Concorso Italiano is an annual event that showcases the best of Italian style, all centered on Italian cars. Acres of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis and other exciting automobiles line the field each year while thousands of enthusiasts spend the Friday before the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance enjoying cars, music, food, fashion and, for the first time, airplanes.

For 2008, the focus was on 45 years of Lamborghini; the 40th anniversary of the Ferrari 365 GTB/4, commonly known as the Daytona; and the design creations of Marcello Gandini. This year the event was moved to the Marina Municipal Airport to accommodate the addition of beautiful and rare airplanes as a backdrop to the automotive features.

Hired by Bertone to replace the departing Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1965, Gandini placed his mark on the Lamborghini Miura before going on to design many widely recognized and highly regarded cars, including the iconic Lamborghini Countach, the Lamborghini Diablo, and even the original BMW 5 Series.

The Countach was actually the last of four futuristic concepts designed by Gandini, but it was the only one to make it into production. A number of exquisite examples of the Countach were on display at Concorso Italiano. Amazingly, although the Countach was produced for 25 years, fewer than 2,000 were made before it was replaced by the Diablo in 1990.

Concorso Italiano also celebrated 40 years of the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, designed by Pininfarina and the last of an era of front-engine V12 powered Ferraris, Also displayed was the Daytona’s main competition, the mid-engine Lamborghini Miura.

While the Daytona was the evolution of many years of Ferrari tradition, the Miura was a radical, cutting-edge mid-engine design. In the late 1960s and early 1970s the two cars were archrivals. Today, both are recognized and revered as iconic vehicles in their own right.

The move to an airport venue created the opportunity to include airplanes.  One of the most interesting was a Piaggio Avanti P.180 that, as a tribute to Ferrari, was finished in Ferrari colors with the Ferrari logo on the tail. The P.180 is a unique aircraft that cruises at jet speeds but has the capability to operate from short runways.

Still, the focus of Concorso Italiano has always been on cars. And while Italian cars are at the forefront, other vehicles are welcome, with designated car corrals for other marques, including BMW, Rolls-Royce, Porsche, Corvette and Lotus. The Concorso Italiano Fashion Show was added in 1996 and – along with dozens of automotive and fashion vendors -- has become another popular aspect of the event.

Throughout the four days that make up the Pebble Beach Concours weekend, Concorso Italiano may very well be the event where the largest number of people are having the most fun. The atmosphere is electric with automotive enthusiasm but at the same time offering a relaxed element that is difficult to find during the Pebble Beach weekend.