Classical vintage car lovers and enthusiasts will have the opportunity, at the end of this week, to admire a series of extremely special models. The most well-known resort on the Prahova Valley will be the host of the annual edition of the „Sinaia Elegance Contest”.
“Sinaia Elegance Contest”, one of the most special events in Eastern Europe dedicated to vintage cars, will be held on June 24, 2017. The event, organized under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mihai I of Romania, will benefit from an exceptional framework: the Peles royal domain and the castle for the presentation and parade of the competitors, and the Sinaia Casino for the awards ceremony. The four-wheel elegance competition, held in the most famous resort on the Prahova Valley, was first organized by the Romanian Royal Motor Club more than eighty years ago, in two editions – 1934 and 1935. Retromobil Club Romania resumed the tradition of organizing this event, some years ago, in partnership with the City Hall of Sinaia and the National Peles Museum. This year, the “Sinaia Elegance Contest” has been classified as a Category A event in the calendar of the International Federation of Vintage Automobiles (FIVA) and enjoys, for the first time, the official support of BMW Classic, along with an already traditional collaboration with BMW Group Romania.
According to the organizers, for the 2017 edition there are 32 cars in six categories, with representatives from four countries: Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and UK. There are many exceptional specimens, such as the model Ego 4/14 since 1924, one of two specimens worldwide, also featured in Nae Caranfil’s movie “Restul e tacere”. Tiriac Collection will also present one of the world’s few limited-edition limousines with a 16-cylinder engine, a Cadillac Series 90. The Porsche 356 Cabriolet, the Jaguar E Type or the Citroën DS 21 Cabriolet Chapron are also spectacular cars enrolled in the contest. Overall, this year’s edition brings together participants from four countries, the UK’s representative being the Romanian violinist Remus Azoitei, with a Renault 12 TL since 1971. He was trained at the Bucharest Conservatory and received a scholarship at the famous Juilliard School in New York. This opened his way to a prestigious career with concerts in the major halls of the world, such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Konzerthaus Berlin, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Auditorio Nacional Madrid or Konzerthaus Vienna. In 2001, Remus Azoitei was appointed violin teacher of the Royal Academy of Music in London, at that time also being the youngest violin teacher in the whole history of the Academy. Remus Azoitei plays at a Niccolo Gagliano violin made in 1753, belonging to the collection of the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Also, as it was announced, there will be an exceptional participation of BMW Classic in this edition of the “Sinaia Elegance Contest”. The international presence of BMW Classic means an important fleet of cars that will mark a number of special moments in the history of the brand. Specifically, the first generation of the BMW 7 Series (E23) celebrates 40 years since the model was launch and BMW returned to the luxury limousines segment, the BMW 7 Series 750i (E38) marks 30 years since the first German V12 engine after the World War II, and a BMW Z1, probably the first model on the Romanian roads, celebrates 30 years since the BMW roadsteads were re-launched.
Last but not least, this year’s competition in Sinaia will be the scene of another important moment in the history of the BMW brand – a particularly special model returns to Romania after participating in the Grand Prix of Brasov in 1940, only a few kilometers from Sinaia . It’s the legendary BMW 328 Mille Miglia Roadster, with a Touring body, one of the three models ever produced and definitely one of the most iconic models in the history of the brand.
The “Sinaia Elegance Contest” is open for free to the general public. In addition to the official presentation of the cars at Peles Castle, enthusiasts can find more details and legends about the cars in the competition in two guided tours. The program of the event on June 24 is as follows: 10:00 – 17:00 – the cars are present on the Peles Regal domain: Peleş Castle, Pelisor Castle, Economat Villa; At 10:00 and 14:00, respectively – presentation guided tours starting from the “La tunuri” Terrace, Economat Villa; 12:00 – 13:00 – official presentation of the cars, Peles Castle; 18:00 – 19:00 – vintage car parade and presentation in the downtown; 19:00 – 20:00 – the award ceremony at Casino Sinaia. It was mentioned that flyers will be distributed with the list of participating cars and their competition numbers, as well as ballot papers. The audience will be able to vote for their favorite car by casting the ballot papers in the ballot box in front of the “La tunuri” Terrace. Each visitor will be able to vote on a single car by entering the preferred car number in the ballot (the numbers are displayed on each car). Based on votes, the “Audience Award” will be awarded.
