With a breathtaking entry splayed out across the gently rolling lawn, the highest of automotive standards on show and world-class judges to choose, the Goodwood concours has very quickly become a must-win for car collectors and the competition to come out on top is fierce.

In the end top honours went to the 1954 Maserati A6GCS Berlinetta that was entered by Franco Lombardi of Genoa. It had been entered in Class 3: The Riviera Set - Genesis of the Modern GT, 1950-1960. The story of this exceptional sports car goes back to the Mille Miglia of 1952, a particularly rain-soaked edition that prompted customers to request a closed-roof coupé for the next year. Pininfarina, at the height of its powers, came up with a very low-slung shape that was still able to accommodate six-foot passengers in comfort. Just four cars were created and the stunning shape was described as "absolutely the most beautiful customer car built on this chassis" when it was shown at the Turin Motor Show in 1954. It was a car the proved masterful on the race track and just at ease winning concours. Powered by a racing-derived dry-sump, twin-plug, twin-cam, all-alloy straight-six engine, it developed 170 bhp, with a top speed nudging 150 mph. Lombardi's example, which drew an incessant crowd of admirers all weekend, was painstakingly restored over a period of twenty years.

In styling contrast, the Maserati narrowly pipped another Italian icon to the victory: the whacky Fiat 600 Multipla "Marinella", entered by Heather Fattorini from Guernsey, which nonetheless won Class 2: Beach Bambini - The Eternal Summer Activity, a category which also featured the iconic Fiat 600 "Jolly" (1969).

On the occasion of Alfa Romeo's Centenary, the Stunning Tipo 33 was handed its own category. Class 6: The Tantalising Tipo 33 - Designs on Alfa Romeo's Racing Icon featured the concepts that spawned from Alfa Romeo's race winner. This class was led out by the evocative 33 Stradale "prototipo" from 1967; it graced the Cartier lawn like no other, showing the crowds why Alfa Romeo design has been so highly revered through the decades. Designed by Franco Scaglione, this prototype was the most expensive car of its time and considered to be one of the most beautiful sports cars ever made. The Tipo 33-based Carabo (1968) Iguana (1969) Navajo (1976) were all on show, the former and latter made welcome returns to the Cartier Style et Luxe paddock after being shown last year.

Another Alfa Romeo to impress in the paddock was the 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B SWB Touring Spider entered by William Ainscough of Lancashire in Class 1: 8C Extravaganza - Alfa Romeo's Pre-War Masterpiece. The ultimate pre-war touring machine, just 20 customers were able to afford the short chassis 8C 2900 B that was bodied by Touring. With high performance and unrivalled style, these very special cars were delivered just two years before the onset of WWII, while on track Alfa Romeo's 8C was just as successful, winning every edition of the Mille Miglia between 1932 and 1938, topped with a 1-2-3 in 1936 and a 1-2 in 1938.

Other notable Italian entries in the concours over the weekend included Ghia's slippery Ghila Streamline X Coupé from 1955, shown by US visitor Scott Grundfor, which won Class 3: The Riviera Set - Genesis of the Modern GT, 1950-1960, and a 1967 Fiat Dino Spyder entered by Daniel Drogman from Essex in Class 5: Soft Top Sophistication - Al Fresco Motoring, 1960-1975, as well as the Ferrari "Pinin" (1980), Innocenti Spider (1961), Lancia Aurelia B52 (1952), Zagato's Ferrari Testarossa-based FZ93 concept (1993) and the Italian-built Bugatti EB110 SS from 1992.