Some call it the most exclusive Alfa Romeo owners’ club.

Once a year, the owners of one of the most elegant cars ever designed — the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport  “Villa d’Este”— are invited to gather in one of the world’s most beautiful settings: Hotel Villa d’Este on the sundrenched, if you are lucky, shores of Lago DiComo, the very hotel that gave the iconic Villa d’Este Coupe its name.

This year, the event One Lake, One Car took place early, on the 4th of May, showcasing five coupes crafted by the Milanese coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring. With fewer than 25 known cars still in existence and now residing with owners all over Europe, attracting Villa d’Este Coupes to Lake Como has become more challenging, and the event’s formula has loosened a bit. While the focus remains on the Alfa Romeo 6C — and especially the Villa d’Este — the field has gradually expanded to include other 6C variants, and even non-Alfa Romeos. This year marked a more notable departure, as a stunning blue Porsche 1500 Speedster and several other non-Alfas appeared among the hotel’s gardens.

Marco Markaus, the most gracious host one could hope for, put it this way:
“We decided to open it up to the most significant and elegant cars of that period. Cars which, in the late '40s and '50s, would have graced the parking lot of the hotel.” And, knowing Marco’s eye for the aesthetic, not surprisingly — it worked beautifully.

One thing which remains constant is the inimitable free-flowing atmosphere: creating a rare opportunity to meet some of the most knowledgeable and engaging figures in the industry. New relationships are forged; and old friendships rekindled. Style is unique in that way. Where else can you rub elbows with renowned historians and authors like Simon Moore, his wife Elly, and Michele Casiraghi all in the same space?

The combination of cars, people, guests, and unhurried surroundings — all without the pressure of competition or a strict schedule — makes Style one of our favorite events of the year. It’s not a concours, it’s not a rally. It’s something altogether very special.

The Cars
Every car had a story worth hearing, and each brought its own kind of magic. A few stood out among even this rarified gathering:

The Blue Porsche 1500 Speedster: An absolute gem in perfect condition. Unexpected, but right at home.

A Milan-plated, Bordeaux Red Villa d’Este Coupe: Quite possibly one of the finest examples we've ever seen — a benchmark car if there ever was one.

A Red Ferrari 212 Inter Touring: This car carried special weight. As the spiritual successor to the Villa d’Este, the Ferrari 166/195/212 models became the cars for the postwar international elite. Look closely, and you can trace the design lineage directly from Carlo Felice Anderloni’s Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 to this Ferrari. Marco Markaus illustrated this beautifully by displaying the original hotels Villa d’Este right opposite the Ferrari 212.

Conclusion
One of our favorite events — hands down. Not be missed. If you’re lucky enough to be invited.