The countdown to this year's Edelweiss Mountain Prize at Roßfeld - September 23-25 - is in full swing. Around four weeks before the classic car highlight in the Berchtesgaden Alps, the who's who of the classic car scene is gathering for the fourth edition of the charity event. The list of rare, valuable and, above all, original vehicles in the starting field is getting longer and longer: no fewer than four manufacturers with illustrious names are sending their "works teams" to the Roßfeld panoramic road this year: in addition to Audi and Porsche, Volkswagen and Opel will also be represented on the works side in 2016. This year's themed focus "The cars of Walter Röhrl" also promises to be a dream come true for every motorsport fan: Ten historically significant originals are among the total of 20 spectacular racing cars. The Rossfeld Magazine will also be celebrating its premiere.
This year's starter list includes 140 racing cars from all over the world. The prominent names among the participants are at least as high-caliber as the fine sheet metal. Hans-Joachim Stuck (VW Golf GTI), Christian Geistdörfer (Ford Capri 2600 RS), Harald Demuth (Audi Sport Quattro S1), Eberhard Mahle (Porsche 911), Herbert Linge and Hans Clausecker in the Porsche 914/6 GT of the O.N.S. safety squadron make the last weekend in September a fixed date for fans of historic motorsport.
The vehicles of Walter Röhrl
The list of vehicles for the main theme "The vehicles of Walter Röhrl" is also impressive: As a long-standing ambassador of the Rossfeld Race, Walter Röhrl will be driving no fewer than six different vehicles this year that were particularly significant in his incomparable career: The legendary Audi Sport Quattro S1 from 1985, the Fiat 131 from the 1981 World Championship year, the Opel Ascona 400 with which he won the 1982 World Championship, the Ford Capri 2600 RS with which he made his international breakthrough at the 1972 Olympic Rally, as well as a Porsche 911 with which he came close to winning the 1981 San Remo Rally. Last but not least, Röhrl will also take a seat in the original Opel Ascona A in which he triumphed at the Acropolis Rally in 1975 - his first ever WRC victory at the time and also the first for Opel.
USA Audis as stars of the vehicle exhibition
The exhibition in the paddock, which comprises around 20 cars in total, is complemented by the 720 hp monster Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO from 1989, the Audi quattro 200 Trans Am from 1988 and the Schnitzer-BMW 2002 Turbo Group 5, in which he took part in a round of the German Racing Championship at the Norisring in 1977. "Seeing all these great cars makes me feel like I'm 30 years younger again," says Walter Röhrl, who is already looking forward to seeing the most important cars of his career again. "It's a great idea to organize something like this! I'm sure it will be a fantastic experience for everyone involved - especially for me."
Vehicle parade and book presentations on Friday in Berchtesgaden
As every year, the event begins on Friday with the vehicle inspection and presentation in the pedestrian zone of Berchtesgaden. As part of the traditional round of talks with former drivers, two freshly printed books relating to Rossfeld will be presented from around 5.00 pm: The first is the biography "Der Bergkönig. Sepp Greger - a racing legend" by author Maria Weininger. This will be followed by the book "Roßfeldpanoramastraße einst und heute", published by the Traunstein State Building Authority.
Prize for the most beautiful original outfit
As a special treat for all visitors, initiator Joachim Althammer has come up with something very special for this year's event: Together with Sparkasse Berchtesgadener Land, this year's prize will be awarded for the best, most beautiful or most original outfit in the style of yesteryear as part of a photo campaign in the paddock.
Further information can be found on the official homepage
