A beauty contest for automobiles was held in Lucerne for the first time in 1928 and took place a total of seven times until 1955.
Then there was a break until 2015, when Bernd Link and Urs P. Ramseier started the new era of the Concours with a prologue. Once again, the event took place on the National Quay directly on the shores of Lake Lucerne, and in 2016, the relaunch of the famous Lucerne beauty contest was to follow.
The authorities were understanding and on September 17, 2016, the area behind the Grand Casino Lucerne and the Grand Hotel National, which is usually reserved exclusively for pedestrians, was also reserved for classic cars.
Rain and other mishaps
Almost everything can be planned, except the weather. And the technology of old cars can also throw a spanner in the works for their owners, either because the engine just won't start or is completely out of order. As a result, the planned 40 or so participating vehicles turned into 25, which finally gathered in the morning, first at the Lucerne Museum of Transport and then at the National Quai.
Back at the old venue
The Concours d'Excellence was introduced by the 1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan Town Sedan, with which Carl Bucherer started his class - closed production cars with original factory design - in 1949.
After an extensive restoration, the car shone again as it did back then and would certainly have cut a fine figure in the competition, but this time the car only took part "hors concours", i.e. outside the classification.
Once over the ramp
Shortly after lunchtime, the entry of the competition cars began. An Aston Martin International with a unique Bertelli limousine body from 1932 made the start.
This car, which had already been admired at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, has had a rich life and has certainly not been spared in its more than 80 years. Now, freshly restored, it is part of Walter Frey's collection and was ultimately awarded the "Best of Show" prize "Grand Prix d'Excellence Lucerne 2016".
The Aston was followed by an Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Spider by Zagato from 1929 and the other participating vehicles.
Presenters Daniel Mauerhofer and Urs P. Ramseier told interesting facts about each car, and the drivers were also able to share a few tidbits from the lives of their treasures.
This presentation lasted around an hour and a half in front of a large audience.
Contemporary clothing
The crews, who were dressed in historical and festive attire to match the cars, drew special applause.
It is well known that car beauty contests used to be fashion shows, but they didn't go that far in Lucerne on September 17.
Three times Graber
Hermann Graber is one of the best-known and internationally most respected coachbuilders in Switzerland. Three of his extensive creations were on display in Lucerne, including the Bentley R Type from 1953 as an elegant coupé in black and two Alvis Coupés from 1957 and 1961.
All of these creations once again impressed with their understated elegance and timeless form, which is perceived as beautiful from almost any perspective.
Special bodies and a Swiss touch
In general, special bodies predominated in Lucerne. More than half of the coaches had a body that was unique or at least very rare in its form. These cars included the extremely rare and exceptionally attractive Ferrari 340 America with Touring Barchetta bodywork from 1950.
The Enzmann 506, around 100 of which were built in Schüpfheim at the end of the 1950s and is therefore a Swiss product, also featured in the special body class.
Many of the cars that were not built in Switzerland have a strong Swiss "accent", at least in terms of their history. The 1961 Jaguar E-Type presented at the Geneva Motor Show, for example, had many differences compared to the later production cars.
Well traveled
Most of the cars on display have experienced a lot in their lives, but the Tatraplan 600 Aerodynamic from 1949 had a truly long journey. Its owner had driven it from the Czech Republic to Switzerland, some 1000 kilometers.
In contrast to its larger eight-cylinder brothers, the car equipped with a four-cylinder boxer engine sounds more like a VW Beetle, but runs much faster thanks to its excellent aerodynamic design.
Leisurely day
However, the Lucerne Concours was not about speed, on the contrary.
It was a leisurely day, because between the two ramp crossings at 12:30 and 17:30 there was nothing to do except chat with other owners and eat, and of course wait to see how your own car finished in the rankings.
The somewhat different evaluation
In contrast to other concours, the cars in Lucerne were not judged on their condition, but on their elegance and appearance. The jury, made up of well-known specialist authors, therefore did not have to deal with the quality of restorations, but could simply let the vehicles and their history have an effect on them.
But not only the jury could choose their favorites, the visitors and participants could also each award a prize, which was allocated by a voting procedure.
Beat Lötscher's 1954 Jaguar XK 140 OTS emerged as the public's favorite, while the participants chose Louis Frey's 1950 Ferrari 340 America Touring as their favorite.
Even more potential
The site on Lake Lucerne and against the imposing backdrop of the Casino and the Hotel National is certainly ideal for a Concours. For the next event, visitors would like to see 40 to 50 cars and a somewhat tighter program after the first ramp. Additional special shows would also be conceivable, which could be presented to the public during the waiting time before the award ceremony. And, of course, the hope for the next Concours d'Excellence is for better weather and a full turnout of participants. And, of course, a little more publicity would also be welcome for the beautifully designed Concours.
List of participating vehicles (on site)
The following list shows all participating vehicles that were on site on September 17, 2016. Class and special prizes are listed in the "Awards 2016" column.
| No. | Make | Type | Year | Awards 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 | Aston Martin | International Saloon Bertelli | 1932 | Winner "Grand Prix Concours d'Excellence Lucerne, class winner "Closed cars up to 1940" |
| 12 | Alfa Romeo | 6C 1750 GS Zagato | 1929 | |
| 14 | Rolls-Royce | Silver Ghost Playboy Roadster Brewster | 1923 | |
| 18 | Plymouth | PE Convertible Langenthal | 1934 | |
| 20 | Bentley | 3 1/2 Litre DHC Park Ward | 1934 | Class winner "Open cars up to 1940" |
| 22 | Mercedes-Benz | 290 Cabriolet A | 1935 | |
| 24 | SS Jaguar | 2.5 Litre Cabriolet Tüscher | 1937 | |
| 26 | Cadillac | Series 75 Convertible Reinbolt & Christé | 1938 | |
| 28 | Bentley | 3 1/2 Litre Drophead Coupé Park Ward | 1934 | |
| 32 | Hotchkiss | Type AM Torpedo | 1923 | |
| 34 | Tatraplan | 600 Aerodynamic | 1949 | |
| 36 | Bristol | 401 | 1953 | |
| 40 | Studebaker | President Speedster | 1955 | |
| 42 | Jaguar | E-Type FHC | 1961 | Class winner "Closed cars 1945-1970" |
| 44 | Ferrari | 250 GT/E | 1963 | |
| 46 | OSI | Ford 20m TS | 1966 | |
| 48 | Monteverdi | 375 L 2+2 Fissore | 1970 | |
| 50 | Riley | 2.5 L RHD Convertible | 1950 | Class winner "Open cars 1945-1970 |
| 54 | Jaguar | XK 140 OTS | 1954 | Winner "Audience Award Excellence Award" |
| 56 | Ford | Thunderbird | 1955 | |
| 58 | Mercedes-Benz | 190 SL | 1957 | |
| 62 | Bentley | R Type Graber Coupé | 1953 | |
| 66 | Alvis | TC 108 G Graber Coupé | 1957 | |
| 68 | Alvis | TD 21 Graber Coupé | 1961 | Class winner "Special bodies closed, 1945-1970" |
| 72 | Monteverdi | 375 L 2+2 Fissore | 1970 | |
| 80 | Ferrari | 340 America Barchetta Touring | 1950 | Winner "Entrants Trophy, choice of participants" |
| 82 | Alfa Romeo | 6C 2500 Cabrioelet Pinin Farina | 1953 | |
| 86 | Enzmann | 506 | 1957 | Class winner "Special bodies open, 1945-1970" |
