A winter health resort, a snow-covered racecourse on an icy lake, sunshine in sub-zero temperatures - it all sounds like the perfect setting for a skijoring event, but not necessarily for a Concours d'Elégance with the most beautiful and expensive cars in the world.
Marco Makaus, founder and patron of "The I.C.E. St. Moritz", saw things differently in 2019 and on February 26, 2022, cars from almost ten decades met again at the gates of St. Moritz. Makaus comments: "After the 'Number Zero' edition in 2019, we had to wait three years to realize this dream that was born 37 years ago: The result of the patience and work of everyone involved makes up for the long wait."
The somewhat different Concours
Despite the snow and 1800 meters above sea level, the beauty competition was not so different from other concours. One difference, however, was the aforementioned racetrack of the traditional horse race "White Turf". This track offered the beautiful cars the opportunity to show themselves dynamically and in motion.
Spiked tires were even fitted to a Jaguar XKSS or a Formula racing car to allow the classic car to fly and demonstrate the broadside to the enthusiastic audience.
Of course, not all drivers were equally successful and some of the participants may have found the classic too good for daring maneuvers on the snow-covered track.
Some, however, showed remarkable drifts, above all the driver of the Jaguar XKSS, who was the only one who managed to drive completely around the long 180-degree bends and thus became the darling of all spectators. Others were a little less lucky and their driving maneuvers ended in spins and, in the worst case, in a wooden fence. And we're not talking about rally-proven Ford Escorts or Lancia Stratos here, but Ferrari 250 GT Lusso, Porsche 356 Speedster, Maserati Ghibli or Lamborghini Countach.
James Bond action and other movie quotes
Those who stuck around the circuit in the wintry temperatures were able to see a number of film celebrities drift past.
For example, there was the Aston Martin DB5 with (almost) complete Bond equipment, as it appeared in Goldfinger. Its driver even had a pistol as a "prop".
The Mercury Cougar with skis strapped on came from another Bond movie.
And the Meyers Manx Buggy with Corvair engine may not have featured in a Bond film, but with its appearance in "The Thomas Crown Affair" and Steve McQueen as the film driver, it is probably at least as prominent as the Cougar.
Elegance in the snow dust
Many of the 50 beauties have also been seen at the summer concours at Pebble Beach, Villa d'Este and elsewhere. However, most of them have rarely been seen on snow, let alone in a dusting of snow.
Whether early Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari 365 GTS/4 or Lancia Aurelia B24 S America, they all dare to make an appearance in wintry St. Moritz. Aston Martin, Jaguar, Porsche, Morris some Porsche, a Mini, Mercedes-Benz or Volkswagen.
The selected vehicles were certainly "first class" and with their current values they also fitted perfectly into the noble resort of St. Moritz. Naturally, the dark blue Ferrari 250 GTO from 1963 (chassis 4219GT) was a perfect fit.
Round of winners
Of course, the winners of the I.C.E. St. Moritz - International Concours of Elegance 2022 should also be mentioned:
The "Jet set on Ice" class was won by the Ferrari 275 GTB (1965), one of only four 275 GTBs with a long-nose aluminum body, a masterpiece of style and dynamics.
In the "Stars on wheel" class, the Lamborghini Miura (1968) stood at the top of the podium.
In the "Vintage road racing" class, the little Englishman won the Morris Mini Cooper S, a former works car from 1967.
The "Barchettas on the Lake" class saw the Jaguar C-Type from 1953 as the winner and the "Vintage Grand Prix" class was dominated by the Maserati 4CL from 1939, designed by Ernesto Maserati.
However, the ICE jury chose the beautiful and legendary Alfa Romeo Tipo B/P3 from 1933 as "Best of Show".
And the Instalake Trophy went to the black Ferrari 250 GTO from 1963, while the "Spirit of St. Moritz" prize was awarded to the Fiat 130 "Villa d'Este" Introzzi from 1970.
More snow?
However, not all spectators got their money's worth, which was partly due to the fact that the announced schedule was only adhered to to a limited extent. It would also have been fitting for a Concours if not only the owners but also the cars had been shown at the award ceremony. There was also no need to completely dispense with the rain of snippets familiar from American Concours, as a snow cannon could have been used instead.
The work of the photographers and filmers, as well as the drivers, could perhaps have been made a little easier by better marking and centering the lane. This would have given the cars a guideline as to where they should drive through and there would also have been more space for turning. And how about setting up the cars a little more openly and with more space during the breaks to allow the many social media representatives better "shots"?
Of course, all this should be understood as criticism at a high level, because the organizers and promoters can only be praised for having created such a unique event out of the ground, or rather snow. Keep up the good work!
The owners, or rather their mechanics, now have the task of preparing the "wintered" beauties for summer use again. But even this will probably not empty their expense account.
