THE I.C.E. SAINT MORITZ - AN AUTOMOTIVE FAIRYTALE ON ICE
The I.C.E. St. Moritz is one of those events you have to experience firsthand… otherwise, it's hard to believe it's real. A Ferrari 375 MM drifting sideways a Maserati 250F on studded tires racing across a frozen lake? Such sight can only be found at The I.C.E. St. Moritz.
Instagram = Reality
Processing the impressions from visiting The I.C.E. took me several days! For me, concours d'elegance were for me just static events in very elegant settings. In 2019, a new event with a completely different approach appeared on the calendar. Looking at how it appears today, I have the feeling that this event "burst through the door" onto the concours d'elegance scene. Not only does it take place in winter, which isn't typically associated with actively using classic cars, but these unique vehicles actually drive a lot there. Encouraged by previous accounts from 2022 and 2023 I decided that this was the year I had to see it.
Exchanging impressions with friends after the event, one of them stated that this is probably the only place where Instagram actually matches reality. There's some truth to that! Sunny St. Moritz is already an exceptional place on its own, but these two days exceeded my expectations. The picturesque location, beautiful cars, elegant visitors, well-known figures from the automotive world, and the active format of the event… all of this created a very successful recipe for two days full of automotive endearment.
The I.C.E. Competition
More than 50 unique classic cars were categorized into five classes: Barchettas on the Lake, Open Wheels, Concept Cars and One Offs, Icons on Wheels, and Racing Legends. The event had two main parts. Friday was a day with limited access, for which tickets sold out rather quickly. All competition vehicles were freely accessible, and you could also exchange a few words with the owners. Obviously, the cars presented during this event are unique treasures, each worth a fortune. Regardless, you could freely discuss these vehicles with their owners, who were happy to share their knowledge and interesting facts about their history.
One of my favorites was the Lancia Flavia Sport Corsa Zagato, which was built for the Targa Florio race in 1964. Two cars were made, of which only the one shown in the photo has survived to this day. Interestingly, the details of its history weren't well documented anywhere, so the fate of this car is being reconstructed based on historical photographs.
A few steps away, the owner of an Autobianchi Runabout Bertone was recreating an original photo from the 1969 Bertone catalog. This concept was designed by Marcelo Gandini as a demonstration of a small, lightweight car with a mid-mounted engine, based on Fiat 128 components. It was created at a time when the Bertone studio was working on the successor to the Fiat 850 Spider.
Turn left and there's something for lovers of the raging bull's history—a Countach LP400S Series III. It was produced for Jean Claude Mimran himself, who bought Lamborghini in 1981. The car was used as a safety car in F1 races in Monaco in 1981 and 1982.
Two days is definitely not enough to explore the histories of all these vehicles! All that remains is to read the organizer's materials and continue deepening my knowledge about what actually passed through there.
On Friday, the event had a more static character; the competition cars only did one honorary lap at the end of the day. However, Pagani organized dynamic shows during the day, showcasing the newest Utopia, as well as Maserati with the latest version of the GranCabrio. The GranCabrio premiere was preceded by a figure skating show, as if there weren't enough impressions already.
Saturday was a celebration of classics in motion. All (well, almost all) cars drove out for several sessions on the frozen lake. Some drivers used their cars definitely as intended, while others treated these drives completely like tourists. Regardless of the nature of the drive, I suspect that this was a large part of the mileage these cars will do during the year.
St. Moritz during The I.C.E.
The atmosphere of the city is exceptional during these days. Many accompanying events take place, and it attracts many automotive enthusiasts with unique machines. Walking through the city, you'll see both the newest Ferrari 12 Cilindri and a 512BB calmly standing in traffic. Walking through town, I came across the latest model from Totem Automobili GT Electric, around which a meeting of good friends was taking place. In the evening, in the center of the town, I came across a completely casually parked Alfa 8C 2300 on German plates. I wonder if the owner drove it here? Somewhere I caught a glimpse of a Dallara Stradale Barchetta belonging to the organizers of the Tutto Bene Hillclimb event... honestly, it's possible to get overstimulated during this weekend. The atmosphere of the city is inimitable during The I.C.E.!
How to get to The ICE?
Finally, a few practical tips. I made preliminary reservations for the trip in September 2024. The date of the event was already known, and I could easily find accommodation at a still reasonable price. I managed to stay in St. Moritz itself, which was very convenient and allowed me to enjoy the unique atmosphere that was created in the resort for those few days, and to reach the lake on foot. This year's edition was record-breaking in terms of the number of visitors, and I assume that this will develop even more. If you want to fully enjoy this event, try to attend both days. If the format remains the same, on Friday there's a chance to see the cars up close, and on Saturday to see them in action on the lake. On Saturday, you won't be able to examine them in detail, as they reside in a closed park that is inaccessible to visitors.
Tickets on Saturday were freely sold all day, which caused large crowds, and the gastronomy provided at the venue was heavily overloaded. I assume that this element will be somewhat refined.
Is it worth visiting The ICE every year? I'm not convinced that it will provide as many impressions each time. It is definitely worth seeing live and experiencing how magical a world we can still create from a mixture of passion, possibilities, and the rich history of automotive industry. I recommend it!
