From 21 to 23 June 2021, the Circolo del Golf Roma Acquasanta will play host to “Roma Eternal Beauties” – the Reb Concours, a beauty contest for vintage cars to acknowledge the style and beauty they epitomise. On display will be two great Alfa Romeo models: the 8C 2900 B Speciale Tipo Le Mans and the 33 Stradale, both from the brand's Museum in Arese.
The Eternal City will be the backdrop for the “Roma Eternal Beauties” – the Reb Concours, a beauty contest for cars made between the early 20th century and the 1970s. The event runs from 21 to 23 June 2021 at the Circolo del Golf Roma Acquasanta, the oldest golf club in Italy, and focuses on fans’ instinctive feelings when faced with a vintage car.
Made up of big names who appreciate art in all its forms, the jury will be acknowledging cars for their style and beauty. The special awards to be bestowed include the Aci Storico, Parmigiani Fleurier, Golf Roma Acquasanta and Gentlemen Drivers Award 2021, plus others for the most cinematic, the most TV-friendly and the most theatrical cars. Last but not least, the chairman of the jury, Gianni Letta, will name one car “as beautiful as Rome”.
Alongside the 70 vintage cars taking part, two classic Alfa Romeo models with a timeless charm will be on display, out of competition. They both come from the brand's Museum in Arese and have been provided by the Heritage department.
The first guest of honour will be the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Speciale Tipo Le Mans, which featured in the renowned French race in 1938. A true symbol of its era, this car with sinuous, aerodynamic lines sports a unique body made by the Touring Superleggera workshop in Milan, and is fitted with a 220-hp straight-eight engine, capable of achieving 240 km/h.
At the 1938 24 Hours of Le Mans, this magnificent car came in victorious with Clemente Biondetti behind the wheel. After breaking the track's lap time record, the 8C 2900 went into the pit for repairs, returned to the race still in first place, then had to stop again as a result of a breakdown and was forced to withdraw. Having joined the vintage Alfa Romeo collection, it is now one of the most prized possessions at the brand’s Museum in Arese.
The second is the prototype Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, a masterpiece by Franco Scaglione and an Alfa Romeo icon. Featuring sinuous lines and fitted with the 2-litre V8 engine seen in Alfa Romeo 33 racing cars, it was soon praised from many quarters.
It entered production with improvements to the prototype’s roominess, including a sheet steel chassis and with the addition of specs and finishes suitable for driving on the road. Fitted with a 230-hp engine (against the prototype’s 270 hp), the car weighed just 700 kg unladen and guaranteed extraordinary performance. However, the definitive version was extremely expensive, because of the craftsmanship involved: from 1967 to 1968, only 18 models were produced, 12 of which sported bodywork designed by Scaglione, produced by Marazzi, a workshop in Lombardy. The remaining chassis went to major Italian coachbuilders, which produced iconic concept cars such as the Carabo – by Bertone – and Pininfarina’s Cuneo.
Stylish in every detail, the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale also featured strongly in film, as the guest star in Un bellissimo novembre (1969), directed by Mauro Bolognini and starring Gina Lollobrigida.
Alongside two such significant testimonies to Alfa Romeo’s past, the event also features the flagships of the brand’s current line-up: the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA – on show in Rome for the first time, and the Giulia and Stelvio in the Quadrifoglio trim, a high-performance test drive in which will be offered to participants and guests.
Now in its second edition, the Reb Concours is open to the public, not only to fans of vintage cars, but also to the worlds of civil society, sport, fashion and communications.
As well as the automotive exhibition, several special events are also scheduled, including “Alfa Romeo past, present and future” with Giovanna Scaglione, the great designer’s daughter.
