The Arosa ClassicCar has never been so beautiful! Three days of sunshine, late summer temperatures and the best conditions on the hill climb track. A crowd of over 20,000 racing fans and the smooth organization made the seventh edition a complete success.
Uphill and downhill
The route between Langwies and Arosa is 7.8 km long, with 76 bends in the way of the daring drivers. A downhill section and over 400 meters of elevation gain are the spice of this unique mountain race far beyond Switzerland. One participant, Englishman John Guyatt, even described the Arosa hill climb as the best alpine racing event ever.
The English march in
14 Englishmen had found their way to Arosa with their rare vehicles. In honour of this delegation, a small "prologue" was even organized, which took the English to Meilen on Lake Zurich (we reported on this) (/en/blog/2011/09/08/Von-England-nach-Arosa.html), where they were greeted by Arosa spa director Pascal Jenny, and then on to Arosa. What was extraordinary about the Englishmen was not only the beautiful rarities they brought with them, but also their sporting spirit and dedication. The drivers worked on their vehicles themselves and last-minute repairs just before the start were the order of the day.
The altitude and the problems
Arosa is 1800 meters above sea level, which poses special problems for the vehicles and their set-up. Many an engine could not get enough air, some spark plugs became clogged. But in most cases, changing the carburetor settings, changing the spark plugs or removing the air filters provided relief and a good starting point for a speedy ride up the mountain.
Consistently fast
The majority of the competitors were registered in the "Regularity" category. The two runs on Saturday and Sunday are to be completed in as consistent a time as possible. The driver sets the standard time in the first run himself, and the difference between the second and first time determines the classification.
The times achieved, which did not differ significantly from the results of the "Competition" class, show that there are also racing ambitions in this class. Or as one of the drivers said: "We drive consistently, consistently fast!".
Happy Birthday Kalbermatten
The fastest on the track was birthday boy Markus Kalbermatten, who has just turned 60, in his 1973 Chevron B25. 4 minutes 36 seconds means an average speed of around 120 km/h, impressive!
Zumtobel and his Porsche 906
Dr. Armin Zumtobel in his beautiful 1966 Porsche Carrera 6 was one of the fastest in the field and won the Competition class, in which the added times from the first and second runs determined the classification. The ex-Kühnis car is still in good shape and roared beguilingly. However, Zumtobel felt that he could have gone at least 10 seconds faster with a mountain gearbox and newer tires, as the ones fitted were already three years old. But even so, the consistency and speed he showed with this difficult to drive racing machine was impressive.
Top-class field of vehicles
The organizing committee had to reject over sixty vehicles, and these decisions were not easy. But they contributed to a field of vehicles that featured an above-average number of gems and rarities. The fact that there were fewer formula cars on the grid than in other years was easy to accept.
Instead, three Alfa Romeo 6Cs could be admired and an Alfa Romeo P3 was certainly one of the highlights of the event. The fact that Briton Allan Rippon also transported this thoroughbred racing car from Meilen to Arosa by axle shows once again how enthusiastically the English pursue their passion. Of course, most of his colleagues who traveled from England did the same, they all drove from the Swiss border to Arosa on axles, one of the vehicles even completed the entire journey from England to Arosa on the road. The luggage was simply strapped into waterproof plastic bags on the outside and off they went.
Rarity Ballamy Ford V8 Special
One of the rare vehicles that the English had brought with them was the Ballamy Ford V8 Special, driven by Mark Brett, who was born in 1937. Leslie M. Ballamy (1904-1991) - his initials LMB adorn the radiator grille of the Special - was the inventor of the independent front suspension. Sidney Allard copied the concept, but changed things for the worse due to potential patent costs. It was only when Sidney Allard found out that there was no patent at all that he consistently copied the Ballamy suspension and with better success. The Ballamy Ford V8 Special used this independent suspension in combination with a Ford V8 chassis, which was extended at the front in front of the engine and shortened at the rear. Together with a customized body, the Special was a force to be reckoned with.
On three and four wheels
The group of Morgan Threewheelers was larger than average. Despite their age, these are serious sports machines, as demonstrated by times under six minutes. Two cylinders, two forward gears, chain drive to the single rear wheel, just under two seats and a seating position only just above the ground characterize these vehicles, with which Morgan achieved fame and glory early on and long before four-wheelers were also produced.
The pitfalls of technology
While the event was spared accidents, with the exception of minor bumps, some of the cars did not make it to the end. The strain of a forced ascent is great and not all technical problems could simply be solved on an outpatient basis. Jürg Furter, for example, had to recharge his Aston Martin Mk II Ulster on Saturday because a rocker arm was broken and the valve control was no longer working properly.
Many a car turned out to be a steam engine due to the warm temperatures, and one or two pre-war owners poured in several liters of water.
Supporting program and activities
The spectators and drivers were not only offered two practice runs on Friday and the four races on Saturday and Sunday, but also a whole host of other activities. A pack of racing motorcycles and carriages delighted the audience with acrobatic performances, which also claimed victims in the form of lost co-drivers and broken bones.
Racing fans could book a downhill ride in one of the racing cars and the beaming eyes of the passengers showed that even a leisurely ride in a racing car is something special. In addition, the traditional parade through the village of Arosa took place on Thursday, with tourists and locals standing enthusiastically at the side of the road and waving at the passing racing cars.
On the race days, it was possible to drive uphill in the race cabs and some of the participants probably felt rather queasy on the race-like drive up the mountain.
Celebrities on board
Björn Waldegaard was one of the "cab drivers" in Arosa. The veteran rally driver and winner of the Monte Carlo Rally got behind the wheel of a Porsche 550 A Spyder from 1956. When asked how the car felt, he said that it reminded him of his first rally car, a VW Beetle. The second Porsche, a 718 W-RS Spyder from the factory museum, which museum director Klaus Bischof wanted to bring along, was unfortunately not available. Instead of the 718, a former Zurich cantonal police vehicle, a Porsche 356 convertible with flashing blue lights and siren, was used and was enthusiastically received by the audience.
Jost Wildbolz drove his Lotus Cortina up the mountain with a lot of passion, the well-known German pop singer Peter Kraus drove his recently acquired AC Bristol, ex-Formula 1 driver Jo Vonlanthen showed off his GRD 273 Ford Formula 2 car and Fredy Lienhard brought two vehicles from a "car building" museum to Arosa, the Ferrari 330 GTO, which David Piper once built as a racing car, and the Ferrari 333 SP, which had great difficulty with the hairpin bends.
Ladies also step on the gas
The eight ladies at the start made it clear that classic car racing is no longer a male domain. Sue Darbyshire in a 1929 Morgan Super Aero, for example, showed that she can put the pedal to the metal, leaving much larger and more powerful vehicles far behind her.
Efficient process
Koni Strittmatter and his organization team once again did a great job, the whole event ran practically without incident, the drivers praised the practical tents and especially the catering, the track safety worked perfectly and the two announcers entertained the audience with a lot of expertise and wit, apart from a few repetitions that can occur over several days.
The winners
The fastest in the Competition class on Saturday was Dr. Armin Zumtobel in a Porsche Carrera 6, but for the Weisshorn Trophy it was consistency that counted, regardless of the classification, and Roger Moser set identical times twice in his BMW E21 Group 2. Patrick Heinz came second in his Ferrari 308 with a difference of one hundredth, Benjamin Braem third in his Abarth 695 SS Asse with a difference of three hundredths. The 24 best classified drivers all finished within one second of each other!
On Sunday at the Arosa Grand Prix, Dr. Armin Zumtobel was again the fastest in the Competition class with a total time of 9 minutes 23 seconds for both heats. Second was Duschi Dschletta in a Porsche 911 RSR 1973, third Patrick Heintz.
Reto Gansser won the regularity classification in a Porsche 356 A with a time difference of 17 hundredths, Babs Gyger-Bühler came second in a Volvo PV 544 Sport and Eric Christen third in an Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint. The first 17 managed to finish both runs on Sunday with less than one second difference. Three women finished among the top 10!
Two weeks earlier next year
There will be another hill climb to Arosa in 2012, but it will start two weeks earlier, from August 30 to September 2, 2012 - a good reason to buy an agenda now and make a note of the date.
The participants and their vehicles
| Car number | Driver | Country | Vehicle number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | Burkart Andreas | SUI | AC Cobra 427 SC |
| 102 | Hitt Gerhard | GER | Ford GT40 |
| 103 | Fischer Oliver | SUI | Lamborghini Miura |
| 104 | Arbenz Curt | SUI | Chevrolet Corvette |
| 105 | Bammatter Martino | SUI | Audi Sport Quattro Sl/859 |
| 106 | Huber Peter | SUI | Porsche Carrera RSR |
| 107 | Hrubesch Boris | SUI | Porsche 911 RSR |
| 108 | Brühwiler Philipp | SUI | Chevron B8 GT |
| 109 | Hoffmann Andreas | SUI | Lancia Stratos HF Stradale |
| 110 | Tobler Jürg | SUI | Lancia Stratos |
| 111 | Durst Hans-Chr. | SUI | Porsche 3.0 RS |
| 112 | Uebelhard Daniel | SUI | Audi UrQuattro 10V |
| 113 | Portmann Andreas | SUI | Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 |
| 114 | Durst Hans | SUI | Ferrari 275 GTB2 275 |
| 115 | Riediker Daniel | SUI | De Tomaso Mangusta |
| 116 | StenbergErik | SUI | Sunbeam Tiger |
| 117 | Studach Martin | SUI | Iso Rivolta |
| 119 | Schweinfurth Marco | SUI | Chevrolet Corvette |
| 120 | Göhringer Peter | GER | Porsche RS Touring |
| 121 | Holder Michael | SUI | Porsche 911 S |
| 122 | Wohlwend Georg | LIE | Porsche 911 |
| 123 | Krähenbühl Rolf | SUI | Lancia Rally 037 Stradale |
| 124 | Sigrist Francis | SUI | Morgan 8 |
| 125 | Thalmann Hanspeter | SUI | BMW 2002 TU |
| 126 | Ernst Urs | SUI | Austin Healey 3000 MK III |
| 127 | Pfenninger Heini | SUI | Ligier Maserati JS 2 |
| 128 | Conrad Martin | SUI | Ferrari Dino 246 GTS |
| 129 | Zünd Pino | SUI | Lotus Europa S2 |
| 130 | Wulf Anders | SUI | Jaguar XK 140 |
| 131 | Leu Christian | SUI | Triumph TR 5 |
| 132 | Halter Marco | SUI | Porsche 914-6 GT |
| 133 | Trevisan Marco | SUI | Austin Healey 3000 |
| 134 | Kofier Peter | SUI | Crysler Simca Rallye IM |
| 135 | Gassmann Frank | SUI | Austin Healey 3000 MKI |
| 136 | Heimgartner Roger | SUI | Alfa Romeo GTV 6 |
| 137 | Kalbermatten Markus | SUI | Chevron B25 |
| 138 | Küng Marcel | SUI | Porsche 911 Targa |
| 139 | Hamelmann Stefan | GER | Abarth 1300 OT |
| 139 | Hamelmann Stefan | GER | Abarth 1300 OT |
| 140 | Siegrist Rudolf | SUI | Austin Healey 3000 MKIII |
| 141 | Gyger-Bühler Babs | SUI | Volvo PV 544 Sport |
| 142 | Egli Ronald | SUI | Lancia Fulvia HF |
| 143 | Jacob Vic | SUI | Austin Healey 3000 Mk 1 ""Ste"" |
| 144 | Kobelt Edy | SUI | Ford Cortina Lotus |
| 145 | Schwarzenbach Diego | SUI | Volvo 123 GT |
| 146 | Weller Hanspeter | SUI | Fiat 124 Abarth CSA |
| 147 | Leumann Gerry | SUI | Invicta S-Type low chassis |
| 148 | Fried Peter | GER | Jaguar SS 100 |
| 149 | Fehr Roger | SUI | VW-Porsche 914 |
| 150 | Chicherio Silvio | SUI | Porsche 356 Speedster |
| 151 | Engelhardt Claudia | SUI | Porsche 356 SC Coupe |
| 152 | Keller Peter | SUI | Opel Kadett |
| 153 | Hauser Yves | SUI | Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Super |
| 154 | Pfenninger Carlotta | SUI | Lotus Elan S 3 |
| 155 | Gansser Reto | SUI | Porsche 356 A 1600 Super Coupe |
| 156 | Klainguti Andrea | SUI | Volvo PV 544 Sport |
| 157 | Walser Reto | SUI | Porsche 911 |
| 158 | Hasler Kurt | SUI | Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint 1600 |
| 159 | Dravec Chris | SUI | MG L Magna Supercharged |
| 160 | Krebser Rolf | SUI | FiatAbarth 1000 TC |
| 161 | Vincentini Albert | SUI | Fiat Abarth 1000 TC Corsa |
| 163 | Simon Peter | SUI | MG TA Special / Q-Type |
| 164 | Lindenmueller Felix | SUI | Alvis Special 12/70 Brookland |
| 165 | Leuenberger Hans Jörg | SUI | MG Midget -MKIII |
| 166 | Furter Olivia | SUI | Abarth 750 Zagato |
| 167 | Iten Oswald | SUI | Austin-Healey Sprite |
| 168 | Scheer Fide | SUI | Porsche 356 |
| 169 | Junker Philipp | SUI | Riley 12/4 Special Grand Prix |
| 170 | Egli Hans | SUI | Steyr Puch 650 TR 2 Europe |
| 171 | Rübig Hermann | GER | Mercedes Benz 250 SL Pagoda-Co |
| 172 | Belser Kurt | SUI | MG Magnette NB |
| 173 | Braem Benjamin | SUI | Abarth Fiat Abarth 695 SS Asse |
| 174 | Schawalder Ruedi | SUI | La France Type 12 |
| 202 | Becvarik Roman | SUI | Ferrari Ferrari Dino F 106 AL |
| 203 | Michaelides Doros | SUI | ACCobra Mk IV |
| 204 | BecvarikTom | SUI | Ferrari 250 GT/DROGO |
| 205 | Rehmann Andreas S. | SUI | Porsche 911 RSR |
| 206 | Hayoz Marcel | SUI | Lotus 23 |
| 207 | Boller Alexander | SUI | Ford Fairlaine |
| 208 | Toscan Reto | SUI | Porsche 3.0RSRIROC |
| 209 | Vernati Sirio | SUI | Porsche 911 Carrera RS |
| 210 | Weber Werner O. | SUI | Porsche Carrera RS 2.7 |
| 211 | GrelletJean Robert | SUI | Ferrari 250 GT |
| 212 | Vitelli Stefan | SUI | A.F.FBarchettaTipo 61 |
| 213 | Marinello Marco | SUI | Porsche 914/6 GT |
| 214 | Schneeberger Rolf | SUI | Ferrari 330 Type GTO |
| 215 | Ginesi Stefano | SUI | Porsche 356 B |
| 216 | Bader Heinz | SUI | Porsche 911 RSR |
| 217 | Bächli Britta | SUI | Porsche 356 PRE-A |
| 218 | von Rotz Bruno | SUI | JWFMilanoGT |
| 220 | Ginesi Susi | SUI | Porsche 356 Speedster |
| 221 | Kraus Peter | AUT | AC ACE Bristol D2 |
| 222 | Christen Eric | SUI | Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint |
| 224 | Toscan Walter | SUI | Innocenti Mini 1300 Cooper |
| 225 | Bossert Kaspar | SUI | Porsche 911 |
| 226 | Bächli Hansueli | SUI | Alvis Greenfell |
| 227 | Schweinfurth Urs | SUI | MG K3 Monoposto Compressor |
| 228 | Venables-Llewelyn John | GBR | Bugatti Type 35 |
| 229 | Brett Mark | GBR | Ballamy-Ford V8 Special |
| 230 | Caroline Gary | GBR | Morgan Super Aero |
| 231 | Kaufmann Kurt | SUI | Morgan Three Wheeler |
| 232 | Darbyshire Sue | GBR | Morgan Super Aero |
| 234 | Furter Stephan | SUI | Triumph TR 7 |
| 235 | Bruppacher Peter R. | SUI | Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS (Zagato) |
| 236 | Cannell Barry | GBR | Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 |
| 237 | RossettiGian-Pietro | SUI | Talbot-Darracq Sport |
| 238 | Demuth Andreas | SUI | Alvis Silver Eagle |
| 239 | Fischer Reinhard | SUI | Stanguellini racing car Monopos |
| 240 | Wildbolz Klaus | AUT | Austin A35 RDR |
| 241 | Coste Didier | SUI | Aston Martin LeMans Mk2 |
| 242 | Gansser Franco | SUI | Riley TT Sprite |
| 243 | Furter Jürg | SUI | Aston Martin MKII Ulster |
| 243 | Furter Jürg | SUI | Aston Martin MKII Ulster |
| 244 | Wäspe Sylvia | SUI | Porsche 911 SC 3.0 |
| 245 | Theiler Max | SUI | Ferrari 330 P4 Prototype |
| 246 | Weber Werner C. | SUI | Porsche 597 |
| 247 | Herzig Patrik | SUI | Porsche 356 Speedster |
| 248 | Delea Cesare | SUI | Lotus Elan Elaboration |
| 301 | Heintz Patrick | SUI | Ferrari 308 Group 4 |
| 302 | Zumtobel Dr. Armin | AUT | Porsche 906 |
| 304 | Halder Martin | GER | Jaguar E-Type |
| 305 | Allemann Benno | SUI | ACCobra MK2/289 |
| 306 | Pergolini Dario | LIE | Austin Healey 3000 MKII |
| 307 | Schmersal Heinz | SUI | ShelbyCobra427c |
| 308 | Vonow Alexander | SUI | Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Corsa |
| 309 | Moser Roger | SUI | BMW E21 Group 2 |
| 310 | Bernhard Diego | SUI | Alfa Romeo GT Veloce |
| 311 | Bollati Bruno | SUI | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Ve |
| 312 | Wildbolz Jost | SUI | Ford GB Cortina Lotus Mk2 Cosw |
| 313 | Delea Angelo | SUI | Brabham 1965/BT16 |
| 314 | Klainguti Christian | SUI | Brabham BT-30 |
| 315 | Baiemi Gian Marco | SUI | Alpine Renault AHO 1600S |
| 317 | Kaufmann Georg | SUI | Maseratti4CL |
| 318 | Duschletta Duschi B. | SUI | Porsche 911 RSR 1973 |
| 319 | Rippon Allan | GBR | Alfa Romeo P3 |
| 320 | GuyattJohn | GBR | Talbot-LagoT150C |
| 321 | Pilkington Richard | GBR | Frazer Nash Sebring |
| 322 | Alborough David | GBR | AC ACE Bristol |
| 323 | Curtis Stephen | GBR | Talbot 105, Alpine Tourer |
| 324 | BechtolsheimerTill | SUI | Adler Monoposto |
| 325 | Foster Barry | GBR | MG Montlhery |
| 326 | McNinch Hamish | GBR | MG C-Type Monthlery |
