In the early morning of August 17, 2016, the sky was gray and then it rained cats and dogs, and in some parts of Switzerland there was even hail. Not good conditions for an open-air Concours d'Elégance. But by eight o'clock it began to clear up and a beautiful day was on the horizon. However, it was still unclear at that time whether all participants would make the journey.
Two hours later, however, it was clear that almost everyone had made it; one steadfast Maserati driver from Ticino had even driven openly to Zurich. A good handful of the prepared stands remained empty, and the public had to do without the Miura, Flaminia, Ghibli Coupé and a few others. What a pity.
Wide-ranging audience
The audience in general: there are few places where it is as diverse as at the Zurich Classic Car Award. And this is due to the location of the Concours at Bürkliplatz at the gates of the Swiss banking world, at the end of Bahnhofstrasse facing Lake Zurich.
Of course, classic car enthusiasts come to such an event, but there are also many tourists who stumble upon the beauty contest by chance or bankers who enjoy their lunch sandwich surrounded by historic automobiles.
The owners of the cars hardly had a moment's peace, were constantly bombarded with questions and provided information about their vehicles. A lot of educational work is being done here in favor of classic cars. That's a good thing!
Wide-ranging vehicle portfolio
Another unique feature of the Zurich Concours is the wide range of vehicles, from the almost 120-year-old De Dion Bouton to the Autobianchi Bianchina or the Lancia Stratos. The 50 cars were divided into seven classes. There were categories for open and closed pre-war vehicles and for cars up to 1960 and after 1960, both open and closed.
A special classification for competition cars was also organized, with GT and racing cars rather than formula cars being invited in 2016.
Difficult work for the jury
As is customary, all cars were assessed by a jury made up of classic car specialists and press representatives, taking into account their condition as well as their originality and elegance. This was not an easy task, as the cars had to be compared with each other in terms of their very different characters - from bread-and-butter cars to exotic vehicles.
Independently restored
The fact that the Zurich beauty contest is different from some of the glamorous high-gloss events was proven by the many vehicles that had been restored by the owners themselves. For example, the buyer of the Ford A Deluxe Roadster imported from the USA quickly realized that the American restoration did not meet his requirements and that the car should have been sold immediately. However, he decided to take matters into his own hands and restored the car to top condition within 10 months. He only had to commission the paintwork and was able to do most of the rest himself. The result was impressive in terms of fidelity to the original and quality.
In general, Ford owners seem to have restoration in their blood, as the even older Ford R from 1907, which once belonged to a Canadian pharmacist, was also independently restored by the Swiss owner many years ago, as was the Alfa Romeo Giulia Super, an estate car with large windows all round, of which only around 50 were built.
In the same ownership for many decades
It was also striking in Zurich that many of the registered vehicles have been in the same hands for decades. The Porsche 356 C from 1964, for example, which received the special "Best Unrestored" award, has been owned by the same lady since 1972, who originally used the blue sports car as an everyday car, but later only took it out of the garage for special occasions. Around a third of the cars on display have been in the same ownership for many decades; these enthusiasts are clearly not speculators.
They would probably have bet on the wrong horse, such as the owner of the Hanomag 4/20, which came to Switzerland in 1930 as one of around 1,300 examples built, was used until 1951 and then gathered dust in a corner of a garage for a dozen years. In 1964, the current owner bought the car, repaired it himself and gave it a new coat of paint. After that, he used it regularly until the engine gave up the ghost. But now the four-cylinder engine has also been overhauled and the car shines like new thanks to its 50-year restoration. The fact that a meeting with the first owner's daughter-in-law took place on Bürkliplatz was of course a special celebration for everyone involved.
Super sports car of superlatives
For some visitors, one of the main attractions was certainly the super sports cars, the first of which was the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, depending on your point of view.
In addition to the 300 SL, which was also on site as a roadster, there were also two open-top Maserati sports cars to admire, a 3500 GT Vignale Spider and a Ghibli Spyder that was only built 125 times. In addition, a former Pebble Beach winner attracted a lot of attention: the Lamborghini Countach LP400 looked positively ravishing in its gray paintwork with the brown-red interior.
Those who were not interested in top Italian sports cars could get their fill of a Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 from 1973 or its more civilized counterpart, the 911 S 2.4 from the same year.
Extensive pre-war selection
The pre-war car category was also impressive. They may no longer be in such high demand in the overheated classic car market, but the public still loves them. After all, they also offer special insights into automotive history.
Whether it's a Rolls-Royce 20/25 HP with leather-covered convertible bodywork or one of the rare pre-war twelve-cylinder Phantom IIIs, they are impressive and interesting in any case.
This also applied to the Pierce Arrow Model 42 from 1931 on display, which, as a representative of the "Great Gatsby" era, was perhaps once driven by monarchs.
Still from the century before last
The oldest car on the square was the De Dion Bouton Vis-à-Vis Type D from 1899. At the time, the De Dion Bouton company built steam, electric and petrol vehicles in parallel. The Type D was powered by a single-cylinder engine with 402 cc, the 3.5 hp was sufficient for around 40 km/h. In 2014 and 2015, the car ran London-Brighton without any problems and without having to be pushed up the inclines.
During a ride, it was possible to see at first hand how unusual and yet easy it is to steer the carriage. There is only a cardan brake for the foot, the rest is done by the hands, which adjust the ignition on the steering column, engage 1st or 2nd gear of the semi-automatic gearbox and accelerate. Reverse gear? No way, you just have to push. Fun? Plenty.
Opulent shapes
The public's favorite, however, was a 1953 Buick Roadmaster Skylark 76X Convertible, which caused a sensation with its playful shapes from the hand of Harvey Earl. In any case, it received the audience award.
Similarly impressive was the Chrysler Royal from 1941, which was a real eye-catcher as a business coupé with a hatchback.
The seventh-built sports Ferrari
The Ferrari 166 Spyder Corsa from 1948 was voted "Best of Show". This car with chassis number 014I has a very special history, as it was used as a racing car and driven by Giuseppe Farina, among others. After six years, it was given a new body by Scaglietti, which anticipated the upcoming Ferrari 500 Testarossa.
Today, the car not only impresses with its excellent condition, but also with its special history and the fact that it is the seventh sports Ferrari ever built.
The Barchetta was entered in the "Competition" category, which it naturally won, even though it faced tough competition from the fully restored 1974 Lancia Stratos, owned by the "Autobau" museum. After all, this was one of the 27 Competizione versions, which was driven as a works car by Sandro Munari and J.C. Andruet, among others. Several rally victories and the attractive appearance make the rally car a showpiece in the car collection.
But the third prize in the competition category also went to a historic rarity, namely one of the few Jaguar XK 120s with an aluminum body, which took third place in the 1950 Bern Grand Prix.
50 cars, 50 stories
Each of the cars on display had its own story, each one worth telling. There is only enough space here for the "tip of the iceberg". The visitors on site learned more, as the owners were happy to provide information. And everyone appreciated the relaxed atmosphere and the peaceful get-together, which was also blessed with good weather until departure.
The award winners
- Best of Show
Ferrari 166 Spyder Corsa 1948 - Audience Award
Buick Roadmaster Skylark 76X Convertible from 1953 - Best Unrestored
Porsche 356 C from 1964 - Prewar Open
- 1 DeDion Bouton Vis-à-Vis Type D from 1899
2 Ford R from 1907
3 Ford A Deluxe Roadster from 1930 - Prewar Closed
1 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Hooper Sport Saloon from 1937
2 Hanomag 4/20 from 1930
3 Rolls-Royce 20/25 HP Hooper Sport Saloon from 1953 - Postwar Open until 1960
1 Mercedes-Benz 300 D Cabriolet from 1952
2 Lancia Appia Vignale Convertible from 1960
3 Buick Roadmaster Skylark 76X Convertible from 1953 - Postwar Closed until 1960
1 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL from 1957
2 Alvis TD21 from 1960
3 Chrysler Royal from 1941 - Postwar Open from 1960
1 Maserati 3500 GT Vignale from 1960
2 Maserati Ghibli Spyder from 1969
3 Citroën DS Chapron from 1970 - Postwar Closed from 1960
1 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 1973
2 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super Estate from 1970
3 Mercedes-Benz 250 SE Coupé from 1966 - Competition 2 Seaters
1 Ferrari 166 Spyder Corsa 1948
2 Lancia Stratos HF from 1974
3 Jaguar XK 120 from 1949
