The abbreviation "I.C.E." stands for "International Concours of Elegance". At the same time, the three letters play with the ice as the surface of the Concours area and the circuit. This time, four Mercedes-Benz vehicles show how sportiness and luxury have repeatedly influenced and inspired each other throughout the history of the brand.
Tradition of the S-Class
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the epitome of the luxurious automobile. Predecessor vehicles are also used in motorsport. Mercedes-Benz Classic is bringing two models to St. Moritz: a 300 SE racing touring car (W 112) from 1963 and the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG racing touring car (W 109) from 1971. In St. Moritz, the predecessors of the S-Class meet the current models of this unique family of Mercedes-Benz luxury vehicles.
The 300 SE "tail fin" sedan in motorsport design bears the starting number 102 of the Belgian team Robert Crévits/Gustave "Taf" Gosselin, the overall winners of the 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps on July 25 and 26, 1964.
With this vehicle, Mercedes-Benz Classic is commemorating the 100th anniversary of this racing event since 1924.
The AMG high-performance saloon is modeled on the racing touring car known as the "Rote Sau", in which Hans Heyer and Clemens Schickentanz achieved second place overall and class victory in the 1971 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. This success suddenly put AMG in the public eye. Both vehicles can be experienced on Friday (February 23, 2024) in the Concours exhibition and on Saturday (February 24, 2024) on the circuit.
Mercedes-Benz 300 Cabriolet D and 300 SL Roadster
Mercedes-Benz Classic is also bringing an exclusive Mercedes-Benz 300 Cabriolet D (W 189, built in 1960) and a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (W 198, built in 1958) to St. Moritz. The cabriolet version of the famous representative vehicle can be experienced on both days as an exhibition vehicle in front of the event tent.
The 300 SL Roadster is presented at the Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski St. Moritz. The iconic super sports car has been restored to factory standards by the experts at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center and is being offered for sale by Mercedes-Benz Classic Fahrzeughandel.
The ice of St. Moritz as a spectacular stage
The story of "The I.C.E. St. Moritz" begins in the mid-1980s. Back then, British Bentley fans drove their classic cars around the race track, which was set up every year on the frozen and snow-covered Lake St. Moritz. The ice, which is around 50 centimetres thick, proves to be a spectacular stage for historic vehicles. In 2019, the idea was taken up for a successful trial run with sports cars, and the automotive ice revue has been taking place with a full program since 2022.
This year, the vehicles of the "International Concours of Elegance" will compete in the categories "Barchettas on the Lake", "Open Wheels", "Concept Cars & One Offs", "Icons on Wheels" and "Racing Legends". On Friday (February 23, 2024), the presentation as exhibition vehicles and the evaluation by the judges will take place from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Saturday (February 24, 2024), the races will take place on the ice of the circuit from 9:15 am. All participating cars will complete two 20-minute runs.
The class awards ceremony will take place on the lake from 2:30 pm. The program ends at 5 pm.
Further information on the event can be found on The I.C.E. website.
