At the end of astrological winter, it’s time to reflect the first automotive highlight of the year held in the heart of the Swiss Alps. Since the cozy inaugural 2019 premiere days ahead of the Geneva carshow, GTspirit is part of the journey from Marco Makaus’s vision to a landmark on the international automotive calendar within a few years.
Enjoy the in-depth report with 100+ dynamic and static impressions from the icetrack, the parc-fermé and satellite locations all over the village.
A perfect harmony of timeless elegance and pure automotive passion marked the success of The I.C.E. St. Moritz 2026, the International Concours of Elegance that serves as the benchmark of the winter season for the elite automotive world. The event transformed the crystalline frozen surface of Lake St. Moritz into an exceptional stage, hosting 53 masterpieces of classic and sports engineering. This selection of rare icons enchanted a multi-generational audience, celebrating the automobile not merely as a vehicle, but as an authentic work of art.
The 19’000 visitors witnessed a new category called Legendary Liveries, iconic cars with famous drivers like Felippe Massa in the Porsche 959 “racing” Tom Kristensen in the Audi Sport quattro S1 E2 or the unique roadlegal Nissan R390 GT1 by Erik Comas, pure excitement behind the wheel and along the circuit and in the grandstands.
The event starts on Friday with a static display of carefully selected participants; the class winners are chosen by the high-profile jury. The day ends with parade laps of the concours cars, but also partner brands showcased their cars on display – Pagani, Maserati, Ferrari Classiche, Koenigsegg and Bugatti/Rimac just to name a few.
The I.C.E event is not limited to the lake area, various partners from automotive, luxury lifestyle and art installations can be experienced over the weekend – all in walking distance from the lake.
The breathtaking shows of the “Patrouille Suisse”, was highly appreciated and shared on social media. The official aerobatic team of the Swiss Air Force flew over St. Moritz frozen lake and the Engadin mountains offering the public an air show of high intensity and spectacle. It was the final appearance of these legendary jets over the Engadin valley, with the end of the Patrouille Suisse scheduled for 2027 – it was a blast!
The second day was dedicated to free laps of the concours cars, always in groups of 7-10 cars. The most suitable sports cars for a car event with a maritime flair can, of course, be found in the “Barchettas on the Lake” category: The ICE St. Moritz was joined by a fleet of legendary racing cars, including a Maserati 300S, a Ferrari 250 MM Vignale Spyder Series II, a Ferrari 750 Monza driven by Yulia Houghtaling, and a Jaguar D-Type of Kurt Engelhorn, founder of the Bernina Grand Turismo. However, the most extravagant car was a 1965 Pontiac Vivant, a unique aerodynamic study.
The most enjoyable rides across the lake are always offered by the open-top racing cars from the 1920s to the 1960s, the golden age of classic motorsport. Local collector Fritz Burkard brought his exceptionally beautiful Bugatti T13, which looked like a scale model next to the huge 1928 Bentley 4.5-liter Open Tourer driven by Kartharina Kyvalova.
Collector Gaurav Dhar brought the very first Koenigsegg prototype onto the ice—and the car was not only reunited with Christian von Koenigsegg, but also received praise from Mate Rimac, the petrol-mad CEO of Bugatti Rimac, for its innovative design and creative craftsmanship. If you look closely, you can see the same man few minutes later in the Bugatti EB110 from ThePerridonCollection, drifting in the 42year old masterpiece with a huge smile. Finally the “Icons on Wheels” category. The orange Lamborghini Miura SV from the Distinctive Collection was the perfect car to celebrate the model’s 60th anniversary. Rally driver Christian Geistdörfer, Walter Röhrl’s famous co-driver, demonstrated his skills in a Porsche 910. Next, a Ferrari 250 SWB Competizione sped around the oval, followed by a metallic blue Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada, whose tires didn’t have enough grip and spun in front of our camera.
The 2026 The Ice Concours Winners
On the first day, the international jury selected the Best in Class in the five concours’ categories, awarding the elegance, rarity, and history of each model:
Lancia Stratos, 1976 (Legendary Liveries);
Maserati 4CLT, 1949 (Open Wheels);
Jaguar XJ220, 1993 (Birth of Hypercar);
Ferrari 750 Monza, 1955 (Barchettas on the Lake);
Talbot-Lago T150C SS ‘Teardrop’, 1937 (Icons on Wheels).
A new award, for Best Sound, was presented to the Pontiac Vivant, 1965 (Barchettas on the Lake).
Closing the event Saturday afternoon, the prestigious Best in Show award went to the Talbot-Lago T150C SS ‘Teardrop’, 1937 (Icons on Wheels) owned by Fritz Burkhard from TheRealPearlCollection.
Furthermore, the Ferrari Dino 206 S, 1967 (Icons on Wheels) won the Spirit of St. Moritz award.
Finally, the McLaren F1 GTR Lark, 1996 (Birth of the Hypercar) was honored with the public award called Hero Below Zero.
