Manicured Ridiculousness

The ICE event

Photos by Antonio Melegari

IN A STRANGE world of heavily edited Tik Tok videos, over filtered Instagram pictures, and YouTube videos with cuts quick enough to give a Formula One racer amigraine, influencers are always present and looking to emphasize their experiences to gain more views. This trend of over exaggeration has become a commonality in the car world, blurring the line of what is really taking place at these automotive events, and leaving viewers wondering: Are the events actually as good as these influencers make them seem? At the International Concours of Elegance or “ICE” in St. Moritz, Switzerland, that question is absent.

The atmosphere at the ICE is nothing short of magical — even before discussing the vehicles. The Swiss village hosts picturesque scenes around every corner, with high end shops on every block. The mountain roads in the area are gracious hosts to pre- event drives, from the Manx Café through the Bernina Pass. St. Moritz, a longtime host to the jetsetters of the world, has stood as one of the world’s most posh resort areas for more than 160 years, and its strong sporting history includes hosting the Winter Olympic Games in 1928 and 1948. Snow polo has been hosted on the frozen lake each winter since 1985, showing that a glamorous and natural event on the lake is nothing new for St. Moritz.

Because of St. Moritz’s reputation as a fashionable hosting ground for some of the wealthiest sporting enthusiasts in the world, the ICE event has been able to attract the most prominent collectors and their vehicles, even though the event is just a few years old. Notables this year included a Porsche 908 in the classic Gulf livery, a Ferrari 250 GT SWB complete with ski gear attached to the roof, and a wonderfully aged Bugatti Type 59, which was awarded Best in Show.

Car unveilings take place on a cleared patch of ice, with ice skaters removing the covers in an elegant fashion. Even the worst photographers would struggle to take a poor picture at this venue, as the snow and ice naturally uplights each of the subjects. In the case of the bright red and yellow liveried Pegaso Z102B ENASA from the Audrain Collections, a former Monaco Grand Prix entrant, the snow-draped lake offered the perfect backdrop.

While the show on Friday is epic in terms of a Concours, it offers just a sliver of the excitement that unfolds the following day, when the Concours cars take laps around a ‘circuit’ carved out on the frozen lake. Even with studded tires, the priceless vehicles offer endless moments of thrilling action, with plenty of oversteer and even a few spin outs. The organizers make it clear that this is not a race event, though drivers certainly don’t shy away from providing guests — and themselves — with a good time. Highlights included NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson, who was present in a liveried Porsche 904, steering sideways through nearly every corner, and actor Jason Momoa, who achieved oversteer we didn’t know was possible in a pre-war Bentley. It’s this type of energy that uplifts the entire event, raising the bar from a show to a spectacle.

Admiring cars of this standard at a judged show is always a special treat, giving enthusiasts an up-close look at superstars from the motoring past. Seeing these works of art in motion adds so much adrenaline to this event, especially at such a breathtaking site. The ICE event has taken the Concours d’Elegance formula and injected it with new life, offering unique moments so astonishing that they require no exaggeration — not even on Instagram.

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