Part 1: Skeleton Sliders in Bentleys
The ice-themed genre of classic car demonstrations and concours makes for a compelling case. With a backdrop, typically a picturesque Alpine location that creates an unexpected visual and and even driving experience, the basic concept is hard to resist and entirely on season. Amongst this small yet highly exclusive niche within the automotive lifestyle event space is the I.C.E. at St. Moritz.
The Swiss town of St. Moritz, located on the southern slopes of the Abula Alps near Piz Nair, is known for both its idyllic views and also its ski resort bonafides as exemplified in its hosting both the 1928 and 1948 editions of the Winter Olympics. Nearby Lake St. Moritz is also home to the I.C.E., an event conceptualized as far back as 1985 when several adventurous British participants in the long-held Cresta Run skeleton race hatched a plan for an extracurricular activity involving driving a few of their vintage Bentleys on the frozen lake.
Present on that day was Marco Makaus, a significant business man and car enthusiast in his own right who took in the spectacle of these incredible vehicles with their vibrant liveries contrasting with the white expanse of the frozen lake and snow-covered mountains beyond them. These growling and sliding automobiles offered an interesting bridge between icy winter weather of a winter in St. Moritz versus the summer attitude that goes along with more typical use of cars such as these were. The idea was quite literally laid out in front of him, and Makaus began to plot out his own course, imagining a controlled replication of the event that could grow to a larger scale while involving many more cars than those Bentleys or adventuresome skeleton race attendees seeking extracurricular activities.
Given the complexities of coordinating with venues and jurisdictions and corralling just the right sort of participants took decades to turn into reality, finalized when the town of St. Moritz and Badrutt’s Palace came aboard as partners.
Technically, the first abbreviated demonstration version of The I.C.E. St. Moritz took place in 2019. Subsequently delayed due to the pandemic, the first full full edition of The I.C.E. took place in 2022. Now, an annual fixture on the February calendar, The I.C.E. continues to grow with a record-breaking 2025. No less than 52 highly-exclusive classic and sports cars took to Lake St. Moritz as part of the event, while 20,000 visitors attended from all over the world.
Part 2: Freezing the Concept of The I.C.E. St. Moritz
The I.C.E. formula has been perfected to a multi-day event that includes Friday (Day 1) and Saturday (Day 2). More information on how each day can be found here, though also multi-hour broadcasts of each day also embedded here.
Day 1 (Friday, February 21)
On the first morning, The I.C.E. Village opens around the frozen event’s parc fermé, a display of these incredible cars on ice. The gathering gives attendees the opportunity to meet and examine the cars while a jury of experts selects cars across five concours categories. Winners are judged on elegance, rarity and history of each model and included: Ferrari 500 TRC Scaglietti from 1957 (Barchettas on the Lake); Bugatti 59 from 1934 (Open Wheels); Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Aprile from 1931 (Concept Cars & One-Offs); Ferrari 275 GTB/4 from 1966 (Icons on Wheels); and Porsche 908/03 from 1971 (Racing Legends).
Throughout the day, dynamic sessions on the lake take part including debuts by new car manufacturers. This year’s event included new vehicle debuts from Maserati and Pagani.
Saturday Video Audi Focus
- Timo Witte of Audi Tradition Interview at around 1:04:07
- Tom Kristensen Interview at around 4:30:40
Day 2 (Saturday, February 22)
On the second day of the event, demonstration laps are performed on the lake by participants while onlookers enjoy the spectacle of these incredible automobiles circling the snowy surface. Later in the afternoon, a Best in Show award is presented to the ultimate event winner.
That Best in Show trophy, like the event itself and the cars that take part, is highly unique, a design by architect Lord Norman Foster. Foster joined Tilly Harrison of key event sponsor Richard Mille to award to a 1934 Bugatti Type 59.
Part 3: Four Rings on the Lake
Audi Tradition first arrived at The I.C.E. in 2023 when it brought an Auto Union Type C Grand Prix racecar, effectively a pre-war F1 car. Of the legendary “Silver Arrow” era, the Auto Union had been designed by Ferdinand Porsche and was the first mid-engine to ever take the grid in Grand Prix racing. That engine was another Porsche design – a bruiser of a V16 and, depending on year and configuration, boasting supercharger as well.
That car was designed for circuit racing in temperate climates, so never really planned for running on the ice or snow. Tom Kristensen had been on hand to drive the car in 2023, and has shared that efforts were made by Audi Tradition to help improve traction by fitting the iconic quad-tire rear configuration that would have been used in the pre-war years when competing in hillclimbs. Counterintuitively, having the weight spread out over the larger contact patch of the four rear tires may have hindered the car’s traction on the ice. Kristensen shares that it was a challenge.
For 2025, Audi Tradition brought the 1986 Audi RS 002 Group S prototype. Back in period, this would have been the next evolution of a rallying quattro set to replace the Group B homologated Sport quattro S1 E2. However, the escalating performance and danger of Group B caused the FIA to cancel Group B and even the even more extreme Group S formula for which this car had been planned. In order to cool off the performance arms race, a more conservative set of rules called Group A had been adopted. More production-like entry-level cars were the focus, and Audi’s aspirations to move up market caused company leadership to elect to leave rallying having realized their goal of putting quattro technology on the map.
Rumor has it that none other than Ferdinand Piëch had called for the destruction or any remaining prototypes, developed as they had been under secrecy and against his wishes if the stories are true. Somehow, this example survived – a concept prototype with no engine or running gear that sat in the museum or warehouse most of its life. In recent years, Audi Tradition moved to fit it with a 2.1-liter Group B specification 5-cylinder engine. Since then, the car has done some demonstration events though has logged very few kilometers over all. That lack of mileage likely contributed to its sidelining due to driveshaft issues at The I.C.E. after a few demonstration laps (seen in the videos above).
Audi Tradition’s Timo Witte shares in the embedded video above that this was the ice and snow debut of the car, as in the first time it’s ever seen snow or ice in its existence. Regarding The I.C.E., Witte commented, “It’s a great event. It’s very good for the spectators. This is one of the reasons we come here, because the spectators can come close to the cars and see the cars in action.”
As a prototype, the Group S was participating in the Concept Cars & One-Offs class, though something as purposeful as the Group S was an unlikely aesthetic to win against many of the more extravagant and voluptuous competitors.
Part 4: Bulls on Ice
2025 Marks the tenth anniversary of Lamborghini Polo Storico, and the Audi-owned Italian supercar brand aimed to celebrate with a notable activation in St. Moritz. Two days of activities began Friday with an event at the Balthazar Downtown where an invitation list of Polo Storico customers and collectors gathered.
Elsewhere, a Lamborghini erected a Polo Storico Lounge for guests and journalists. Here, they displayed a Diablo SE30 painted the very special color of “Lambo Thirty” a.k.a. Viola 30 – a special purple created for this anniversary Diablo. The car had been lifted via crane to take its place on the panoramic terrace of the Balthazar Downtown and with views of Lake St. Moritz.
Over on the lake, Lamborghini displayed and exercised two more special cars. First was the Countach LP 400S “Pace Car” that operated as safety car at the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco in 1981 and 1982. This car is one of the most iconic pace cars ever, and it’s currently being analyzed by Polo Storico as part of their certification process.
The second car was a red Miura SV that was certified by Polo Storico in 2018. The SV was the most powerful version of the Miura, launched as it was in 1966 as the world’s first supercar. This example ended up winning the event’s “Hero Below Zero” people’s choice award.
Part 5: Elsewhere on the ICE
Other cars netting awards included a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB “Sefac” winning Spirit of St. Moritz.
Like other successful automotive events gaining traction as “must-see” participants on the world stage, The I.C.E. St. Moritz intentionally cultivates a schedule that includes additional automotive and cultural events in order to expand and diversify the draw for participants traveling in for The I.C.E. St. Moritz.
This year, this included Classic Driver Talks held on Thursday afternoon ahead of the main event on a stage located in downtown St. Moritz. Another event dedicated to contemporary sculpture with an automotive theme by Jörg Heiser for PARTICOLARE was also held for the first time. Other elements held on the lake or within St. Moritz proper included activations by Riva Classiche, Bugatti Rimac, Ruf, Meyers Manx, Totem Automobili and Lamborghini.
The growing atmosphere attracts even more luxury brands seeking to be part of the celebration. In addition to car brands, this includes Title Sponsor Richard Mille, RM Sotheby’s, VistaJet, Loro Piana, UBS and Vincenzo Dascanio, Bang&Olufsen, Blasto, Blunotte Eventi, Les Crêtes and Campari Group. From the automotive field, prestigious brands of the standing of Maserati and Pagani Automobili renew their attendance.
Gallery: Photos courtesy of Audi Tradition, Automobili Lamborghini and The I.C.E. with Alex Belotti, Andrea Klaingutti, Davide Bianchet, Nicola Fornaciari and Pietro Martelletti.
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