The oldest-surviving and -functioning Citroën DS took home Best in Show at the fourth Concorso di Eleganza Sportività Città di Trieste. Held on April 26-28, 2024, the event was organised by ACI Storico, Automobile Club Trieste and the Association of Historic Vehicle Amateurs (AAVS), and run under the supervision of the Automobile Club of Italy.
The central theme of this year’s Concorso di Eleganca Sportività Città di Trieste was aerodynamics, subdivided into four categories: cars built up to 1945; from 1946 to 1965; from 1966 to 1990; and between 1991 and 2000. The 23 vehicles on show were judged by a panel of experts, but the City of Trieste Cup was decided by the public. Other prizes included Best Preservation and Best Restoration. The jury included Pietro Camardella, the stylist involved in the design of the Ferrari F40, F50, 456 GT, 512 TR and the one-off Mythos. Camardella was also on hand to discuss the nature of design and aerodynamics in a special talk on the subject.
The central theme of this year's event was aerodynamics, subdivided into four categories
The Best in Show car belonged to Veronese collector Emanuele Filippini: a first-year production Citroën DS, its Vert Primtemps colour was only available for that year. Its restoration took 17 years – and at the concours it also won the 1946-1965 class, tied with Giampaolo Meacci’s Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport Touring.
The pre-1945 prize went to Renato Saglimbeni’s 1927 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Vanden Plas – the fifth built and the oldest-surviving example – while in the 1966-1990 class, the 1968 Ferrari 330 GTC belonging to Francesco Ricciardi took the prize. In the 1991-2000 category, Corrado Lopresto’s one-off 1992 Maserati OPAC Trasformabile (pictured below) took class honours; built on a Maserati Biturbo Spider base, it uses a Shamal-sourced twin-turbo V8 engine.
The Special Sport and Aerodynamics Award went to Axel Marx’s 1961 Alfa Romeo Michelotti Goccia, which is based on a Giulietta Sprint Veloce with mechanical upgrades from Virgilio Conrero, while the Scaglietti-bodied 1955 Barchetta Ermini 357 Sport of Eugenio Ercoli won the public vote. The VIP jury prize went to professor Paolo Carpineto’s 1991 Alfa Romeo SZ ES30 (pictured below), and the Special Conservation award was awarded to the 1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 C Sprint Cabriolet Pinin Farina belonging to Italo Piccagli from Modena.
The event was run at the same time as the Mitteleuropean Race Salita della Trieste-Opicina, an international AciSport Superclassic Regularity competition. It saw competitors take in two stages, on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 April, covering 523km. After leaving Trieste, the cars entered Slovenia and headed to Nova Gorica – European Capital of Culture 2025, and then Villa Russiz, and stopped for lunch at Vineria Vencò.
On Saturday, however, after the descent towards Aquileia, Strassoldo, Borgo Nonino, Spilimbergo and the mid-day stop at the Casa Rossa Ai Colli, the classic cars headed towards San Daniele, Fagagna and the Buttrio Castle, and returned to Trieste’s Piazza Unità d’Italia for the parade on the final arrival stage. The event was won by Sergio Mazzoleni and Silvia Gotti in their 1954 Triumph TR2 (pictured below).
For more information on the Concorso di Eleganca Sportività Città di Trieste, head here.
For more information on the Mitteleuropean Race Salita della Trieste-Opicina, head here.
Concorso di Eleganca Sportività Città di Trieste results
Best in Show: 1956 Citroën DS (Emanuele Filippini) – also tied victory in the 1946-1965 class, see below.
Public Vote: 1955 Barchetta Ermini 357 Sport (Eugenio Ercoli).
VIP Jury Prize: 1991 Alfa Romeo SZ ES30 (Prof Paolo Carpineto).
Special Sport and Aerodynamics Award: 1961 Alfa Romeo Michelotti Goccia (Axel Marx).
Special Conservation Award: 1952 Alfa Romeo 1900 C Sprint Cabriolet Pinin Farina (Italo Piccagli).
Up to 1945: 1927 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Vanden Plas (Renato Saglimbeni).
1946-1965: 1956 Citroën DS (Emanuele Filippini) and 1947 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport Touring (Giampaolo Meacci).
1966-1990: 1968 Ferrari 330 GTC (Francesco Ricciardi)
1991-2000: 1992 Maserati OPAC Trasformabile (Corrado Lopresto).
