A 1937 BMW 328 known as the “Bügelfalte” won Best of Show at the 2026 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. The jury awarded the historic competition car the Trofeo BMW Group at the end of the event on Lake Como, held from 15 to 17 May.
The winning car is unusual even by BMW 328 standards. It is a special roadster built in-house in Munich, and its “Bügelfalte” nickname refers to the pronounced metal crease running over the front wings. The one-off belongs to Stefano Martinoli and arrived at Villa d'Este with both rarity and documented period competition history in its favour.
That history includes the Mille Miglia. In 1937, the Wenscher/Scholz crew drove the car to sixth place overall in the Italian road race. The 328 itself was conceived as a lightweight sports and competition car, but this particular example combines that engineering base with a unique body and a direct link to one of pre-war Europe's defining races.
The public chose a different winner. The Coppa d'Oro Villa d'Este, decided by visitor vote, went to a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. The field also included significant Ferraris, Delages, Cadillacs, De Tomasos and other collector cars, while the weekend was accompanied by modern BMW Group premieres.
Best of Show at Villa d'Este carries weight well beyond a single concours weekend because provenance, design, originality and historical importance are all central to the judging. In the case of the 328 Bügelfalte, the result recognised a car that is both a singular BMW and a surviving piece of pre-war European racing history.