FuoriConcorso Aero
There is one issue with the annual classic car meetings. It’s very hard to tell one edition from the other. Same location, similar cars, even mostly same weather. FuoriConcorso is different. Each year, the theme of the event is different. Bentleys, Turbo cars from the 80s and Porsche Sonderwunch were the stars of the previous years. The 2023 edition will be referred as Aero.
This year the event was celebrating the most beautiful cars shaped by the wind. From the very naïve pre-war solutions, through the huge wings of the 80s racers to the sophisticated technologies from the 2000s. The variety of machines was spectacular.
The streamlined cars were parked around the centre spot of the event – Villa Grumello. But there was much more to see around it. A short walk up-hill to the Greenhouse was revealing the second exhibition dedicated to the first mid-engined Ferrari: the 356 GT4 BB. The Berlinetta Boxer, designer by Leonardo Fioravanti from Pininfarina, was not only a milestone in terms of powertrain layout, but also for its advanced aerodynamics. Besides the chance to see a bunch of colourful cars participants also had the opportunity to buy a beautiful album dedicated to the model.
Two expositions filled with unique classic cars – was it enough for FuoriConcorso? Definitely not! The third place to go was the nearby Villa Sucota. There was no worry that the walk there would force the guests to spend a few minutes without any contact with interesting cars. Halfway through, Pirelli prepared a stand with a Leyton House-livered Lamborghini LM002.
The walk to Villa Sucota was taking the participants to the completely different automotive world. From the past to the present and future. Despite the cars exposed here were new, no one could say they were not classics. Koenigsegg Jesko, McLaren Speedtail and Aston Martin Valkyrie. Do I have to name all the cars? One couldn’t just walk past the newest releases from Pininfarina or Dallara. A unique complement to this selection was Ferrari FXX K EVO – one of the most aerodynamically extreme cars of the recent years.
Zonda Revo Barchetta parked in one of the most spectacular spots had a special role. Horacio Pagani chose the FuoriConcorso as a perfect opportunity to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his manufacture. Unfortunately, because of the bad weather, the car had to be covered for most of the time.
Looking at those incredible machines was nice but having the opportunity to hear from their creators was something hard to describe. During the Conversation meeting Horacio Pagani, Christian von Koenigsegg, Eng. Ralf Häßler of Porsche, Eng. Dialma Zinelli - Head of aerodynamics of Dallara, CEO of Pininfarina Paolo Dellachà, and Alex Gibson of McLaren were talking about their creations and answering the questions about the future of the hypercar industry.
New carbon fibre cars are nice but let’s get back to the classics. Was there anything that especially caught my attention? It’s hard to list them all. First car to point must be the Fiat-Abarth 1000. This uncompromising sing-seater was powered by a little 2-cylinder engine from the Fiat 500, but thanks to the light and aerodynamic body, in February 1958, on Monza high-speed ring, it set six world records.
The little Abarth was accompanied by a slightly noisier brother from Turin – The Fiat Turbina from 1954. On the daily basis, both cars can be admired in Turin. The first one in FCA Heritage Hub and the latter in Mauto Museum.
A few steps from those two cars one could encounter the Group C Porsche 962. This Rothmans-livered car is one of the most iconic and beautiful racers ever… at least in my opinion.
When hearing the memories from the Concorso weekend at Como one wouldn’t expect to hear about Volkswagen. But the XL1 was a truly incredible achievement and an example of a sustainable approach. Light and aerodynamic body allowed it to go 100 km on just one litre of diesel. Unfortunately, because of the later Dieselgate, the development of this technology was abandoned.
I visit FuoriConcorso since the first edition and I’m constantly impressed. Thanks to the changing theme, each release is different and easy to tell from the other. The man behind this event, Guglielmo Miani and his fashion brand Larusmiani, make sure that the machines are always exposed with a proper entourage. I can’t wait for the next edition and the reveal of its theme.
