What have the Romans ever done for us? Apart from the sanitation, medicine, education and wine, April saw the Eternal City organise its first classic car concours since 1960. Back then, the Jaguar E-Type, James Bond’s iconic Aston Martin DB5 and Lamborghini’s exquisite Miura had yet to even go on sale. Rome was home to the 1960 Summer Olympics and the hub of La Dolce Vita, with a flourishing culture of style and luxury.
The Giro d'Anantara, the opening parade of the inaugural Anantara Concorso Roma
Why it took so long to bring a glamourous car show back to the Italian capital is something of a mystery. Matters weren’t helped last year when, with guests arriving and many car entries already in situ, the inaugural Anantara Concorso Roma was postponed out of respect for the passing of Pope Francis.
A pair of classic Ferraris at the 2026 Anantara Concorso Roma
‘There is a unique atmosphere in Rome and an incredible history of car racing and concours,’ said Anantara hotels chairman, William Heinecke. ‘So, when we set out to establish a new event, the Eternal City was the obvious choice. Although there was massive disappointment over the postponement of the inaugural event, everybody was hugely supportive of the decision we had to make.’
The category winners were unveiled at Casina Valadier
Salon Privé, Pebble Beach, Chantilly Arts & Elegance… If you think there are already too many concours for lovely motor cars with a six-figure price tag, the success of this latest event in Rome would suggest otherwise. Forget a well-polished MGB GT or Triumph Stag, this breathtaking line-up of automotive exotica was a carefully curated list of 70 exclusive classics from some of the world’s most prestigious collections.
1968 Bizzarrini 5300 GT
And for this first event, all entries across the 16 classes were home-grown, Italian masterpieces from pre-war legends to modern icons. As they were initially displayed outside the curved frontage of Anantara Palazzo Naiadi hotel, Rome traffic quickly ground to a standstill.
A landmark Neoclassical building set on the ruins of the famous Diocletian thermal baths – still visible through the glass floor at basement level – the hotel has long been an important meeting place.
Covered cars await the day outside the Anantara Palazzo Naiadi hotel
Gathering in the spring sunshine for the concorso were some of Italy’s most revered cars. Among them, a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B, a winner at this year’s Peninsula Classics ‘Best of Best’ in Paris, a stand-out line-up of Lancia Aurelia convertibles, plus a more modern Bugatti EB 110 GT (a French marque of course, but this particular model was built in Italy).
A line-up at the 16th-century Villa Aldobrandini
With judges including former FIA president and Ferrari CEO Jean Todt, and Pininfarina designer Lorenzo Ramaciotti, the panel of experts assessing the cars was top tier, as was a lengthy sponsor list, featuring brands such as Richard Mille, Gulfstream and RM Sotheby’s.
Class VIII winner: 1966 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2 by Zagato
After some considerable debate in the Italian sunshine, the winning car was a Maserati V4 Sport Zagato, blessed with a 16-cylinder, 4.0-litre engine and first sold in Rome in 1932. Now owned by American collector Lawrence Auriana, the green two-seater was making its first visit to the Italian capital in over 90 years, making it a worthy winner of the inaugural event.
The winning 1932 Maserati Tipo V4 Sport Zagato
1972 Lamborghini Miura SV
Class I at the Anantara Concorso Roma 2026
Ferrari 500 Superfast on the podium
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