At the Concorso d’Eleganza di Villa D’este, Matteograssi produces an interior in the finest tradition of Italian craftsmanship.

Since its inception in 1929, the Concorso d’Eleganza – the most significant of all events celebrating Historic Cars as it is inspired by the heyday of aristocratic cars at the end of the 1920s – has been held at Villa D’este.

The 2014 edition marks the official unveiling of the Fuoriserie effeffe Berlinetta prototype; the result of the enthusiasm of those who, like the Frigerio brothers, are passionate about vintage cars and who have established over the years a broad knowledge of the industry. The cockpit interior was entrusted to the savoir-faire of Matteograssi which, since 1880, has become world renowned for the quality of their coach hide and leather and for their attention to craftsmanship.

Produced entirely by hand, the effeffe Berlinetta is a car constructed with the same care with which craftsmen constructed the famous Gran Turismo at the end of the 1950s; a car of strong character, both formal and substantial, that expresses uniqueness, fascination and the aesthetic qualities of great design.

The new effeffe Berlinetta represents the spirit of the craftsmen who created the industry’s history and contributed to a car’s success: from the frame builder to the engineer and the mechanic, from the sheet metal worker to the test driver, and we must not forget the importance of the master leatherworker, entrusted with the task of making the cockpit not only welcoming, but elegant, comfortable and luxurious. This is a challenge that Matteograssi is able to take on precisely because of their long tradition of leather and coach hide craftsmanship and an almost maniacal obsession with the perfect workmanship of the highest quality raw materials: a characteristic that has made them famous throughout the world.

With completely Italian DNA, the effeffe Berlinetta fully reflects the sprit of the Fuoriserie, which few know were born from the exacting passion of Italian craftsmen. It was in 1946 when, on the occasion of the cycle of events known as “Les Premières Journées d’Elegance” in Lausanne, the international press was struck by the originality of the cars made ​​by a group of Italian custom car manufacturers. In contrast to the large automakers, who were quite behind in the production of new models, the cars presented by small craftsmen were defined as “fuori serie of exceptional interest”, and from that moment forward, the term became a symbol of elegance and style.

Since 1880 Matteograssi has been working with leather and coach hide with the passion and care of true craftsman. Matteograssi is among the industry leaders on the international market in the production of contemporary furnishings for home, office and contract.

The unmistakable style of all their collections is the end result of a philosophy that has always mixed innovative design with skill in crafting the materials: firstly, leather and coach hide occasionally combined with wood, crystal and steel. Matteograssi also collaborates with the best architects and designers in the industry such as: Tito Agnoli, Carlo Bartoli, Piero Lissoni, Alessandro Mendini, Franco Poli, Kunihide Oshinomi Eoos, Jean Nouvel, Luigi Massoni, Matteo Nunziati, Rodolfo Dordoni, Gordon Guillaumier, Giuseppe Viganò, Patrick Jouin, Stefano Grassi, Kensaku Oshiro, Sung Sook Kim, Stefano Bigi.