The new edition of the historic Bernina mountain race, the Bernina Gran Turismo, has existed since 2015 and has long since conquered a top position in the global Historic Racing calendar. Many consider this race on the Bernina Pass to be the absolute highlight of the scene. Even in the Corona year 2020, when most events had to be canceled, the Bernina Gran Turismo was successfully held thanks to a good protection concept.
Even more cars in St. Moritz
Now the organizers around the collector and enthusiast (and founder of the legendary hill climb), Kurt Engelhorn, are going one better! Two new events are set to revitalize the International St. Moritz Automobile Week.
Florian Seidl, head of the event specialists, is confident: "With Bernina Gan Turismo, we have proven that we can do it. That we don't just talk a big game, but also implement our plans. Of course, the cumulative experience of our team is a decisive factor. That's why we are convinced that 2021 is the right time to launch two new events."
Races, concours and skill drives
The historic Automobile Week consisted of the kilometer race on the so-called Shellstrasse, a Concours d'Elegance at the Kurhaus (today's Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains in St. Moritz Bad), a skill drive, a rally and, as the highlight, the Bernina Race. At the time, Hans Stuck in an Austro Daimler (1929) and Louis Chiron in a Bugatti (1930) won the competitions.
"It was only logical to resume the Kilometer Race and the Concours d'Elegance. Of course, such events have to be adapted to the times without losing touch with the historical model. We will certainly succeed in this with the "Kilomètre Lancé - Alpine 1000" and the "Motorsport Rendezvous"," says Seidl.
Sensible adjustments
Of course, the acceleration race is no longer held on public roads. "That would be far too dangerous," says the organizing team, "so we have spoken to Engadin Airport and have received a great deal of support for our project!" In general, the organizers have nothing to gain from cooperating with the officials and praise the Swiss authorities all round. "The cooperation with the municipalities, the canton, the tourism offices, the police and all the authorities has been excellent for years!" enthuses Claus Müller, who has had experience with classic car events since 1986.
Nevertheless, the company has brought in expert support. "Tobias Aichele and Jörg Litzenburger, known in the scene primarily for the "Solitude Rennen" and "Glemseck 101", will actively support us in organizing the sprint races and other event details. Together, this will be a real festival for mobility, with the acceleration race taking center stage. If the pandemic allows us to do so, we want to welcome a good number of spectators in 2021 to the beautiful Engadin, an incomparable landscape in the high mountains, which, especially in early autumn, offers a magical beauty of bright steel-blue skies, golden larch forests and the well-known hospitality around the village of St. Moritz. Moritz." "Top of the World" is the local saying.
Adapted concours
The second event also follows a larger plan: "The Motorsport Revival will be a concours that is not a concours. Instead of the traditional, somewhat dusty line-up of over-restored (luxury) vehicles, we will be focusing on racing and sports cars. We also want to show interesting thematic focuses and important collections that are otherwise not accessible to the public," explains Florian Seidl. "Luca Moiso, who has a lot of experience with concours events in our team, will be supported by Dirk de Jager, one of the most prominent photographers and historians of collector cars.
"In contrast to the Kilomètre Lancé, the Motorsport Rendezvous will be a very exclusive event that celebrates an upscale lifestyle, but in a relaxed and modern way. This suits St. Moritz and not least the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains, where the event will take place. There will therefore only be a strictly limited number of tickets to ensure exclusivity. The vehicles on display will also be selected according to strict criteria."
Nevertheless, the organizers assure that the general public will not miss out, as an additional day has also been planned on which at least the majority of the vehicles will be accessible to visitors and fans. "We are planning to be able to show most of the cars on Friday as well, when the Bernina Gran Turismo vehicles are already arriving at the Kempinski Hotel for the technical inspection," they say.
Something for the youngsters too
Another topic that is close to the organizers' hearts is the issue of the "next generation". In order to do justice to this topic, there will not only be a very young jury, but also a themed panel discussion in which the next generation in the scene will be given a voice. "That is the main reason why we want to leave the beaten track. We need to make classic cars and the associated events interesting and exciting for a young audience. That is why we will bring more movement and action, but significantly less stiff statics into play. The events have to be more fun again".
So we can look forward to it!
Facts and figures of the new "International St. Moritz Automobile Week" 2021:
- Kilomètre Lancé - Alpine 1000 from 10 - 12.09.2021, Engadin Airport
- Motorsport Rendezvous from 15 - 17.09.2021 at the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains
- Automotive Film Festival St. Moritz from 10 - 15.09.2021
- Bernina Gran Turismo from 16 - 19.09.2021 at the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains and on the Bernina Pass
Further information can be found on the event website: Bernina Granturismo, Alpine 1000 Kilometer Lancé and Motorsport Rendezvous.
