Everything was all set for the coolest automotive event on the calendar. However, almost unexpectedly, Mother Nature decided to blanket the Engadine Valley, including The I.C.E. village and its legendary ring circuit, with over 60 centimeters of fresh snow. In less than 20 hours, the landscape transformed into a picturesque postcard.
Due to objective safety concerns —considering the potential attendance of over ten thousand people during the dynamic Saturday session — the organization had to cancel all activities on the lake due to force majeure.
Nevertheless, driven by passion, courage, and enthusiasm, The I.C.E. team swiftly found a solution and turned the nearby Serletta Garage — where all the cars are safely stored before being moved onto the frozen surface — into the powerful focal point of the weekend.
Owners, collectors, insiders, and guests gathered in the concrete cave filled with extraordinary cars, creating a surreal sensation akin to being in a private loft’s basement during a motoring-fueled, almost surreal party.
Meanwhile, the international jury carefully inspected all the cars intended for the Concours of Elegance. The judging panel comprised pure automotive experts and several notable personalities:
- Marco Makaus — creator and Patron of The I.C.E. St. Moritz
- Richard Adatto — one of the foremost experts in classic cars and an award-winning author
- Massimo Delbò — classic car historian with collaborations including Octane Magazine and Cavallino
- Mathias Doutreleau — founder and former director of The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering
- Vanessa Marçais — creator, along with her husband, of the GT & Sports Car Cup, an invitation-only series of historic car races
- Norman Foster — British architect and designer
- Christian Jott Jenny — Mayor of St. Moritz
- Michele Lupi — journalist and editor of publications such as GQ, Rolling Stone, Icon, and Icon Design, now Men’s Collection Visionary at Tod’s
- Philip Rathgen — CEO of Classic Driver
- Augustin Sabatié-Garat — Director of Sales for the EMEA markets at RM Sotheby’s
- Rolf Sachs — artist, designer, philanthropist, a key figure in the cultural fabric of the city of St. Moritz
The dream garage was a visual feast, featuring everything from pre-wars to one-seaters, from classic or racing icons to concepts and one-offs. A kaleidoscope of colours, shapes, and roaring engines, mixed with an amazing crowd of automotive enthusiasts, photographers, and videographers. We were obviously on-site, and here are some of our favorite four-wheeled wonders for you to enjoy,
Motivated by the Citroën Méhari’s success, Pininfarina designed the Autobianchi A112 Giovani, debuting at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show. Geared toward younger buyers seeking a fun and economical car, it utilized the A112 chassis, known for both its affordability and sportiness. Despite positive reception, the Giovani remained a show car, with the sole surviving example now part of the Lopresto Collection. It was one of our best picks in the Concepts & One-offs class.
Philipp Sarofim’s Aston Martin Bulldog was one of the craziest ride we saw in the garage, and it comes with a great story. It was built to break the 200 mph barrier, but only reached 192 before project’s cancellation during a test run at the Motor Industry Research Association track, in late 1979. Had it succeeded, it would have overtaken Ferrari F40’s 200+ mph record by about seven years. If you want to know more, go back to the Bulldog story told.
If there would have been an award for the most thunderous engine sound, the 1963 Ferrari 275 P,, one of the queens in the Racing Legends class, would have won it by far. Probably, the second prize in that noise-feast competition could have gone to the Cooper Maserati T81 from 1936 — Open-wheels class. The destiny wanted the two to be parked side by side.
Developed under total secret, and kept even from the top Audi bosses, the quattro Group S prototype offered an astonishing 1.000 hp from its mid-mounted engine and promised to knock the competition out of the park. The entire thing was so secretive that the engineers even moved the project from Ingolstadt to a facility in Desna in the Czech Republic. The prototypes were shipped in anonymous containers and testing was even moved to public roads for one drive because photographers had heard about the pre-booked track.
Today, AMG is a household name for any follower of Mercedes-Benz performance cars. But in the 1970s, AMG — named after its founders Hans Werner Aufrecht, Erhard Melcher and Aufrecht’s birthplace Großaspach — was not yet a subsidiary of Daimler AG. In 1970, Aufrecht built a touring race car; the first in AMG’s history. The Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 “Red Pig” racer used the 6.3-liter V8 bored out to 6.8 liters, upping the output to about 420 hp. We have been lucky enough to surprise it on The I.C.E. ring few days before the event.
Ciao Arturo Merzario!
Zagato and La Squadra brought two Alpine A220 race cars from 1968 — one long tail, one short tail — to promote the brand new AGTZ Twin Tail supercar, a bespoke creation intended as a limited edition of just 19 units.
Being from the Piemonte region, we could not help ourselves in melting for this 1974, Marlboro livered Lancia Stratos HF. Wow. The car was driven by a certain Sandro Munari during that year Sanremo Rally, nailing a fantastic victory
It is in this unusual place that the jury also made its considerations and then decreed the winners of the individual categories.
Barchettas on the Lake: Talbot Lago T26 GS – 1950
The winning car is one of only five Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport vehicles built for racing purposes and participated in several Rallies, starting from the early 1950s. In the years 1997/1998 it was thoroughly restored in Italy by Dino Cognolato under the supervision of Lukas Hüni AG and subsequently sold to a Swiss collector.
Concept Cars & One Offs: Aston Martin Bulldog – 1979
The winning car was completed in 1979 and launched in 1980, named after the Scottish plane flown by Aston Martin´s Managing Director at the time. Designed by William Towns, who was behind the design of the Lagonda and DBS, the car reached a top speed of 191mph, only limited by the MIRA straight that was not long enough. This speed was not achieved by any other car for several years. After its recent restoration, the Bulldog beated its own record.
Icons on Wheels: Delage D8-120S – 1938
The winning car was bodied and styled by Carrosserie de Villars on a Delage Chassis and was first shown at the Concours de l’Auto de Printemps in 1938. In 1996, it won First in Class in European Classics and Best in Show at the Pebble Beach Concours. Most recently, it won the Best of the Best accolade.
Open Wheels: Cooper Maserati T81 – 1962
The winning car was originally owned by the Swiss driver Lo Bonnier and competed in Formula One from 1966 until 1968, achieving his best result at the 1967 German Grand Prix held at the famous Nürburgring, finishing in P5. The car also participated in various other races, such as the International Trophy, the Swiss Championship Round and the Automobile Revue Cup in Monza, where it took victory.
Racing Legends: Ferrari 275 P – 1963
Recent archive research by Ferrari Classiche revealed that the 275 P, which had won Le Mans in 1964, had also done so in 1963 under a different chassis number. It would win the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1964, as well. This, for many experts and connoisseurs, would make the 275 P one of the most significant and valuable racing Ferraris ever.
Among these incredible pieces of automotive history, the choice of Best in Show was much debated by the Jury, which finally decided on the multi award-winning Delage D8-120S.
In the past editions the sun was so warm that the frozen surface had to be constantly monitored; this year Mother Nature played the opposite and poured so much snow that the show had to stop. Big up for the event’s organization and teams involved, for being reactive in taking the right and safe decision at the right moment. Our weekend in St. Moritz has been a blast anyway, and we cannot wait to come back for The I.C.E. 2025 which, we are sure, it will be truly unforgettable.
