This 1925 Rolls-Royce round door was discovered rusting in a New Jersey junkyard. Several owners and a massive overhaul later, it's considered among the world's elite collector cars.
Pebble Beach may be the most famous among collector car shows. But it can’t touch the Concorso d’Eleganza in terms of exclusivity. Just 60 of the world’s rarest and most impressive antique cars were invited to this year’s event, held at the ritzy Villa d’Este hotel on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como. And while each of these cars would fetch a massive sum, a few are back-from-the-brink stories that rival any great barn find.
Take the 1925 Rolls-Royce Round Door coupe for instance. Back in 1950-something, this mind-boggling beauty was rusting away in a New Jersey junkyard. A businessman who lured by the glimmer of a short-term buck slapped a coast of gold paint on it and charged passersby a dollar to see it. Fortunately, the car later ended up in the hands of renowned collector Bob Petersen and underwent a massive rebuilding that returned it to its original glory.
Such stories are swapped each year at the Concorso, which rejects roughly two-thirds of the cars entered and deliberately keeps the field of showcased cars small.
Other than the Rolls, a few of E3 Spark Plugs‘ favorites at this year’s event were the 1937 Tatra 87, 1956 Jaguar Type D, 1975 Lamborghini LP 400 Countach, and a 1941 Chrysler Town & Country sporting a toy car replica in the back.
Which is your favorite? Watch the opening parade in the video below and post your thoughts on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.
