Valletta Concours, 28 May 2023
“VBL – Spirt of Valletta Award”
The VBL Group – the well-established property owner and Valletta focused investor – continues to be a committed supporter of the revival of the cultural and historic heritage of the Capital City – among others – through sponsorship and participation in the Valletta Concours. The Group has been a lead sponsor of the event for a number of years and since established the “VBL – Spirit of Valletta Award”, which aims to add a specific angle to Malta’s premier event for vintage and classic cars. This prize is awarded to the historic vehicle that best represents the lasting values, cultural heritage and also reflects the local flavour and “la dolce vita” style of Valletta. This year, the “VBL – Spirit of Valletta Award”, was awarded by a competent jury, co-chaired by Mr. Tony Zahra and Dr. Louis de Gabriele, both renowned Maltese car enthusiasts and strong advocates for the enhancement of Valletta and resurgence of the City.
“VBL – Spirit of Valletta Award 2023” was awarded to the beautifully restored and maintained red Alfa Romeo Spider from year 1961, a car which may have been driven in the good old days through the charming streets of the City. The selected beautiful example which clearly represents the lasting values and cultural heritage for which the VBL Group is committed to promoting and conserving throughout its business activities within Valletta. The award was presented by Dr Louis de Gabriele to the proud owner of this beautiful classic car, Mr. Carmel Debono.
The Group was well represented at the event, with an enclosure to host VBL Plc’s Shareholders, Suppliers and Stakeholders. Dr Geza Szephalmi, Founder and CEO of the VBL Group stated “These events are critical for our Capital City, not only do they showcase Valletta as a living and thriving City but also brings non routine visitors back and reminds them what they are missing. As a Group we sponsor many Valletta based events, these events are a great opportunity for us to reconnect with our growing Shareholder base and thank our Team for the sterling work they put in. It was truly amazing to see the entire St George’s Square buzzing with people enjoying what can only be described as a truly marvellous day out.”
The Valletta Concours has already become a well-known local and international event, featuring a selection of the finest historic and collector cars from the Maltese islands and abroad. Year after year it is attracting significant attention, from both the general public and the connoisseurs and car enthusiasts. Over the past almost a decade, the Valletta Concours d’Elegance has gained reputation as a world-class event, which goes far beyond the line-up of well-maintained and restored beautiful vintage and historic cars, but it now extends also to art exhibitions, period clothing contests and other cultural activities. The Concours has recently been quoted in an industry event in London, as one of the four most prestigious European vintage and classic car beauty contests, which praises very high the tireless work of Mr. John Saliba, the organiser and person who has envisioned and realised this event several years ago. The Concourse is sponsored by a number of prestigious local companies and agencies, and has a number of prize categories, covering various historic periods, as well as cultural and other aspects.
