Italian beauties in the mountain sun - Passione Engadina in St. Moritz

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Created on August 29, 2013

Reading time 6min

Written by:

Oswald Iten, erschienen in der "Neuen Zürcher Zeitung" am 29.08.2013

Photos:

Passione Engadina Press Materials

Alfa Romeo 1900 C Pininfarina (1953) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Grand Sport (1932) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Impressionen von der Passione Engadina 2013 - Maserati 450S Sportwagen auf der Flugpiste - er wurde auch Sieger im Concorso d'Eleganza

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Fiat Topolino 500C (1951) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Bild von Partner Planai Classic 2025 Inline 1

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Alfa Romeo 1900 C SS (1956) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Impressionen von der Passione Engadina 2013 - Bereit zum Start, stilgerecht mit Handschuhen am Holzlenkrad

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Maserati 3500 GT Vignale Spider (1961) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Lancia Flaminia Spider (1961) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Fiat 1500 Ghia Coupé (1963) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA (1965) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Ferrari 275 GTS (1966) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Lancia Flaminia Super Sport Zagato (1966) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Ferrari 275 GTB 2 6C Longnose (1966) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Impressionen von der Passione Engadina 2013 - Handschuhe in den italienischen Farben, da freut sich das Ferrari-Lenkrad

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Fiat 500 110F (1969) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Maserati Ghibli SS (1970) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Fiat Abarth 595 (1970) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Alfa Romeo GTA 1300 Junior (1970) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Maserati Ghibli Spider (1970) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Impressionen von der Passione Engadina 2013 - Warten vor dern nächsten Etappe

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Lancia Fulvia Rally HF 1.6 (1971) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Lancia Fulvia HF 1600 (1972) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV (1979) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Alfa Romeo GTV 2000 (1973) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Maserati Mistral (1966) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Impressionen von der Passione Engadina 2013 - die Teilnehmer wecken viel Interesse bei der Bevölkerung und den Touristen

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Ferrari 328 GTS (1987) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Ferrari 512 Testarossa (1989) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Lamborghini Diablo (1992) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Impressionen von der Passione Engadina 2013 - Startnummern in Blau

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Ferrari 458 Spider (2011) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

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Nowhere have more beautiful cars been built than in Italy. The participants and spectators at the Passione Engadina in St. Moritz were able to see this for themselves with over seventy examples.

Last year, Italian lovers of historic vehicles had their party spoiled by a rumor that agents of the Guardia di Finanza were spying on the license plates of expensive cars in St. Moritz.

Bild Lancia Fulvia Rally HF 1.6 (1971) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

Last weekend, at the Passione Engadina, which was organized for the second time, there were over seventy vehicles present - twice as many as last year. However, Swiss owners or Italians living here were still in the majority.

San Pietro seemed to enjoy the event and, contrary to the gloomy weather forecasts, often let the sun shine over the event.

Bild Lancia Flaminia Spider (1961) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

Organ pipes under the hood

What is it that makes Italian Carrozze so fascinating? The timeless elegance at first glance, of course. Beneath the beautiful sheet metal, the outstanding technology provides another convincing argument. With overhead camshafts, dual ignition or efficient carburetor systems, Italian designers were at the forefront of progressive solutions in automotive engineering.

Even under the hood, they made beauty a top priority. Don't the intake manifolds of the carburetor system of a Maserati 450 S remind you of the polished pipes of a church organ? Anyone who was present when the Zurich-based owner of this Concorso d'Eleganza winner lifted the hood of the 1958 racing car could only answer this question in the affirmative.

Bild Impressionen von der Passione Engadina 2013 - Maserati 450S Sportwagen auf der Flugpiste - er wurde auch Sieger im Concorso d'Eleganza

Of course, alleged or actual values of classic cars in the millions are always a topic of conversation, especially at this year's Passione Engadina. A week earlier, 27.5 million dollars had been raised at an auction in Monterrey, California, for a special variant of a Ferrari 275 GTB, of which two examples of the much more common "normal version" were present in St. Moritz.

For ambitious collectors like Axel Marx, who drove the oldest vehicle at this year's Passione in a beautiful 1932 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 racing car, such reports of "record sums" are no cause for jumping for joy. He would never dream of selling a piece from his renowned Alfa Romeo collection because the price boom might soon have reached its peak. Rather, he is annoyed that spare parts prices will rise as a result or that he will be stared at as a Croesus when he has been putting his passion into practice since he was a child.

The more he delves into the subject of Alfa Romeo, the more his curiosity drives him on, said vascular surgeon Marx on the sidelines of Passione. He is currently discovering the history of the Alfa built in Brazil and thus a new country for him, its history, language, culture and inhabitants. The social aspect of the passion for historic cars has a unifying effect. An Alfista always feels an affinity with other Alfisti, even if they drive an "ordinary" car.

Bild Alfa Romeo 1900 C Pininfarina (1953) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

False-red Ferrari?

Pointed remarks are part of every classic car meeting. One expert, for example, mocked certain Ferrari buyers who did not know that Master Enzo had reserved the color red for cars built for racing purposes. "Donne e motori, gioie e dolori", is a popular saying.

Mauro Forghieri, Ferrari's legendary long-time chief designer, came up with the solution to a riddle at the Passione. He had to confess that in 1974 Clay Regazzoni had missed out on the Formula 1 world championship title "thanks" to him because he, Forghieri, had been unable to deliver a spare part to Watkins Glen for the decisive race due to a snowstorm. Fittipaldi had the title in the bag.

Bild Ferrari 275 GTB 2 6C Longnose (1966) - an der Passione Engadina 2013 - Raduno Internationale Di Auto Storiche Italiane

Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini are still magical names today, as their new models taking part in the Passione testify.
However, they do not owe their continued sales success to the Italians, who buy around 70 percent fewer cars from these brands. In addition to the secure Swiss market, it is primarily the Chinese who are keeping employment high in the factory halls of Maranello, Modena and Sant'Agata. At the Passione, the beautifully coachbuilt 1963 Fiat 1500 GT Ghia Coupé - not an absurdly expensive classic car, but nevertheless an admired class winner at the Concorso d'Eleganza in front of the Palace Hotel - showed what great cars the now-defunct Fiat once built.

It takes the tenacity and charm of Paulo Spalluto to pull off a meeting for Italian classics in the country of origin in adverse times, along the lines of the British Classic Car Meeting, which has been successful in St. Moritz for twenty years. Style-conscious Italians and the Engadin are two poles that have long attracted each other, enthuses the Ticino advertising entrepreneur.

During the rally over Albula and back over the Julier, the foreign participants were particularly enthusiastic about the scenery they were presented with. Many vowed to return next year. A banker from Ticino was optimistic that the Engadin would regain its former attraction for Italians, just as Switzerland would retain its strength as a financial center. Recently, a new client told him: "My money is white money - for black days.

List of participating vehicles

Start no.	Make	Type	Year	Color	Color factor
1	Alfa Romeo	6C 1750 Grand Sport	1932	rosso / red	0.8
2	Fiat	Topolino 500C	1951	rosso / red	1.0
3	Alfa Romeo	1900 c Pininfarina	1953	azzurro / light blue	1.0
4	Alfa Romeo	1900 C SS	1956	rosso / red	1.0
5	Alfa Romeo	1900 SS Coupé	1957	rosso / red	1.0
6	Maserati	3500 GT Vignale Spider	1961	grigio / gray	1.0
7	Lancia	Flaminia Spider	1961	rosso / red	1.0
8	Maserati	3500 GTI	1962	rosso / red	1.0
9	Maserati	3500 GTi Touring	1962	blu / blue	1.0
10	Fiat	1500 Ghia Coupé	1963	rosso / red	1.0
11	Alfa Romeo	Giulia Spider Veloce	1964	rosso / red	1.0
12	Alfa Romeo	Giulia GTA	1965	bianco / white	1.0
13	Lamborghini	350 GT	1965	nero / black	1.0
14	Ferrari	275 GTS	1965	rosso / red	1.0
15	Lamborghini	400 GT INTERIM	1966	grigio / gray	1.0
16	Alfa Romeo	1600 Spider Duetto	1966	rosso / red	1.0
17	Ferrari	275 GTS	1966	azzurro / light blue	1.0
18	Lancia	Flaminia Super Sport Zagato	1966	bianco / white	1.0
19	Ferrari	275 GTB2 6C Longnose	1966	rosso / red	1.0
20	Lancia	Fulvia Sport Zagato	1967	arancione / orange	1.0
21	Ferrari	275 GTB 4	1967	argento / silver	1.0
22	Alfa Romeo	1900C Sprint	1968	grigio / gray	1.0
23	Alfa Romeo	Giulia Super	1968	bianco / white	1.0
24	Maserati	Ghibli AM 115	1968	nero / black	1.0
25	Fiat	500 110F	1969	blu / blue	1.0
26	Iso Rivolta	Iso Grifo Series 1	1969	azzurro / light blue	1.0
27	Alfa Romeo	GTC Convertible	1965	azzurro / light blue	1.0
28	Maserati	Ghibli SS	1970	giallo / yellow	1.0
29	Alfa Romeo	Montreal	1970	verde ramarro / emerald green	1.0
30	Fiat	Abarth 595	1970	blu / blue	1.0
31	Alfa Romeo	GTA 1300 Junior	1970	rosso / red	1.0
32	Maserati	Ghibli Spider	1970	nero / black	1.0
33	Lancia	Fulvia Rally HF 1.6	1971	rosso / red	1.0
34	Fiat	135 BS Dino 2500 S Cabriolet	1971	rosso / red	1.0
35	Iso Rivolta	Iso Grifo Can-Am	1971	rosso / red	1.0
36	Fiat	500F 695 ss assetto corsa replica Abarth	1971	bianco / white	1.0
37	Ferrari	246 Dino GT	1971	rosso / red	1.0
38	Ferrari	Dino 246 gts	1972	rosso / red	1.0
39	Ferrari	365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider	1972	blu sera / blue evening	1.0
40	Lancia	Fulvia HF 1600	1972	rosso / red	1.0
41	Maserati	Bora	1973	rosso / red	1.0
42	Ferrari	365 GTS Daytona Berlinetta	1973	blu / blue	1.0
43	De Tomaso	Pantera GTS	1973	rosso / red	1.0
44	Maserati	Khamsin AM 120034	1974	blu / blue	1.2
45	Alfa Romeo	Spider 2000	1975	rosso / red	1.2
46	Fiat	131 Abarth Rally Stradale	1976	rosso / red	1.2
47	Alfa Romeo	Alfetta GTV	1979	blu / blue	1.2
48	Alfa Romeo	Spider 2000	1980	rosso / red	1.2
49	Ferrari	512 BB	1980	rosso / red	1.2
50	Ferrari	512 BBi	1983	rosso / red	1.2
51	Alfa Romeo	GTV 2000	1973	rosso / red	1.0
52	Fiat	124 Spider	1984	rosso / red	1.5
53	Fiat	124 Spider	1984	grigio / gray	1.5
54	Fiat	124 Spider Volumex	1985	rosso / red	1.5
55	Ferrari	328 GTB	1986	rosso / red	1.5
56	Ferrari	328 GTS	1987	rosso / red	1.5
57	Ferrari	512 Testarossa	1989	rosso / red	1.5
58	Lamborghini	Diablo	1992	rosso / red	1.5
59	Lamborghini	132 Diablo SV 5704 CM3	1996	nero / black	1.5
60	Ferrari	550 Maranello	1997	grigio / gray	1.5
61	Maserati	3200 GT	2000	giallo / yellow	1.5
62	Ferrari	599 GTO	2011	rosso / red	1.5
63	Lamborghini	Aventador LP 700-4	2013		1.5
64	Lamborghini	Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante	2013		1.5
65	Ferrari	458 Spider	2011	blue / blue	1.5
66	Lancia	Beta Montecarlo	1975	rosso / red	1.2
67	Fiat	Spider 124 America	1979	blu sera / blue evening	1.2
68	Ferrari	Enzo	2004	rosso / red	1.5
71	Lamborghini	Countach	1980	grigio / gray	1.2
72	Maserati	450 S	1958	rosso / red	1.0
73	Lamborghini	Miura	1969	giallo / yellow	1.0