Concorso Italiano: The World's Premier Celebration of All Things Italian

June 27, 2012 - PRLog -- Concorso Italiano
The World's Premier Celebration of All Things Italian

Everyone knows Italian style. And everyone knows the epicurean delights of Italian food and wine. But what about exotic cars? Is it necessary to go all the way to Italy to luxuriate in Italian fashion, food, wine and a Ferrari? The answer is a resounding no! Each August in Monterey, Calif., you can celebrate Italian style at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch. The party is called Concorso Italiano, and it is the world's premier celebration of all things Italian.

For 26 years, the Concorso Italiano has been the kick-off event for the world renowned Automobile Weekend in Monterey. This August 17th, over 8,000 automobile enthusiasts will come from across the globe to admire the world's largest gathering of Italian exotica. Close to one thousand Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, Alfa Romeos and all of the Italian marques will convene on the lovely green fairways for what has been called automotive heaven.

The party begins at dawn when the cars arrive under the cover of the Monterey Peninsula morning fog. Photographers jockey for position along the entrance to capture Italy's finest automobiles. First, it is a growling Ferrari weaving its way through the fairways. Then the thunderous roar of Lamborghinis storm the scene, followed by the purr of a brand new Fiat 500. The steady parade continues until mid-morning when about 1,000 beautiful cars are artistically placed on six fairways.

Car owners say that one of the distinguishing features of Concorso Italiano is the opportunity to meet the designers and manufacturers on a personal level. Automotive royalty from Italy joins the party every year. This year, Concorso is celebrating the 100th Anniversary of legendary Bertone Design. In an industry that goes through almost as many changes as the weather, Bertone's one hundred years of innovation is astounding. Bertone Design Director Michael Robinson claims, "We will straddle two centuries. One foot will be in the last century to honor many of the Bertone concept and production cars. The other foot will be in the coming century to view what lies ahead."

Bertone Design's newest car for its second century is called the Nuccio. It is named after Giuseppe "Nuccio" Bertone who took over Carrozzeria Bertone from his father shortly after World War II. Nuccio Bertone was a great recognizer of design talent. He hired many of Italy's most famous automotive designers including Franco Scaglione, Giorgetto Giugiaro and Marcello Ghandini. When designing the Nuccio, Robinson took styling cues from the Alfa Romeo Carabo, the Lancia Stratos Zero, and the Lamborghini Countach, yet the car's innovative features set it apart from the crowd. It is one more example of Bertone excellence and creativity.

One of the crowd's favorite activities is the fashion show. Concorso organizers added a fashion show over ten years ago to give the somewhat less passionate trailing spouses an activity to enjoy after a splendid lunch. It turned out the men enjoy the fashion show as much as the women. Clothing and shoe designers show off their latest creations, including children's fashions. But get to the stage early, as the seating area quickly fills beyond capacity and becomes standing room only.

Read More At: http://www.jetsetmag.com/categories/autos/concorso-italia...