Symbol of an era
In 1949, the most prestigious motoring award in the world was the Gold Cup at the Concorso Villa d’Este held on the shores of Lake Como in northern Italy. Alfa Romeo brought the 6C 2500 with bodywork by Touring and its sensual, unique lines were so overwhelmingly beautiful that it seemed only natural to honour its accolade by naming the car after the show.
The 6C 2500 Villa d’Este was not only beautiful, however. It embodied the world’s emergence from the devasting second world war, merging artisan craftsmanship prevalent before the war with industrialisation learnt during the war and pushing Alfa Romeo towards a more modern manufacturing organisation.