As early as 1935, 1938 and 1939, racing drivers ventured up the Grossglockner with their sometimes monstrous vehicles to win the Grand Mountain Prize. In 2012, the tradition was revived for the first time and a revival was held on the occasion of the Grossglockner Grand Prix. With obvious success, as most of the participants returned in 2013 to compete with the mountain and the clock once again.
Breathtaking scenery in the best conditions
In addition to the unique pass road with 14 hairpin bends and 92 curves over 14 kilometers, it is of course above all the breathtaking mountain panorama that attracts the participants of the Grand Prix.
And riders also have plenty of opportunity to marvel at the mountain formations. In general, organizer Marcus Herfort has put together a relaxed program that allows the drivers to devote plenty of time to the landscape, but also to the other participants and, of course, to their own cars.
In 2013, the weather also played along, spoiling the participants with sunshine and warm temperatures of 16 to 17 degrees at the top of the pass, while in 2012 there was even snow at the top.
Battling with the clock and the technique
A training run and three timed mountain runs were planned, with the first official run on Friday afternoon setting the target time, which was to be confirmed in two mountain runs on Saturday and repeated to the nearest hundredth if possible.
While some participants really see the uphill ride as a competition and pay meticulous attention to keeping to the time, others see the uphill rides primarily as a sporting challenge and a battle with technique.
The closed road was driven in a correspondingly sporty manner, much to the delight of the spectators, who naturally found a Maserati racing towards them with battle cries more exciting than a Porsche creeping along, not wanting to exceed the target time under any circumstances.
Technical problems
Although only 14 kilometers long, such a long ascent naturally takes its toll on the material. As a result, not all vehicles made it through to the last run without any problems.

The 16-cylinder Bugatti never really got going. The "Grossen Werkmeister" suffered valve damage on a hill climb, the Alfa Romeo 8C Touring was plagued by technical problems, and the Atalanta's fuel supply caused problems towards the end. And one or two others were plagued by thermal problems or other minor issues. In any case, the mechanics and self-tinkerers never ran out of work.
Pre-war dominance with increasing post-war share
84 vehicles were entered, 47 in the pre-war category, 6 in the 1945-1950 period and a further 31 in the 1951-1965 period. This meant that the post-war share had increased compared to the previous year, but the pre-war fraction was still dominant and represented with exciting vehicles.
The five Healey Silverstones were a particular highlight. It is rare to see so many vehicles of this type at an event. However, the field also included many other rarities; for details, please consult the list of participants at the end of this report.
Satisfied participants, few spectators
Despite the postponement of the race by one day towards the weekend, only a small crowd turned up at the Grossglockner, many spectators were on the mountain by chance, but were all the more pleased to see the driving beauties.
However, this did not dampen the enthusiasm of the participants, who were very satisfied, because in addition to the magnificent panorama, the beautiful late summer weather and the organization that ran like clockwork, they had the opportunity for a lively exchange and there were no significant incidents.
The regularity winner Holger Träger and his co-driver Alexander Keller were of course particularly happy. In their 1966 Volkswagen Type 11, they hit the self-imposed target time most accurately in the two Saturday hillclimbs, despite a manageable number of horsepower. Stephan Koch and Angela Kochwon the class for model years 1941-1950 in a Healey Silverstone, while Ulrich Renger and co-driver Susanne Hufnagel won the pre-war class in an Alvis 12/70 Speed 20 from 1938.
One of the prize winners, who announced that he had no clocks on board at all, proved that regularity does not always have to have something to do with mastering two synchronized stopwatches.
Finally, the stomach was not neglected and the atmosphere was generally described as very good. A good reason to come back to the Grossglockner in a year's time!
Registered participant vehicles
| Class | Start no. | Vehicle | Year | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - until 1939 | 1 | Riley MPH special | 1937 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 2 | Simca 8 Barquette Roux | 1939 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 3 | MG TA Special "Q-Type | 1936 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 4 | Riley T.T. Sprite | 1937 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 5 | Riley Special 12-4 | 1934 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 6 | Aston Martin 15/98 Speed Model Type B | 1937 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 7 | Aston Martin International 1,5 Ltr. | 1931 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 8 | Alvis Speed 20SB | 1934 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 9 | Morgan Three Wheeler | 1933 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 10 | Morgan Three Wheeler Super Sport | 1933 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 11 | Talbot | 1934 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 12 | Invicta S-Type Low chassis | 1932 | 3rd place pre-war class |
| 1 - until 1939 | 13 | Chenard & Walker Tank | 1929 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 14 | Alvis 12/70 Speed 20 | 1938 | 1st place pre-war class |
| 1 - until 1939 | 15 | Talbot Darracq Super Sport | 1932 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 16 | Bugatti Type 35 B | 1925 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 17 | Invicta Low Chassis | 1932 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 18 | Bentley 4.5 liter Open Tourer | 1928 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 19 | MG K3 Supercharger | 1933 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 20 | BMW 327/28 Sport Coupé | 1938 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 21 | Bugatti Type 45 | 1930 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 22 | Buick Shafer 8 | 1931 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 23 | Aston Martin Le Mans MKII | 1934 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 24 | Atalanta Sports Tourer | 1938 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 25 | Marmon T68 | 1928 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 26 | Invicta Low Chassis 4,5 Ltr. | 1934 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 27 | Bentley 4.5 Ltr. Le Mans | 1929 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 28 | BMW 315/1 | 1934 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 29 | MG L Magna | 1934 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 30 | Alvis 12/70 | 1939 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 32 | Aston Martin MK II | 1934 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 33 | Alvis Speed 20 SA | 1932 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 34 | Lagonda LG 6 Special | 1940 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 35 | Alvis Speed 20 SC | 1935 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 36 | Fiat 508 C | 1939 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 37 | Riley Brooklands Special | 1938 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 38 | Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport | 1939 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 39 | Alfa Romeo 6C | 1929 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 40 | Delahaye 135S | 1937 | 2nd place pre-war class |
| 1 - until 1939 | 41 | Alfa Romeo 8C Monza | 1934 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 42 | Bugatti T 35B | 1929 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 43 | Maserati 8CM | 1933 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 44 | Mercedes-Benz SSK | 1931 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 45 | Maserati 4 CL | 1939 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 46 | Alfa Romeo 8C Monza | 1932 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 47 | Bentley / Singleseater "Mother Gun" | 1927 | |
| 1 - until 1939 | 48 | ERA B | 1936 | |
| 2 - 1940-1950 | 50 | Maserati | 1947 | |
| 2 - 1940-1950 | 51 | Healey Silverstone D32 | 1949 | 2nd place class 1941-1950 |
| 2 - 1940-1950 | 52 | Healey Silverstone | 1949 | |
| 2 - 1940-1950 | 53 | Healey Silverstone D20 | 1949 | 3rd place class 1941-1950 |
| 2 - 1940-1950 | 54 | Healey Silverstone | 1950 | |
| 2 - 1940-1950 | 55 | Healey Silverstone | 1950 | 1st place class 1941-1950 |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 60 | Austin-Healey 3000 Mk I | 1961 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 61 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster | 1957 | 2nd place class 1951-1970 |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 62 | Lotus 17 | 1959 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 63 | Porsche 356 Speedster Type 540 | 1954 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 64 | BMW 328 - Large works champion | 1952 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 65 | Porsche 356 SC | 1963 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 66 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé Gullwing | 1956 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 67 | Austin-Healey 3000 Mk I | 1961 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 68 | Ferrari 500 Mondial | 1955 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 69 | Porsche 356 GS Special | 1960 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 70 | Austin-Healey Sprite MKI Supercharger | 1959 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 71 | Apal GT Coupé | 1961 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 72 | Alfa Romeo Giulia SS | 1964 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 73 | Mercedes 300 SL | 1955 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 74 | Aston Martin DB 2-4 | 1955 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 75 | Triumph TR 3 | 1957 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 76 | Porsche RSK Spyder | 1958 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 77 | Porsche 356 "Split Window" Coupé | 1951 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 78 | Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing | 1956 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 79 | Volkswagen Type 11 | 1966 | 1st place in class 1951-1970, overall winner |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 80 | Porsche 356 B Speedster Cabriolet | 1955 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 81 | Fiat Abarth 1300 OT | 1966 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 82 | Porsche 914/6 | 1970 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 83 | Fiat 124 Sedan "Carabinieri" | 1966 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 84 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL | 1954 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 85 | Chevrolet Corvette 427 Stingray C2 | 1965 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 86 | Mercedes-Benz 300 "SLS-Porter | 1955 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 87 | Ferrari 250 SWB | 1962 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 88 | Porsche 911 2.0 L | 1965 | 3rd place class 1951-1970 |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 89 | Shelby AC Cobra | 1962 | |
| 3 - 1951-1965 | 90 | Shelby Cobra | 1962 |
In two extensive picture galleries, practically all participating and driving vehicles are shown in over 300 pictures:
- Pre-war vehicles gallery (up to 1940)
- Post-war vehicles gallery (1941-1965)






















































































































































































































