Collector’s Agenda

On Saint Moritz’ frozen lake, this dynamic elegance contest nowadays attracts the most demanding collectors. Beyond its playful nature and its obvious panache, this audacious rendezvous gives freedom back to prestigious mechanics. That is enough to bring about a revolution in mentalities.

Icicles dangle from the chrome bumpers. Checking the tire studs is eminently more important than polishing the grills. In the crowd, furs replace the usual Panama hats. Visually, The ICE (International Concourse of Elegance) has everything to divert. Social networks have shown this abundantly, this new kind of elegance contest intends to shake up the codes of practice. Departing from the usual formula, according to which impeccable and gleaming cars are positioned on immaculately cured lawns, the Swiss meeting, imagined by Marco Makaus and Ronnie Kessel, offers a completely different concept. No more control and restraint. Make way for controlled skids. The mechanics can express themselves freely, outside of their comfort zone. Negative temperatures and icy ground: the frozen lake becomes the playground of owners visibly delighted to whip their mounts, so often pampered and usually treated with moderation and delicacy, to blood.

Beyond a fascinating aesthetic and an undeniable playfulness, however, the impact of this event on the world of car collecting is in no way virtual. If the 2019 trial run set the tone, showing iconic models like a Bentley “Blower” or a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL in action, a number of top collectors still seemed to be looking down upon this turbulent gathering. This is clearly no longer the case, for after two years of obligatory hibernation, the event thwarted certain forecasts, which envisaged a somewhat flashy weekend in one of the most prominent mountain resorts in Switzerland, and in fact, it asserted itself well and truly as a major meeting. It was sufficient to make your way through the large crowd and closely examine the almost fifty vehicles in the running to gauge the importance of the event.

The “plateau” is sub-divided into five inspiring categories, named: “Jetset in ice”; “Stars on wheels”; “Vintage road racing”; “Barchettas on the Lake” or “Vintage Grand Prix”. Among this assembly, some vehicles immediately turn heads. This is especially the case for those who have found fame on the big or small screen. For many spectators, they have long been dreams of on film. Who hasn't had their eye on James Bond's 1/43 Aston Martin? In Saint Moritz, the toy is life-size and the gadgets of this DB5 used by EON Productions for the promotion of the film Thunderball in 1965 are indeed operational, as Fritz Burkard will enthusiastically demonstrate all weekend at the wheel. The Mercury Cougar XR-7 already had practice driving on ice in Switzerland, but the last time she did it was in 1969 in the Bernese Oberland, at the foot of the Eiger, with Diana Rigg at the wheel, for the filming of “On Her Majesty's Secret Service”. Enough to give a thrill to the Myers Manx buggy, used in the dunes by Steve McQueen in the Thomas Crown affair, but obviously not to Richard Gauntlett who presented it. Not to be outdone, were the Ford Mustang preferred by Pierce Brosnan in his reinterpretation of this classic, or the Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider by Dana Perfetti, known as the one from the pilot episode of the television series Miami Vice. Of course, the orange Lamborghini Miura, presented by Fritz Kaiser has been seen before, it was precisely this model, which appeared in the opening scene of the film The Italian job.

That name, of course, is also attached to the black Ferrari 250 GTO presented by Brandon Wang, who, fully playing the game and sticking to the spirit of the event, also came to Saint Moritz with his very desirable Morris Mini Cooper S from 1967. It does not matter which of the Minis it is, since this factory example won the Coupe des Alpes. And here another piece of history ! Aside from a rare 1969 Ghibili SS coupé, which one can easily imagine parked outside Badrutt's Palace in its time – it was then a more exclusive, more refined, more powerful and… more expensive car than its rival, the Ferrari Daytona – Maserati enthusiasts particularly noted the appearance of the 1939 Maserati 4CL single-seater racing car, winner of the Best of Show this year, or the superb A6GCS/53 Pinin Farina berlinetta, one of two survivors of the three models made in 1953.

Other rarities competed in the show, such as an Aston Martin DB3S, a Jaguar Type-C and its road counterpart, an XK-SS, a long chassis Ferrari 250 GT California, a Porsche 904, a very attractive Ferrari 500 Mondial Pinin Farina from 1954 with the beautiful original patina, but also an Abarth OT 2000 "Periscopio" from 1968, or the famous "Jules", a car created for the Paris-Dakar on a Toyota 4x4 base with bodywork reminiscent of a Rolls-Royce Corniche coupé, presented by Gauthier Rossignol.

Modern supercar enthusiasts were not forgotten, as Horacio Pagani showed the full range of possibilities of his Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta on the track. A special mention goes, of course, to the Fiat 130 "Villa d'Este" Introzzi station wagon, which Corado Lopresto was happy to bring back to Saint Moritz, the place where this exclusive family station wagon, tailor-made for Gianni Agnelli, was most often used by its sponsor. An iconic car, which rightfully received the “Spirit of St. Moritz” award.

Faced with such a display of rarities, one can of course, try to see beyond the images and ask oneself why important collectors are keen to take part in such a meeting. The immediate answer is that of the pleasure element. In discussion with the owners, however, another area of interest was also necessary. For many of them, the question now arises on the future of these vehicles and car collections. Showing these cars in a more modern, more relaxed and more mobile setting than traditional competitions is also a strategic challenge.

If the Lamborghini Miura or Countach, or even the Ferrari GTO, the Pagani Zonda or the Maserati MC20, displayed during the weekend, have no difficulty in arousing the interest and enthusiasm of a wide public which is generally young and trendy, it is not necessarily the same for pre-war cars or certain exquisite but salient references, like the delightful Lancia Aurelia B24 S Spider America or Flaminia Super Sport Zagato. It is therefore a concern for education and transmission, but also of enhancement of course, which now leads collectors to take part in events in which the cars move rather than being static, giving strong emotions to a broad audience. On the frozen lake of Saint Moritz, these machines, made for the road and speed, regain all their panache. They remind us that they were designed as instruments of freedom, a freedom that has been too inhibited over the past two years. In Saint Moritz, the icons are no longer untouchable. They turn out to be terribly desirable. This is probably the best way to break the ice.