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Bernina Gran Turismo August Newsletter
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30.09.16 - 02.10.16
In just a couple of weeks the wait will be over and cars and drivers will gather on the Bernina Pass to enjoy the 2016 edition of Bernina Gran Turismo.
 
While going through the last checks to car, paperwork and thinking about the perfect line to take on the Bernina bends on September 30th and October 1st and 2nd, perhaps you would like reading an excerpt from ‘Bunty’ Scott Moncrieff’s book “Three Pointed Star”, a very enjoyable history of the Daimler, Benz and Mercedes brands, published in the 1950s, who so described the Mercedes-Benz results in the 1929 races.
Scott-Moncrieff was a Scottish aristocrat who lived the good life before and after the war, always surrounded by great automobiles. All the great British marques, with a special love for the Rolls-Royce pre-war masterpieces, and the Continental brands – with a preference for Mercedes-Benz. He knew very well the cars and their countries, having married a German lady and travelling frequently all around Europe to see the races and enjoy the parties. He spoke fluently French and German and had friends everywhere. 
A bit like Count Lurani, he was an European way before Europe existed. Like him, he made a business out of his passion in the post-war years, writing about cars and dealing with them. If you were looking for a great used Rolls-Royce or a SSK in the fifties, you just had to go to his rural farm.
His Mercedes-Benz book is highly recommended, and here is a small part dealing with the St. Moritz speedweek:
“- The International automobile week at St. Moritz, for which Caracciola had flown back from Ireland, was quite a gala for Mercedes-Benz. In the touring class of the rally an eight-cylinder and six-cylinder were fisrt and second, having been driven an astronomical number of miles by Georg Zettritz and Wessels respectively. The flat races were mostly Mercedes victories. Momberger made fastest time for sports-cara with Prince zu Leiningen second, both on SSKs. In the touring class Georg Zettritz just managed to make best time on a 26/220. He only beat, by one-tenth of a second, Frau Paula Merz, a Swiss lady, driving a 38/250 who won the Ladies’ Prize. Alfred Hirte, junior, was third on an old K. Best time of the day was made by Rosenberger on the supercharged 1914 car in achieving 115 m.p.h. Caracciola and Rolf von Dojmi on SSKs were first and second in the class for racing-cars of up to 8 litres. But even Caracciola did not go quite as fast as Rosenberger. –“
Enough history: the future looks bright with great weather forecasts and a list of around fifty racing cars of all descriptions, with a few which will surprise and amuse you.
If you have not entered yet, you are now late! Please do get in touch with us as there will be a waiting list in case someone has to cancel at the last minute.
In any case, please come and join us all the same as a spectator: we have considerably enhanced the services for spectators, who will have dedicated parking (with an area dedicated to oldtimers only) and transport, such as a couple of vintage Saurer post buses, not to mention catering facilities.
You have no excuses, come and enjoy Bernina Gran Turismo and bring your friends with you: the more the merrier!
Your BGT Team
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Internationale St. Moritzer Automobilwochen AG · Via Maistra 7 · St. Moritz 7500 · Switzerland

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