The 34th edition of the Ennstal-Classic is also entering the final weeks of preparation with an impressive field of participants. Before it starts on July 23rd in Gröbming, the now published starting list is already whetting the appetite for more.
The field will be led by two rare Bugattis: a Type 13 and a Type 30. These original contemporary witnesses are not only outstanding examples of past engineering skills - it is a remarkable feat of man and machine to master the approximately 900-kilometre route with such "dinosaurs". Chapeau!
The enormous diversity of this year's field is already evident in the first rows of the starting grid. In addition to the Bugattis, there is a Bentley 3 Litre Speed Model, a Bentley 4.5 Litre Le Mans Open Tourer and a charming Riley 9 Brooklands - cars from the era when motorsport still meant real adventure. An Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Zagato, one of the most legendary sports models of its time, also provides Italian flair in the pre-war field. Italian passion is also lived at the top of the Ennstal-Classic: the official 2026 advance vehicle will be provided by the new mobility partner Alfa Romeo.
In Era II, there is also an armada of British Aston Martins, led by a highly original 1933 "Short Chassis Le Mans" (chassis F3/286/S), flanked by other Le Mans and Mk II models. This is followed by three BMW 328s and a French aristocrat: the Delahaye 135 S Compétition Court, better known as the "Blue Buzz II". Built in 1936, the vehicle is a legendary Le Mans participant and, with its history in the Écurie Bleue, forms the heart of the pre-war field.
In the post-war era, it is the open-top sports cars and elegant Gran Turismo that are attracting attention this year. An Italian team will be competing in one of the most elegant vehicles in automotive history: a Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider. With its iconic panoramic windshield and ingenious V6 transaxle concept, it is considered a Pininfarina masterpiece. The powerful Lancia faction is complemented by several Aurelia B20 GTs and a charming Lancia Ardea - automobiles that perfectly embody Italian engineering from the 1950s.
A Ferrari 275 GTB/4 N.A.R.T. Spider Conversion is also causing quite a stir. The name N.A.R.T. goes back to the North American Racing Team of Luigi Chinetti, who was instrumental in initiating the open versions at the time. A total of eight Ferraris - from the 250 GTE to the 275 GTB and the Dino - are at the start.
Equally impressive is the enormous density of Porsche 356 models: Speedsters, Carrera and rally versions make it clear how important the brand from Zuffenhausen has always been at the Ennstal-Classic.
A completely new class
At the end of the field is a newly introduced class.
The new Ennstal-Classic Touring shows exactly what one had hoped for: the crème de la crème of the sports car and GT era of the seventies and eighties. The Touring class is introduced by a Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 from 1973, the first production model with the distinctive "duck tail" and the 2.7-liter boxer engine, which was the spearhead of Porsche development at the time - a thoroughbred homologation model that is now considered one of the most coveted 911s of all time.
And the performance doesn't let up behind it: A BMW M1, a BMW 3.0 CSL and a Porsche Supercup impressively prove that the Touring cars have nothing to hide. On the contrary: they reflect an era of automotive and motorsport history that seems more relevant than ever today and is highly coveted among collectors worldwide.
It is precisely this mixture of pre-war rarities, elegant classics from the 1950s and 1960s and iconic sports cars that already makes the Ennstal-Classic 2026 an exceptional automotive year.
You can read more about the 34th Ennstal-Classic on the website.
