“Every corner here is different, so you need to know what you’re doing,” says Fritz Burkard from St. Moritz, helmet in hand, as he prepares to fire up his 1930s Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza for another lap of the Bernina Pass. “Sometimes, you can even enjoy the scenery for half a second.” The nimble red pre-war sports car, from the stables of the legendary Scuderia Ferrari, was raced by Tazio Nuvolari in the 1933 Monaco Grand Prix and won the Swedish Grand Prix that same year. Almost a century later, its latest custodian continues the fast-paced tradition in the Swiss Alps, entering his eight-cylinder racing veteran in the competition class of the Bernina Gran Turismo — a hillclimb race on the Bernina Pass between the Engadin and the Valposchiavo, first established in 1929.
The Swiss Alps are home to countless breathtaking mountain roads, but for ambitious drivers, the Bernina Pass plays in a league of its own. Stretching 5.4 kilometres from the historic hamlet of La Rösa in the remote Valposchiavo valley to the summit of the pass at 2,300 metres above sea level, the Bernina tackles the Alpine terrain with 52 bends linked by steep straights made for fast driving. The route climbs 450 metres through gravel, rocks and dense pine forests. Legendary drivers such as Hans Stuck and Louis Chiron competed on this demanding road in the 1930s, when hillclimb races were flourishing across Europe. In 2015, local enthusiast Kurt Engelhorn revived the iconic race. Today, it is managed by his daughter, Ana Engelhorn, together with a team of Swiss and Italian racing specialists.
“The Bernina is a very technical course. The layout is unique, and that’s what this car likes,” says Fritz before heading down the pass for another stint, engine roaring and tyres screeching. “No corner is the same, and it’s quite steep going uphill. But once you know it well, you can even go sideways and really have some fun, enjoying the noise.” Fritz owns many amazing cars from all eras and has arrived at the pass with his Bugatti Divo hypercar. Still, he prefers the old machine for the race: “Driving pre-war cars really activates all your senses. You hear, you feel, you smell, you can even taste the methanol on your tongue — it’s a full load of sensations you don’t get from modern cars.”
The Alfa 8C isn’t the only high-profile historic racer on the course. The Mercedes-Benz Museum has brought two priceless cars from its collection: a white 1928 SSK and a silver 300 SLR from 1955. Meanwhile, German collector Klaus Dold and his daughter Victoria are racing at the Bernina in their family cars: an Alfa 8C 2300 Zagato Spider and a Bugatti Type 35A. Franco Gansser pilots a Riley Sprite TT at astonishing speed alongside Heinz Stamm in an Aston Martin DB2/4 Bertone Spyder, both chasing glory from start to finish despite the age of their racing machines. If you were into 1960s and ’70s sports cars, you were spoilt for choice: a pack of thundering Alfa Romeo GTAs, an elegant Alfa TZ1 and an Aston Martin DB4 Lightweight, stripped down to less than 1,000 kilograms and making it the perfect tool for conquering the pass.
What makes the Bernina Gran Turismo so special is the diversity of its cars and drivers. World-famous collectors and concours winners compete in priceless classics alongside local drivers from the surrounding valleys, racing more modest but equally enjoyable machines. Patrick Koller, who grew up at the foot of the mountain and knows every curve of the road by heart, raced his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV alongside rally legends such as an Audi Sport Quattro S1 and two Lancia Stratos Group 4 racers. Karl Fazer brought his Toyota Celica GT-Four all the way from Finland, while Filip Larson, organiser of the wonderful Aurora Concours in Sweden, arrived in the Alps behind the wheel of his astonishingly short, loud and fast TVR Griffith. The loudest car of them all must have been Marc Gassmann’s 1990s Ford Mustang Foxbody, which crackled through the curves like a pack of firecrackers.
For spectators, the Bernina Gran Turismo is a treat, too. Just like in the old days, you can set up your camping chair at one of the hairpins, coffee in hand, and watch the cars roar past. Or you can alternate between the starting grid at Ospizio Bernina, high up on the pass — where Michael Bornhäuser and Classic Driver’s J.P. Rathgen commentated on the race for the livestream — and La Rösa, where the cars lined up in one neat row, doors open and engines running, curiously watched by the local cows as they waited for the flag to drop. You can simply wander among the cars, chat with the drivers and mingle with the locals over Rivella and Bratwurst. Naturally, the weather can change the game quickly. While previous editions have been cooled down by rain, fog and even sudden snowfall, last weekend’s Bernina GT offered the perfect mix of golden September sunshine and bright blue skies.
Naturally, you can’t host a hillclimb without inviting a few Porsches. Local driver Alex Boller competed in his freshly restored Porsche 356 Speedster, while US industrial designer Carl Gustav Magnusson tackled the mountain in his lightweight and carefully customised Porsche 912 — a car we had the pleasure of experiencing on the Splügen Pass a few years ago. However, the most dramatic car of them all must have been the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Competizione N.A.R.T., entered by local driver, workshop owner and restorer Niko Camenisch. “The car was rebuilt in the 1980s by the North American Racing Team. We’ve had the pleasure of preparing it for this beautiful event,” says Niko as he waits for his next run up the hill in La Rösa. “The car is very, very, very fast and very loud. It has a V12 racing engine, racing gearbox, suspension, wheels and tyres — and it’s a mega honour to drive it here today!”
As a media partner, Classic Driver had the pleasure of covering the Bernina Gran Turismo throughout the weekend. Our feature film about the event — featuring many of the cars and drivers in action — is now in post-production and will be released shortly. If you’re not already subscribed, give Classic Driver a follow on YouTube to be notified when the film drops in the coming days.
Photos: Andrea Klainguti, Alberto Chimenti Dezani
