It was 5 a.m. on Monday, September 11th, when my photographer friend Miklós Todt and I set out on an adventure we had been planning for months. Our destination is the 2023 International St. Moritz Automobile Week via some special stops in Germany.
An early morning departure from Hungry’s home means an early afternoon arrival at the Schaltkulisse GmBH showroom in Germany. From there, check out Motorworld Munich Museum and check into your accommodation for the night. Early the next morning, we continued our journey towards our main destination, St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Miklós and I arrived on schedule at the small hamlet of Taufkirchen, just outside of Munich. The showroom of Schaltkulisse GmbH has a wide range of classic and modern sports cars on display, which are either kept here on behalf of their owners or available for purchase. Since it was my first visit, I didn’t know what to expect and was looking forward to seeing what was inside. When we arrived at the entrance, we were greeted by the rear of a Tahitian blue Lamborghini Countach LP400 S Series II. We quickly learned that we were in for a treat.
Needless to say we were in awe. We couldn’t believe our eyes. After telling the kind lady our purpose, we were free to take photos. There was an event in the showroom the day before so the car wasn’t in its proper position yet, but that wasn’t an issue at all.
Among the many great cars out there, it didn’t take long for Miklos and I to find it. The Ferrari F40 is definitely the childhood dream of many, if not everyone. I’ve been waiting my whole life to see this Maranello gem in person and it did not disappoint.
There are many other interesting vehicles in the showroom, including the Ferrari Dino 246 GT, the Ferrari Enzo Ferrari of Giallo Modena, the Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG Roadster, the Porsche 996 GT3 RS, the Porsche 904, the Pagani Huayra BC, the Pagani Huayra Roadster, and the Porsche Carrera. had. Fayence yellow GT, Ferrari 400 Superamerica LWB Aero Dinamico, etc.
We couldn’t have started our trip better than at the Schaltkulisse GmbH showroom, and there was still plenty to see and do before the day was over. We arrived at Motorworld Munich about 20 minutes by car from Taufkirchen.
This is a museum that brings together showrooms of multiple car brands. These include Bugatti, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Fisker and Porsche, as well as tuning companies ABT, BRABUS and Manhart.
Miklós and I didn’t spend much time here, but the experience was fascinating nonetheless. The entire hall was separated by a huge glass wall, and inside was his two-story storage area. Cars were lined up one above the other, several meters high.
Cars from classic models to the latest models were displayed and sold in the hallways.
If you’re heading to Munich for at least a few days, don’t forget about Motorworld Munich, which also doubles as a hotel. Yes, you can book a room within the walls of the museum.
The next day we headed to Switzerland and ended up spending a few nights at home. St. Moritz is a small town located at 1,822 meters above sea level. Surrounded by mountains, this is a visually stunning location perfect for sightseeing and driving. Add in high-end car events to the mix and you have a veritable car heaven.
The International St. Moritz Automobile Week has been held since 1929. His current 10-day event includes a special car show, multiple driving tours, a hill climb, an RM Southbee auction, drag racing, and driver training.
Upon arrival we received a media pass and all information about the tour and race. At the same time, cars were arriving for display in the forecourt of the Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski St. Moritz. The likes of the Bugatti Chiron, Porsche 993 GT2, Ferrari 250 GT Lusso and Lamborghini Diablo SE 30th Anniversary Edition were seen being unloaded, to name a few. There were no particular complaints regarding the background or location.
Miklós and I had arrived before our accommodation’s check-in time of 4pm, so we decided to head to the Julier Pass (2,284 meters above sea level), which we would pass on one of our driving tours a few days later. Find a good photo spot.
As mentioned earlier, the International St. Moritz Automobile Week consists of a number of smaller events. The first one is “Kilometer L’Anse,” which I unfortunately missed this year. This is a sprint race held at Engadin Airport where registered participants can test their speed over a distance of 1km.
2nd event should The “Targa Poschiavo” has been held for classic cars produced between 1905 and 1926, but for unknown reasons it was not held this year.
The third event goes by the name “Super Stick Shift.” This is his two-day, 750km tour of two-door coupes and convertibles built from January 1, 1974 to December 31, 1995. The regulations also state that these cars must have a manual, although they are not equipped with electronic assistance systems. contagion; infection.
This year, the event was complemented by a ‘Stallion Legend Rally’ dedicated to specific Ferrari models. This tour had fewer rules, but unfortunately there were fewer participants, probably due to the bad weather on the first day.
When we arrived at our camp in the morning, it was already cloudy and it soon started raining. The rain continued into the evening, so there was little point in chasing the participants. The first day’s tour covered 530km from St. Moritz to the shores of Lake Garda in Italy. From there, the drivers had dinner in the historic town of Poschiavo before heading back over the Bernina Pass to St. Moritz.
Fortunately, the weather was much better on the second day, but participants were only able to cover the remaining 220km of the tour.
While they finished the first half of the tour, Miklos and I spent an hour or so taking photos of the cars on display outside the Kempinski Hotel. Since it was a weekday, there weren’t many people, so I was able to shoot comfortably. From there we drove to Albula Hospice and waited for our tour participants to arrive. There is a restaurant at the top of the mountain, and the tour stopped here for lunch before continuing towards Col du Juliet.
We moved on while the drivers enjoyed their meal. There was plenty of time to take photos of the scenery and set up in pre-reconnoitred areas of the pass before the first cars arrived. We watched all the participants pass and then headed back to St. Moritz.
Later in the afternoon, the RM Sotheby’s auction was held, with a number of vintage and classic cars up for auction. A highlight would be his W201 Mercedes-Benz driven by Niki Lauda in his 1984 Nürburgring Champions race. The exhibition race, organized by Mercedes-Benz to celebrate the opening of the GP Streke course, featured 20 similarly prepared 190 E 2.3-16s driven by some of the world’s top drivers. Lauda finished second behind Ayrton Senna in car No. 18.
In addition to the special Mercedes, other cars are also new, including the 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500 E, 1992 Porsche 911 Carrera RS N/GT, 2008 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, and 1967 Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2 By Touring. I found my place. , 1966 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage, and 1961 Aston Martin DB4 Series III.
On Friday, Miklós and I had only planned to take photos and buy some souvenirs in front of our hotel before heading back to Hungary, but we managed to attend a morning practice session for the last event of the week, the Bernina Gran Turismo. I was able to do that. .
For this race, organizers closed the road between the Col de Bernina and La Rosa, allowing drivers to push their cars to the limit under controlled conditions. It was a true hill climb section with a total length of 5.7km, over 50 curves, and a 450m difference in elevation.It was great to watch, especially listen These classic cars shatter the silence one last time.
One last time, At this time at least. We definitely want to come back next year and experience the International St. Moritz Automobile Week in its entirety. We have to give a special thanks to our friend Miklos who guided us through the journey.
Tamas Molnar
Instagram: toomyphoto
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