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1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Spider wins top prize at Villa d'Este

Every year, a selection of the most beautiful automobiles ever made travel to the shores of Lake Como in Italy, for the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. Only one of them can be named the belle of the ball, however, and this year, top honors went to a classic 1930s-era Alfa Romeo. The 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Spider owned by American collector David Sydorick won the Best in Show award. The deep red roadster is entered the circle of finalists after winning the B class for "Pre-war sports cars which defied the Great Depression." The classic Alfa features coachwork by Zagato. The coachbuilder notes that another one of its creations – a 1956 Maserati A6G/54 also owned by an American collector – won the post-war class. The modern Maserati-powered Mostro, which Zagato revealed at the concours and delivered to its first customer, did not win the Concepts and Prototypes class. (But we've included an updated image gallery below just the same). That award went to the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6. The people's choice Coppa d'Oro was awarded to the 1950 Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta by Touring, while a 1973 Munch-4 TTS-E won the motorcycle category. Related Video: Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2015: Winners dazzle at the time-honoured Classic Weekend on Lake Como Munich/Cernobbio. An impressive parade of all the cars and motorcycles entered in competition and the announcement of this year's prize winners provided a dazzling Classic Weekend on the banks of Lake Como with a fitting climax late on Sunday afternoon in front of thousands of spectators. The Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este had once again underlined its stand-out status on the exclusive event calendar for historic cars and motorcycles. All eyes were trained on the line-up of precious classic machines and striking concept cars over the two days of the Concorso. Under a pleasantly warm sun, the event's "Seventies Style – the Jet Set is back" banner spanned a host of special exhibitions and highlight features, creating a fitting stage for a weekend that will live long in the memory. As ever, the best was left until last. The jury of experts provided the event with its crowning moment as the Trofeo BMW Group for "Best of Show" was awarded to an Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Spider from 1932. The Coppa d'Oro Villa d'Este prize decided by public referendum was won by a Ferrari 166M Barchetta from 1950.

Alfa Romeo should return to Formula One ASAP

Alfa Romeo should absolutely return to Formula One. It would benefit the company, and it would benefit the sport. By extension, it would benefit enthusiasts. Let's break it down: Self-Interest: Alfa is struggling to reboot as a viable modern automaker. Americans love the idea of an Alfa but sometimes associate it with the movie The Graduate, which is nearly 50 years old, and the vague notion of sporty convertibles. It's mythic, but murky. Still, this is a big name in automotive history. If you asked a random person on the street: Do you want to drive an Alfa Romeo? They'd almost certainly say yes. F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport. By competing in the World Championship and even better – winning – Alfa could legitimately claim it's not a museum piece, but a company on the edge of technology. And in this case, history is in Alfa's favor. Its drivers, Giuseppe Farina (shown above in 1950) and Juan Manuel Fangio, won the first two Formula One titles in 1950-51. This is a company that's won at LeMans, Mille Miglia, and Targa Florio. Sure, those are some dusty trophies, but the people who would consider buying an Alfa are connoisseurs. They appreciate the bloodlines. F1 Would Be Better: This doesn't matter to Alfa, but the sport would be more interesting with Alfa on the grid. Can you imagine an Alfa in a pitched fight with a Ferrari (say with Sebastian Vettel as the wheel) at Monza? F1 could use some new storylines and rivalries. Simply having an Alfa Romeo team on the grid would spice things up. Use engines from Ferrari. That makes the most sense, and Ferrari already sells its units to other teams. Some of them might as well go to another Italian outfit that still probably wouldn't have the same resources as the Scuderia. Enzo Ferrari started out at Alfa, by the way. It's A Win-Win For Enthusiasts: Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has said a lot of curious things lately, but he's spot-on with the notion of Alfa returning to F1. If that happens, it would make Alfa's new models, like the Giulia and 4C, seem sportier. It would remind collectors just how special the old ones are. And it would make Formula One a more compelling sport. Yes, F1 is wildly expensive. But FCA can find money to do Hellcats and hybrid minivans. It should double-down on Alfa's return to F1. Related Video:

The Effeffe Berlinetta is a brand new 1960s Italian GT

You're looking at a brand new car, not one that has spent 50 years under a tarp in some barn in the Italian countryside. The vintage-looking Berlinetta, dreamed up by the brothers Frigorio, has been in the works for a number of years now. It was initially unveiled at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este two years ago, and the official introduction will be held at the Top Marques show in Monaco next week. As it stands, it offers a fascinating glimpse into the way sports cars used to be built, with virtually nothing to let a casual observer know that it's factory fresh. The drivetrain on the two-seater Berlinetta is classic Italian, using a front-mid-mounted Alfa Romeo Twin Cam four-cylinder, which originally dates back to 1971 in design. Naturally, the two-liter unit is coupled to a five-speed manual gearbox, and the two Weber DCOE carburetors finish off the power figures at 180 horsepower at 6,500 rpm. The car follows classic Alfa Romeo lines, but isn't a direct replica, rather a tribute to Italian GT car building half a century ago – the chassis is a handmade tubular spaceframe and the entire Berlinetta will weigh less than 1,760 lbs. There are disc brakes front and rear, and while the front suspension is independent, the rear relies on a solid live axle complete with a Watt's linkage setup. And – of course – it sits on wire wheels with center knock-off lugs. As for the interior, it will all be custom-made and tailored to the buyer's taste, and each car will be unique. The full Matteograssi leather interior includes a matching luggage set, too, and the driver will be holding a wooden Nardi steering wheel. What kind of price would you expect for something like this? The Frigerio brothers have priced their small-series creation at nearly $320,000. That includes some track time to get to grips with one's new 1960s sportscar, and the chassis settings will be fine-tuned to one's personal preferences. There are plans to widen the portfolio with another model, and we're hoping that will be a drop-top Spider made in the same style. Related Video: Featured Gallery Effeffe Berlinetta View 9 Photos Alfa Romeo Automakers Coupe Special and Limited Editions Classics top marques monaco