What Was It Like At The Inaugural Anantara Concorso Roma?

The first Anantara Concorso Roma (16–19 April 2026) attracted 70 cool classics to the heart of a sweltering Eternal City. Jeremy Taylor and Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby debrief one of the most elegant events on the motoring calendar.

What Happened At Anantara Concorso Roma?

Jeremy: You know the story: you’ve arranged the ultimate spectacle in an epic location – and then something monumental happens completely beyond your control.

So it was for the organisers of the 2025 Anantara Concorso in Rome. When Pope Francis died, the show had to be postponed at the very last minute out of respect for the pontiff, while the Italian capital became the focus of the world’s attention for other reasons.

A year on and the first concours in Rome since 1960 was a refined and expanded four-wheeled success, thoughtfully dedicated to rare, Italian classics from the likes of Lamborghini, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo.

What is a concours of elegance? The event was originally a contest for 17th century aristocrats to parade horse carriages through Paris, which evolved into competitions among vehicle owners. The first Italian concorso was held in Turin in 1923, then Rome three years later.

The new event, organised by Anantara Hotels & Resorts, is a celebration of Italian beauty, craftsmanship and passion, with a posh roster of partners. For the inaugural edition, this included watchmaker Richard Mille, RM Sotheby’s and Sanlorenzo Yachts, supporting three days of automotive connoisseurship under Italian sunshine.

The gathering was partly staged outside the Naiadi Rome Hotel in the Palazzo della Repubblica – a 19th century marble palace overlooking Romanesque cobbled streets and fountains. A landmark Neoclassical building built over the ruins of the famous Diocletian Thermal Baths, this Anantara property is as grand, luxurious and palatial as any hotel in the city.

As a backdrop to the precious metal on display, the curved frontage is unmatched – think Bath’s glorious Royal Crescent on steroids – with roof terrace views of Rome’s chaotic road network below.

The Concorso also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the very first concours d’elegance in the Eternal City – the Concorso Romano delle Carrozzerie, which took place in April 1926.

Amongst the Italian exotica on display were open-wheeled racers from Fiat and Alfa dating back to the 1910s, as well as early Ferrari racing cars from the late 1940s and 1950s.

Mid-century GT grand tourers included rare prototypes, like early 1960s and ’70s Lamborghinis, as well as Miura and the Countach models. Among the modern cars on show were Pagani Zondas, Maserati MC20s and a host of supercars.

‘After the disappointment of having to postpone the inaugural event, everybody was hugely supportive of the decision we had to make to cancel – especially the local Roman authorities,’ Anantara chairman,William Heinecke reflects on the successful day. ‘There is a unique atmosphere in Rome and an incredible history of car racing and concours. So, when we set out to establish a new event, the Eternal City was the obvious choice.’

And the winner is? A posse of judges spent hours pondering a decision, but the trophy was ultimately handed to a breathtaking Maserati V4 Sport Zagato, dating from 1932. A 16-cylinder open-roof model, the Maserati was originally sold in Rome but now lives in the hands of an American collector. Anantara Concorso Roma saw the car return to its home city for the first time in 90 years.

The winning Maserati

Jessica: A posh classic car show where every motor has at least a six-figure price tag? New concours of elegance events are popping up around the world. The most prestigious are Pebble Beach in California (16 August), Salon Prive at Blenheim Palace (2–6 September) and perhaps the most famous of them all, Villa d’Este on the banks of Lake Como (15–17 May).

Massive investment by sponsors, a hand-selected roster of classic Italian cars and the sensational backdrop of Rome ensured the city’s first concours in decades was a dolce vita hit.

Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby is Director of Programmes at London College of Fashion, studying for a PhD in sustainable e-textile design.