Lenzerheide is located in the Romansh part of the canton of Graubünden and has become a model summer and winter holiday destination over the last hundred years.
Situated at 1,473 meters above sea level, the alpine community spoils tourists and visitors with an impressive alpine panorama, a lake and ... for the second time since 2011 with the roaring engines of the automotive past. At least on the weekend of 14-16 June 2013, cyclists, recreational athletes and travelers had to cede a 2.45 km stretch of road to the historic racing and sports cars taking part in the Lenzerheide Motor Classics.
Roaring engines, smoking brakes
A varied circuit was provided for the classic car event. The start was at the beginning of Lenzerheide, then the route led back towards Parpan in a winding route on the "Voa Principala" along the Heidsee lake to the valley station of the Rothorn cable car and back to the start via a return route, which slowed the vehicles down somewhat with a neutralized zone.
The 10 or so laps meant real work for the drivers and racing cars, because after each pass through the calmed zone, it was possible to rev up again, and the top speeds on the track along the lake were well above what is normally driven on country roads. The tight radii of the bends around the valley station of the Rothornbahn called for decisive braking maneuvers, which sometimes resulted in visibly smoking deceleration devices.
The drivers were beaming because, in contrast to a hill climb, they were able to take to the track four times for 25 km at a stretch this weekend and enjoy their racers to the full.
A lead rider ensured that the speeds remained within a controllable range and that they were driven gently in the calm zones.
Hot and purebreds
Around 60 racing and sports cars from 1917 to 1986, as well as racing motorcycles/carriages and a Morgan Three Wheeler were at the start.
The oldest vehicle was the brute Le France Type 12 from 1917, which, with its 14.5-liter engine, chain drive and Ruedi Schawalder, who was in a good mood as always, put the audience in a good mood.
Hansueli Bächli really let it fly on an Alvis Greenfell from 1932, which was always hot on the heels of the lead vehicle.
A particularly rare racing car on the circuit was the 1928 Georges Irat Grand Prix (GP 6) with chassis number 5015, which finished second in the GP de Maroc in the year of its birth with its 150 hp three-liter six-cylinder engine.
Of course, there was a colorful mix of cars from Zuffenhausen(Porsche), Maranello(Ferrari), Modena(Maserati) and Coventry(Jaguar) in the starting field, but there were also cars that are rarely seen, such as a TVR Griffith 200 from 1965 with a powerful V8 Ford engine or a Renault 5 Turbo 2 from 1986.
Fans of the seventies will certainly have enjoyed the two Opel Kadett C GT/Es, an entry-level model for motorsport at the time.
The field of vehicles was diverse and offered both the eye and the ear many a treat.
Local color with the village group
A special splash of color was provided by the so-called "village group", which made its rounds at a somewhat more leisurely pace, but also allowed a reunion with once commonplace classics such as the Morris Minor, the Citroën Légère, the Fiat 128 or the VW Beetle.
But there were also rarities to admire here, because you don't see a DeLorean DMC12 - known from the "Back to the Future" films - every day, just as you don't see aFerrari 250 GT or a sprightly pre-war MG.
With a new organization and new vigour
The Lenzerheide Motor Classics was suspended in 2012. With a new team and a lot of support from helpers, authorities and sponsors, the 2013 event was organized and a convincing event was pulled off. The weather - two days of sunshine in early summer temperatures - played along and the spectators, who were allowed to attend the event free of charge, went along enthusiastically.
According to OC President Michael Widmer, the Motor Classics 2013 will go down in history as a "successful event", not least because there were no major incidents apart from a few minor fender benders, and it will be held again in 2014 in a similar form (and perhaps with slightly more participants).
Note: Almost all of the competing vehicles are shown in detail in the additional picture gallery , sorted by start number.
Start list
The following list shows the registered vehicles. Not all vehicles drove as planned, some corrections were made.
| Field | Start no. | Make | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | 101 | Austin Healey | MK1 | 1960 |
| R1 | 102 | Volvo | 122 SR | 1965 |
| R1 | 103 | Alfa Romeo | 1750 GTV Bertone | 1970 |
| R1 | 104 | Austin Healey | BN1 Le Mans | 1953 |
| R1 | 105 | Innocenti | Mini Cooper 1300 (Leyland) | 1974 |
| R1 | 106 | Porsche 356 | Karmann Hardtop 850TC | 1961 |
| R1 | 107 | Fiat Abarth | Nürburgring | 1962 |
| R1 | 108 | TVR | Griffith 200 | 1965 |
| R1 | 109 | Fiat | 850 Special | 1970 |
| R1 | 110 | Fiat | Nuova 500F | 1967 |
| R2 | 201 | Ferrari | 275 GTB | 1965 |
| R2 | 202 | Mercedes | 300 SL Roadster | 1957 |
| R2 | 203 | Jaguar | Mk IX | 1960 |
| R2 | 204 | Aston Martin | DB2 Mark 3 | 1959 |
| R2 | 205 | Porsche | 356 Super | 1958 |
| R2 | 206 | Fiat | Dino Coupe 2400 | 1971 |
| R2 | 207 | MG | A Wagner Sp 1 | 1959 |
| R2 | 208 | MG | B GT V8 Sebring | 1975 |
| R2 | 209 | Alfa Romeo | Giulia 1300 Tl | 1970 |
| R2 | 210 | Innocenti | Mini Cooper 1300 | 1973 |
| R2 | 211 | VW | 1303 | 1973 |
| R2 | 212 | Citroën | Self-built Aschigs 12 | 1972 |
| R2 | 213 | Triumph | TR 6 | 1971 |
| R2 | 214 | Lancia | Fulvia 1.3 HF | 1972 |
| R2 | 215 | MG | A | 1960 |
| R3 | 301 | Riley | Speed Adelphi | 1936 |
| R3 | 302 | Buick | Bulldog | 1933 |
| R3 | 303 | Alvis | Greenfell | 1932 |
| R3 | 304 | Bentley | Special Donington | 1951 |
| R3 | 305 | Georges Irat | Grand Prix | 1928 |
| R3 | 306 | Jaguar | SS 100 | 1938 |
| R3 | 307 | La France | Type 12 | 1917 |
| R3 | 308 | Ford | Model T Racer | 1918 |
| R4 | 6 | Morgan | Three Wheeler | 1930 |
| R5 | 501 | Triumph | TR 6 | 1972 |
| R5 | 502 | Renault | 5 Turbo 2 | 1986 |
| R5 | 503 | Lotus | Seven S3 | 1969 |
| R5 | 504 | Lotus | Europe S2 | 1969 |
| R5 | 505 | Ferrari | Dino 308 GT4 | 1975 |
| R5 | 506 | Alfa Romeo | Montreal | 1974 |
| R5 | 507 | Chevrolet | Corvette C1 | 1958 |
| R5 | 508 | Opel | Kadett C GT/E | 1977 |
| R5 | 509 | Opel | Kadett C GT/E | 1977 |
| R5 | 510 | BMW | 2002 Heidegger | 1969 |
| R5 | 511 | Alfa Romeo | Spider 2.0 Modi | 1986 |
| R5 | 512 | Fiat | 128 Special | 1971 |
| R5 | 513 | Porsche | 356 Super 90 | 1962 |
| R6 | 601 | Gebhardt | C2 Le Mans | 1978 |
| R6 | 602 | March | March 703 | 1970 |
| R6 | 603 | De Tomaso | Pantera 874 | 1976 |
| R6 | 604 | Porsche | 911 RSR | 1974 |
| R6 | 605 | Porsche | RSR IROC | 1973 |
| R6 | 606 | Lancia | Stratos HF | 1976 |
| R6 | 607 | Shelby | Cobra 427 S/C | 1966 |
| R6 | 608 | Cobra | MKIV | 1977 |
| R6 | 609 | Lotus | 23 Prototype | 1963 |
| R6 | 610 | Maserati | 250F | 1956 |
| R6 | 611 | Jaguar | E Type Lightweight | 1962 |
| R6 | 612 | Chevrolet | Corvette | 1979 |
| R6 | 613 | Dino Ferrari | Monoposto EB | 1970 |
| Village group | D1 | MG | PB Magna | 1936 |
| Village group | D2 | Citroën | Légère (Traction Avant) | 1953 |
| Village group | D3 | Land Rover | Series 1 | 1957 |
| Village group | D4 | AlfaRomeo | Spider 2000 | 1979 |
| Village group | D5 | Pontiac | Firebird | 1967 |
| Village group | D6 | Morris | Minor | 1960 |
| Village group | D7 | Willys | RB | 1943 |
| Village group | D8 | Jaguar XR140 | XK140DHC | 1956 |
| Village group | D9 | Ford Mustang | 350 GT | 1967 |
| Village group | D10 | De Tomaso | Pantera | 1982 |
| Village group | D11 | DeLorean | DMC 12 | 1981 |
| Village group | D12 | Lenzerheide | Fiat Dino 2400 Spider | 1971 |
| Village group | D13 | Condor | A580 | 1952 |
| village group | D14 | Condor | A350 | 1975 |
| village group | D15 | VW | Beetle | 1971 |
| Village group | D16 | Fiat | 128 Sedan | 1970 |
