LESS WEIGHT, MORE ART
TOURING
5 June 2024 • Written By Marius Pop
Among the many victories making up the myth of Alfa Romeo that we’re celebrating today as devout Alfisti, there’s one of a different nature: not on the tarmac of a circuit or the gravel of a rally, but on the lawn of a beauty contest. Seventy-five years ago at the 1949 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, the winner of the Coppa d’Oro as voted by the attending public, was a special 6C 2500 Super Sport model with bodywork designed and built by Touring Superleggera on an Alfa Romeo supporting frame.
At a time when technical advancements were first tested in races and then quickly transferred to road-going cars, Touring patented their Superleggera building process: a lightweight, thin tubular frame covered with hand-beaten aluminium panels that provided structural strength with minimal weight. This method allowed for aerodynamic shapes that promoted greater efficiency and higher speeds.
With its victory at Villa d’Este in 1949, the 6C 2500 SS by Touring was rightly recognized by the public as the culmination of an era:
This could also explain why it is celebrated annually in what may be one of the most exclusive gatherings for a single model: One Lake, One Car – Villa d’Este Style, which brings together some of the 20 known surviving examples of this Touring-bodied Alfa back to the very place where it first saw the light of day and got its name.
The event is created, organised, and hosted by motoring guru Marco Makaus who, among other things, has been credited with helping resurrect the Mille Miglia into the successful extravaganza we know today.
What inspired you to organise the Villa d’Este Style event?
‚For many years I have been a consultant for the Villa d’Este company. One day, talking about the value of their Brand, I told them “Do you know you are the only Hotel in the world whose name has been used for one of the best looking cars that were ever made?” From there we decided to look for a car and buy it, to be used as an Ambassador for the Hotel.‘
‚Seeing the car sitting there all alone I thought it would be nice to invite her sisters once a year and celebrate Alfa Romeo and Touring. Besides, I always think it makes sense to group owners of similar cars and share the knowledge.‘
