series and 02 Series

The M3 will be the subject of an exhibition, Touring Car Legends, organised in the park of Villa Erba, where the Bmw M3 E30 competition cars competing in touring car races will be on display together with their rivals of the time, with the participation of drivers from the past such as Johnny Cecotto, Emanuele Pirro and Roberto Ravaglia. The link between road product and motorsport remains one of the Bavarian brand's strongest values, especially for the M division. Villa Erba will also play a central role in the public opening. On Sunday 17 May, in fact, the Public Day Festival will allow all the enthusiasts present to attend the traditional parade of the Concorso's star cars with a programme designed for families and visitors, including non-specialists.

The 120-car event for international clubs and communities

Saturday 16 May will see the return of Amici & Automobili - Wheels & Weisswürscht, a format conceived in Munich and incorporated into the event on Lake Como, with some 120 cars from international clubs and communities. The area overlooking the lake will also host the Bmw M3 Meadow, dedicated to all generations of the Bavarian sports car. The Concorso will offer an auction event with the presence of Broad Arrow Auctions, a company of the Hagerty group and official partner of the Bmw group for the event. On 16 and 17 May, more than 70 collector cars will be offered for sale, with previews from 15 May. Planned lots include a 1929 Bugatti Type 43 Roadster, a 1926 Bugatti Type 37 Grand Prix, a 1990 Ferrari F40 and a 2011 Bmw M3 GTS.

Not just a nostalgic rendezvous, but a showcase for the BMW group

Finally, the main prize, the Bmw Trophy - Best in Class, is also part of the link that the Concours d'Elegance has long established with the world of luxury. The winner will in fact receive a unique example of the 1815 Chronograph from A. Lange & Söhne, in 18-carat white gold, with a red gold dial and a hand-engraved case back bearing the Concorso coat of arms. The collaboration between high-end watchmaking and historic cars confirms an increasingly evident convergence between sectors that share values, audiences and investment logic. In today's increasingly rapidly changing automotive sector, the Concorso d'Eleganza at Villa d'Este is not just a nostalgic event, but the most logical showcase designed to highlight the BMW brand at this juncture.