It is time. From all parts of Europe, participants will make their way to the Kilomètre Lancé from 2 to 4 September 2022 in St. Moritz. However, Solitude GmbH as the organiser within the framework of the International St. Moritz Automobile Week would like to pay homage above all to those who travel to the highest airport in Europe with the competition vehicles on their own wheels.

It is time. From all parts of Europe, participants will make their way to the Kilomètre Lancé from 2 to 4 September 2022 in St. Moritz. However, Solitude GmbH as the organiser within the framework of the International St. Moritz Automobile Week would like to pay homage above all to those who travel to the highest airport in Europe with the competition vehicles on their own wheels.

The active circle of friends of American La France drivers around Christoph Karle will be putting on a special spectacle. No less than six of these cylinder capacity giants from the 1920s from the Bedensee region will take the route over the 2,284-metre-high Julier Pass under their 38-inch wheels mounted on oak rims. The uphill gradient of up to 11.8 percent will be less of a problem for the 14,500 cc six-cylinder engines; rather, the pilots will have to struggle with the almost three tonnes of vehicle weight on the descent. And: holding on is the most important thing. The roadsters, which are based on a fire engine chassis, have neither doors nor seat belts. 

Michael Barbach from Vienna is also one of the intrepid drivers. He has to cover almost 700 kilometres to St. Moritz in his Volkswagen Type 60, the so-called Berlin-Rome-Wagen, designed by Ferdinand Porsche in 1939. Back then, around 35 hp was enough to accelerate the 650-kilogram aluminium lightweight to 145 kilometres per hour. Today, for the Porsche specialist, it is deceleration to move the Stromlimienwagen over hundreds of kilometres in a manner befitting its species.

Christian Loch from Mannheim travels to the world-famous ski resort at a similarly leisurely pace. He even has a service trailer in tow on his 34 hp Beetle and will compete against a Lloyd LP 600 at Engadin Airport on 3 September 2022 to recall a historic duel.

The wild bunch, on the other hand, includes designer Stephen Murkett. He will be driving his Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupé from England to Stuttgart this week and then whipping the seven-litre eight-cylinder the remaining 400 kilometres or so to St. Moritz next week. 

You can find more information about the event at www.kilometre-lance.com.

All five events of the International. St. Moritz Automobile Week are summarised on the community homepage www.i-s-a-w.com. 

Yours
Tobias Aichele