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From Monday, June 21st to Wednesday, June 23rd, the Circolo di Golf Roma Acquasanta on the Appian Way, the oldest golf club in Italy, will play host to the 2nd edition of the “Roma Eternal Beauties – The REB Concours”, an exclusive beauty contest for 70 vintage cars produced from the early 20th century to 1970. To welcome guests and participants to the event, two of the most prestigious models belonging to the vintage Alfa Romeo collection will be on show, exhibited out of competition: the 1938 8C 2900 B Speciale Tipo Le Mans and the 1967 33 Stradale Prototipo.
Two prestigious models from the vintage Alfa Romeo collection
The 8C 2900 featured in the renowned French race in 1938. A true symbol of its era, this car with sinuous, aerodynamic lines sports a unique body made by the Touring Superleggera workshop in Milan, and is fitted with a 220-hp straight-eight engine, capable of achieving 240 km/h. At the 1938 24 Hours of Le Mans, this magnificent car came in victorious with Clemente Biondetti behind the wheel. After breaking the track’s lap time record, the 8C 2900 went into the pit for repairs, returned to the race still in first place, then had to stop again as a result of a breakdown and was forced to withdraw. Having joined the vintage Alfa Romeo collection, it is now one of the most prized possessions at the brand’s Museum in Arese. No less extraordinary is the 33 Stradale Prototipo, with aluminum bodywork by Franco Scaglione: the forerunner of a model produced in a very limited edition, with just 18 of them ever made. Only 12 units of this sleek sedan with a 2-liter 230-hp V8 engine reached the private market, while the remaining chassis were purchased by prestigious coachbuilders such Bertone, Pininfarina and Italdesign, who made it their basis for futuristic concept cars.
Bestowing the title of the car “as beautiful as Rome” to one of the 70 participants will be the unenviable task for a meticulously selected jury, chaired this year by Gianni Letta, a politician and journalist. Many other awards are also up for grabs in certain specific categories. For example, the actor Michele Placido will be naming the “most cinematic” car, while the fashion entrepreneur Tomaso Trussardi will select the most beautiful of the Italian models.
An already legendary debut: Giulia GTAm
But there will be more besides vintage cars. The golf club’s green will also host the debut of the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm super sports car, unveiled at Balocco in mid-May. A truly exceptional event, featuring the new model’s very first appearance in central Italy, in the flamboyant Etna Red livery specially for the occasion. With only 500 models produced, it is fitted with a supercharged variant of the 540-hp 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo engine, with a best-in-class power-to-weight ratio of 187 hp per liter. The new Giulia GTA/GTAm draws its inspiration from one of the most successful models in Alfa Romeo’s 111-year history, and epitomizes the brand’s unique capability to combine style and sportiness. With its extensive use of ultra-light materials, it benefits from a weight reduction of up to 100 kg compared to the Giulia Quadrifoglio, and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.6 seconds. And there’s more: specific technical solutions have also been developed for other aspects, including aerodynamics, alignment and handling. The project has made use of the skills of Sauber Engineering, and of the drivers from the Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN Formula 1 team, Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Räikkönen.
Emotion, style and philanthropy
Even better, Motor Village Roma, a dealership directly owned by the Stellantis Group, will be offering participants and guests at this prestigious, exciting event the opportunity to test drive an Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio, accompanied by professional drivers. Finally, on top of the rightful acknowledgment of style and beauty per se, the REB Concours also has a charitable purpose: the competitors’ registration fees, together with freebies from sponsors and visitors, will once again be donated to the Circolo San Pietro, a voluntary organization established by the Holy See in 1869 to raise funds for the vulnerable.