Book Review: Best in Show

The book: Best in Show: Italian Masterpieces from the Lopresto Collection

Editor: Andrea Cittadini

Purchase: Click here

A book on one-off Italian cars is always fun to read, but particularly when it’s an exceptional work of automotive non-fiction and photography. Best in Show is just such a book, covering twenty cars from Corrado Lopresto’s concours-winning collection in chronological order, from the early 1901 Isotta Fraschini to the 1973 DeTomaso Pantera II 7x Montella.

But it isn’t solely about the cars: it is also about the man who brought them together. Lopresto is no ‘collector-investor’. He is a knowledgeable car enthusiast, willing to share his knowledge with people interested in his cars.

The book begins with Andrea Cittadini, the book’s editor, interviewing Lopresto. In those first pages, Lopresto reveals the story behind the collection and how he started collecting with a 1930 Fiat Balilla 3 Marce Lusso that he acquired in the 1970s and restored under the guidance of master craftsmen and restorers.

As an architect, Lopresto appreciates one-offs and prototypes for their original lines and harmony of volumes. As he says, “with cars like these you really get to appreciate the free, unrestricted creativity of master designers like Revelli di Beaumont, Brovarone, and Scaglione”.

In fact, you probably haven’t heard of some of the unique cars featured, such as the Alfa Romeo 1750 Aprile, the Praho, the OSCA 1600 GT Touring, the Fiat 130 Villa d’ Este, or the Flavia 2000 Sport Zagato, all perfectly restored or still completely original.

Each car featured comes with a brief description and hi-resolution studio images, where you can focus on the pleasing lines and details of each. Do not expect extensive technical descriptions or drawings: Best in Show is primarily a photographical anthology that must be enjoyed calmly, like you would a fine art-history book.

The last section of the book is dedicated to anecdotes and memories related to the cars. Did you know that the Mulhouse Museum’s Bugatti Royale was removed temporarily to make way for Lopresto’s 1930 Isotta Fraschini 8A SS Castagna? Or that the 1955 Giulietta Spider Bertone prototype was a woman’s daily driver, back in the day?

Photographs shot at Concours d’ Elegance all over the world are also proudly featured. Lopresto has won at Pebble Beach, Unique Special Ones in Firenze, and he is also a four-time Villa d’ Este winner, the most successful in all the Villa Concours’s History!

Best in Show is proudly printed in Italy and available for purchase directly from the Lopresto Collection by e-mailing info@loprestocollection.com directly. The price is 75€. Click to see more from Best in Show.