Mark Megahan
Every February the jet set crowd heads to the Swiss ski village of St. Moritz for an ice race. It’s described as an “over-the-top event with million-dollar cars, Champagne and dogs in tiny coats.” The whole extravaganza starts with a well frozen lake.
Luxury cars slip across Swiss ice
You might see a 1957 Ferrari 250TDF or Pagani Huayra Codalunga supercar at the International Concourse of Elegance ice race. Considering that if you’re on the ground in Switzerland’s Engadin valley, at the time, you probably have the money to pick one up for yourself.
The luxury alpine town is full of “serene log cabins, skiing that’s challenging for Olympians and heated pools overlooking one of the most pristine mountain ranges in the world.” For two days, “the small town becomes a rumbling, gasoline-scented race venue for the ultrawealthy and their one-of-kind vintage cars.”
Back in 1985, founder Marco Makaus witnessed a group of tourists attending the Cresta Run, an annual toboggan race. What caught his attention were the cars they were driving.
“The tourists rode into St. Moritz in vintage Bentleys, and it sparked the interest of everyone there.” He couldn’t get the image of countless vintage cars speeding on a frozen lake out of his brain. By 2019 the event crystallized as ICE, the International Concourse of Elegance. It’s been a hit since the first run.
This year, “the ultraluxury event drew 11,000 attendees and car owners from all over the world.” In the days leading up to the race, crews monitor for an ice thickness of at least 10 inches.
Once they get a solid slab, they test it by pushing out “weights of nearly 17,000 pounds by driving a 7,500-pound snow-track vehicle fitted with safety floats.” Once it’s cleared, they start setting up the tents. The temporary event village “includes a bar and a skating rink where drinks are delivered by professional figure skaters.”
Ultra rare cars
The Pagani Huayra Codalunga supercar made an appearance at ICE but only for show. The owner isn’t about to risk his $7.4 million sports car in a race. There are only five in the entire world. It has an 840 horsepower engine created by Mercedes-AMG.
One car which will be in the race is a Bugatti Type 35. Simon Kidston, a British commentator and car expert brought his along. It used to belong to his uncle. “For him, racing and presenting his uncle’s car has little to do with the monetary value of the vehicle.”
One 1936 Auto Union C-Type “competed in the Open Wheels category and briefly lost control, but made it back on the track unharmed.”
A best in show award went to a Lancia Stratos Zero made in 1970. Other featured cars in the ice race were a 1937 2-liter Aston Martin and a 1968 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada.
Nobody there cares about winning any prize money. They have a blast just driving their vintage luxury race cars across a solid sheet of ice at high speed.
What’s the point of having all that money if you can’t go out and flirt with flaming death once in a while?
