Those who were not allowed to travel to Pebble Beach due to the travel ban in the USA could at least alleviate their disappointment a little with a substitute program at home. On August 18, 2021, 90 classic cars gathered on Bürkliplatz for the 17th edition of the Zurich Classic Car Award (ZCCA).
The classic cars on display ranged from the BMW 3 Series Compact to the Mercedes Gullwing, from the 16-year-old Honda S2000 to the 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom 1 and were divided into seven categories in which prizes were up for grabs.
Italo-Swiss double victory
The oldest cars in the Concours d'Elegance were in the pre-war category, which - as there was no separate class for 1940s cars - was extended to 1949. Two Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 Bs with Worblaufen bodywork, which appeared at the Geneva Motor Show in 1938, impressed the jury and took the first two places. The category win went to the black Lungo model, which was once presented on the Worblaufen stand and has survived to this day in unrestored condition, ahead of the restored Pescara Cabriolet, which already graced the Alfa stand in dark blue in 1938. Third place went to the second oldest vehicle at the Concours: a Rolls-Royce Phantom 1, which was delivered to an Indian maharajah in 1927.
One Englishman per decade
The class of 1950s cars was won by one of only 29 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLs built with an aluminum body. The gullwing in Bavarian blue prevailed against its former rival, the BMW 507. Between the two German arch-rivals was an Alvis TC21/100 Drop Head Coupé from 1954, which had been rebuilt by its owners in 6000 (!) hours. In addition to second place in its category, this almost superhuman achievement was also honored with the jury's special prize.
In the 60s category, two Maserati flanked a riviera blue Morris Mini Cooper in first and third place. The winner was a 3500 GTI with Lucas petrol injection, while the third-placed superrare 5000 GT Allemano from 1964 is said to have once belonged to Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh. The seventies - the only class without a blue car - were dominated by the Swiss: the Monteverdi 375 L High Speed, which once belonged to company founder Peter Monteverdi himself, was used as a demonstration car and - thanks to its long life as a museum exhibit - has only accumulated 2800 kilometers to date, won ahead of a Monteverdi 375/4. Third place went to a mustard yellow Triumph Spitfire 1500, which has been in the family since it was delivered in 1976 and is now already in the hands of the first owner's granddaughter.
A Toyota steals the show
The youngest field of participants was in the Youngtimer class, which was won by the second youngest vehicle of the day: a 2001 BMW Z8 in Topaz Blue Metallic. Third place for a Maserati went to a 1997 Ghibli (also in blue, of course) ahead of an Alfa Romeo SZ with Zagato plastic bodywork. Among the youngtimers, Automobil-Ilustrierte also awarded a special prize to Susanna Wegmüller. The Toyota Celica 2.0 GTI is her first car and will be her only and last. The red Japanese car currently has 230,000 kilometers on the clock and still looks almost like it did when it was bought in 1988.
60 years of e-mobility
As milestone birthdays are always a reason to celebrate, this year 15 Jaguar E-Types also faced the judges in their own class. Among them was the real Jaguar birthday child, which was the first E-Type ever built, exhibited and test-driven at the Geneva Motor Show in 1961. This unique E-Type won the anniversary category ahead of a perfectly restored 4.2-liter roadster from 1965, which was later named the best convertible of the Concours, and an unrestored 3.8-liter coupé. The white coupé with the unusual steel sliding roof was delivered by Emil Frey in 1964 and is still in immaculate original paintwork today.
Plastic fantastic
The last class prizes were awarded to three classic cars with plastic bodywork, which had been created by Zwischengas. As in the sixties, the quirky Studebaker Avanti was beaten by the aggressively elegant Corvette Sting Ray (C2). Third place went to an early Lotus Europa S1, whose blue and white livery is a tribute to Jo Siffert.
Swiss coachbuilder
Visitors voted the light blue Alvis TC 108/G with Graber bodywork as the most beautiful car at this year's Zurich Classic Car Award. The jury also awarded the main prize to a foreign vehicle with special Swiss bodywork - or rather two: as the two Alfa Romeo 6C 2300s were already together in Geneva in 1938, the jurors decided to honor both Worblaufen convertibles together 83 years later. They chose the black "Lungo" as the most beautiful unrestored car and the dark blue "Pescara" as "Best of Show".
Plastic curiosities
But even among the participants who came away empty-handed, there were some rare pieces to be seen: for example, the bizarre plastic sports car Nova GT, which raises its entire roof dome instead of gullwing doors, but has a popular Beetle chassis as its base.
Also worth seeing was the crazy Pulse Litestar from 1986, which looks more like a sports plane without wings than a car, exudes real airplane flair in the cockpit, but is powered by a Honda motorcycle engine with 750 cm3. Once in motion, two wheels are enough to move forward; when stationary, the support wheels ensure that the vehicle does not fall over.
Anyone who is now keen to attend the next Concours d'Elegance in Switzerland will not have to wait long. The sister event, the Ascona Classic Car Award, will take place on Lake Maggiore on September 25 and 26, 2021.
Participating vehicles and prizes
| Class | No. | Make | Type | Year | Comment/Prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 years Jaguar E-Type | 101 | Jaguar | E-Type 3.8 Coupé | 1961 | Class winner |
| 60 years of the Jaguar E-Type | 102 | Jaguar | E-Type 3.8 Lightweight "Low Drag" Replica | 1961 | |
| 60 years of the Jaguar E-Type | 103 | Jaguar | E-Type 4.2 Roadster | 1966 | |
| 60 years of the Jaguar E-Type | 104 | Jaguar | E-Type 4.2 Roadster | 1969 | |
| 60 years of the Jaguar E-Type | 105 | Jaguar | E-Type 5.3 V12 Roadster | 1972 | |
| 60 years of the Jaguar E-Type | 106 | Jaguar | E-Type 3.8 Coupé | 1964 | |
| 60 years of the Jaguar E-Type | 107 | Jaguar | E-Type 5.3 V12 Roadster | 1973 | |
| 60 years of the Jaguar E-Type | 108 | Jaguar | E-Type 5.3 V12 Roadster "Group 44 SCCA" Replica | 1974 | |
| 60 years of the Jaguar E-Type | 109 | Jaguar | E-Type 4.2 Roadster | 1967 | |
| 60 years of the Jaguar E-Type | 110 | Jaguar | E-Type 4.2 Coupé | 1965 | |
| 60 years of the Jaguar E-Type | 111 | Jaguar | E-Type 4.2 Lightweight Replica | 1961 | |
| 60 years of the Jaguar E-Type | 112 | Jaguar | E-Type 4.2 Roadster | 1965 | Second place in class, winner "Most Beautiful Convertible" |
| 60 years of the Jaguar E-Type | 113 | Jaguar | E-Type 4.2 Roadster | 1964 | |
| 60 years of the Jaguar E-Type | 114 | Jaguar | E-Type 3.8 Roadster | 1961 | |
| 60 years of the Jaguar E-Type | 115 | Jaguar | E-Type 3.8 Coupé | 1964 | Third place in class |
| 60 years of the Jaguar E-Type | 116 | Jaguar | E-Type 4.2 Roadster | 1967 | |
| Pre-war | 201 | DKW | F8 special body | 1938 | |
| pre-war | 202 | S.S. | 2.5 Litre L Saloon | 1937 | |
| Pre-war | 203 | Citroën | B14 G | 1928 | |
| pre-war | 204 | Rolls-Royce | Phantom I | 1927 | Third place in class |
| Pre-war | 205 | Citroën | 10 L convertible | 1933 | |
| pre-war | 206 | Citroën | B14 F | 1927 | |
| Pre-war | 207 | Rolls-Royce | Phantom I | 1928 | |
| pre-war | 208 | Triumph | 2000 Roadster | 1949 | |
| pre-war | 209 | Alfa Romeo | 6C 2300 B Pescara Cabriolet Worblaufen | 1938 | Second place in class, "Best of Show" |
| Pre-war | 210 | Alfa Romeo | 6C 2300 B Lungo Cabriolet Worblaufen | 1938 | Class winner, "Best of Unrestored" |
| Pre-war | 211 | Rolls-Royce | Phantom i | 1926 | |
| pre-war | 212 | Peugeot | 402 B | 1939 | |
| pre-war | 213 | Bentley | Mk VI C10 Drop Head Coupé | 1948 | |
| pre-war | 214 | Jaguar | XK 140 | 1949 | |
| 50s | 301 | Austin Healey | 100/6 | 1958 | |
| 50s | 302 | Mercedes-Benz | 300 SL Gullwing (aluminum) |
1955 | Class winner, "Best Documented" |
| 50s | 303 | Jaguar | C-Type Recreation | 1951/54 | |
| 50s | 304 | Mercedes-Benz | 190 SL | 1955 | |
| 50s | 305 | Alvis | TC 108/G | 1957 | Winner Audience Award |
| 50s | 306 | Alfa Romeo | Giulietta Sprint 1300 |
1957 | |
| 50s | 307 | Lancia | Aurelia Cabriolet Worblaufen | 1952 | |
| 50s | 308 | Lancia | Aurelia B20 GT | 1956 | |
| 50s | 309 | BMW | 507 | 1958 | Third place in class |
| 50s | 310 | Jaguar | XK 140 | 1956 | |
| 50s | 311 | VW | 1200 Hebmüller convertible | 1950 | |
| 50s | 312 | Porsche | 356 A 1600 | 1959 | |
| 50s | 313 | Alvis | TC 21/100 Drop Head Coupé | 1954 | Second place in class, special prize of the jury |
| 60s | 401 | Bentley | Continental | 1963 | |
| 60s | 402 | Steyr-Puch | 650 TR II | 1966 | |
| 60s | 403 | Ford | Mustang GT Fastback | 1966 | |
| 60s | 404 | Fiat | 500 Jolly | 1960 | |
| 60s | 405 | Morris | Mini Cooper | 1965 | Second place in class |
| 60s | 406 | Chevrolet | Camaro RS Convertible | 1967 | |
| 60s | 407 | Fiat | 850 Spider | 1968 | |
| 60s | 408 | Alfa Romeo | 1750 GTV | 1969 | |
| 60s | 409 | Maserati | 5000 GT Allemano | 1964 | Third place in class |
| 60s | 410 | Mercedes-Benz | 230 SL | 1965 | |
| 60s | 411 | Porsche | 356 B 1600 Super 90 | 1961 | |
| 60s | 412 | Maserati | 3500 GTI | 1963 | Class winner |
| 60s | 413 | Rolls-Royce | Silver Cloud LWB Sedanca de Ville | 1961 | |
| 70s | 501 | Triumph | TR6 | 1972 | |
| 70s | 502 | MG | MGB GT | 1971 | |
| 70s | 503 | Lancia | Fulvia HF | 1971 | |
| 70s | 504 | Triumph | Spitfire 1500 | 1976 | Third place in class |
| 70s | 505 | Ferrari | 365 GT 2+2 | 1971 | |
| 70s | 506 | Mercedes-Benz | SLC 450 5.0 | 1980 | |
| 70s | 507 | Triumph | Stag | 1972 | |
| 70s | 508 | Monteverdi | 375/4 | 1975 | Second place in class |
| 70s | 509 | Maserati | Khamsin | 1979 | |
| 70s | 510 | Pininfarina | 124 DS | 1982 | |
| 70s | 511 | Ferrari | 365 GTB/4 Spyder | 1972 | |
| 70s | 512 | Monteverdi | 375 L High Speed | 1975 | Class winner |
| 70s | 513 | Iso | Lele | 1970 | |
| Plastic bodies | 601 | Chevrolet | Corvette Sting Ray 327 Coupé | 1967 | Class winner |
| Plastic bodies | 602 | Marcos | GT 3 Litre | 1972 | |
| Plastic bodies | 603 | Alpine | A310 V6 |
1978 | |
| Plastic bodies | 604 | Enzmann | 506 | 1957 | Not on site |
| Plastic bodies | 605 | Chevrolet | Corvette C1 |
1958 | |
| Plastic bodies | 606 | Alpine-Renault | A110 1300 VG |
1976 | |
| Plastic bodies | 607 | Pulse | Litestar | 1986 | |
| Plastic bodies | 608 | Turner | Sports Mk III | 1965 | Not on site |
| Plastic bodies | 609 | Studebaker | Avanti | 1963 | Second place in class |
| Plastic bodies | 610 | Lotus | Europe S1 | 1967 | Third place in class |
| Plastic bodies | 611 | Lotus | Europe Special | 1973 | |
| Plastic bodies | 612 | Nova | GT | 1969 | |
| Plastic bodies | 613 | Chevrolet | Corvette Sting Ray 327 Convertible | 1966 | |
| Youngtimer | 701 | BMW | Z8 | 2001 | Class winner |
| Youngtimer | 702 | Maserati | Ghibli | 1997 | Second place in class |
| Youngtimer | 703 | Porsche | 911 Speedster | 1993 | |
| Youngtimer | 704 | Alfa Romeo | SZ | 1990 | Third place in class |
| Youngtimer | 705 | Toyota | Celica 2.0 GTI | 1988 | Special prize of the Automobil-Illustrierte |
| Youngtimer | 706 | Honda | S2000 | 2005 | |
| Youngtimer | 707 | AC | Cobra Lightweight | 1988 | |
| Youngtimer | 708 | BMW | 318ti Compact | 1996 |
