Twenty-two years ago, the Concorso Italiano was little more than a sideshow gathering of hard-core Maserati enthusiasts.

Today, thanks to the efforts of the Seattle husband-and-wife producing team of Jack and Leslie Wadsworth, the Concorso has emerged as an essential highlight of the Pebble Beach/Monterey weekend.

Located on the sweeping grounds of the prestigious Bayonet Black Horse Golf Course, the Concorso is a verdant and expansive table for a grand banquet of world-class Italian automobiles, art, wines, fashion, cuisine, and celebrity attendees.

This year's Concorso Italiano celebrated 60 years of Ferrari, 50 years of the Ferrari 250 GT and the Maserati 3500, as well as 35 years of the Lamborghini Countach.

Against a backdrop of opera, classical music and high fashion, the Concorso featured many new cars and supercars in addition to perennial favorites, such as a Lamborghini Miura SV and the very first Countach, flown in from Italy just for this show.

As in years past, this year's Concorso Italiano served as a key meeting point for the Northwest's collectors, judges, and consignors.

This year's exhibitors include David Bingham of Bellevue's Park Place Limited (both a Lamborghini and an Aston Martin) and Mike McCauley of Seattle (an Alfa Romeo GTV). A representative pre-event roster of exhibited cars is available on the event's Web site.

For information and tickets, visit the Concorso Italiano web site at concorso.com or call 425- 742~0632 for details.

-- Evan McMullen
© 1998-2009 Seattle Post-Intelligencer