It's the moment we've all been waiting for. A sight of almost supernatural beauty that will be etched in our memories and replayed for days to come. It’s Saturday morning, just before 7 am, with the sun already bathing the clouds and snow-capped Alpine peaks in a brilliant orange. But here, at the old Ospizio Bernina, not far from the pass summit at 2,235 meters, the blue haze of night still lingers. Normally, all you'd hear at this point is the whistling of icy wind around your ears. But this morning, everything is different. The air is filled with the roar of dozens of racing engines being revved up by their drivers. It's a symphony of cars and motorcycles from more than 100 years of motorsport history, amplified and reflected by the mountain walls.
A flame-belching Gulf-Porsche 908, which competed in the Targa Florio in Sicily, and a 911 Carrera RSR roar in competition. A few steps further, the mighty V8 of a Ford Galaxie bursts into life. Next to it, a Martini-liveried Lancia 037 Safari racer, complete with spare tire on the roof, is stirring. Meanwhile, the gullwing doors of a Mercedes-Benz 300SL are just latching shut. And isn't that crouching red monster up ahead an Alfa Romeo TZ2? Gas cans are being emptied into pre-war racing cars, people in racing suits sprint through the rows of cars, pulling helmets over their heads, stamping cigarettes out on the asphalt, accompanied by shouts and laughter. Then the sun breaks out from behind the mountains, bathing the scenery in golden light, with spoilers casting meter-long shadows. The starting flag drops, and the pack roars with an infernal sound down into the Valposchiavo, from which the fog still rises. You can still hear them long after they've disappeared. Then, silence returns to the Bernina Hospice. And you wonder if you really just experienced that – and aren't perhaps still dreaming under Engadin down duvets.
The Bernina Pass connects the Engadin and the Valposchiavo and is certainly one of the most beautiful Alpine passes in Graubünden and Switzerland. With its curves, hairpin bends, and switchbacks, it is both a marvel of topography and a masterpiece of engineering. Anyone who has climbed the pass at the wheel of a sports car will share the same wish: to banish the tour buses and tourists, leaving them to storm this 'Alpine race track' in complete peace. That's the dream that Kurt Engelhorn, the car collector and racing driver who created the Bernina Gran Turismo in 2014, helped come true. This year, the hill climb celebrated its tenth edition, expertly orchestrated by Ana Engelhorn and Luca Moiso.
In 1929 and 1930, shortly after Graubünden lifted its strict automobile ban, an illustrious group of daredevil racers met at the Bernina Pass to test their talent at the wheel of their machines. The first Bernina Hill Climb was part of the International Automobile Week St. Moritz, and legendary drivers — from Hans Stuck in his Austro-Daimler to Louis Chiron in a Bugatti — competed in this 16.5 km Alpine showdown. Fast forward to 2025, and following in their tyre tracks were the drivers in their fantastic historic racing cars, including Martin Halusa in the 1927 Bugatti Type 35 B, Klaus Dold in the 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C, and, of course, Fritz Burkard, who powered his Bugatti Type 59 through the corners with commendable bravado. It may well be the first time a Pebble Beach winner has competed in a hill climb — and a sight one can probably only experience at the Bernina Gran Turismo.
All cars start in La Rösa, a historic hamlet in Valposchiavo. From here, the route winds its way up 5.4 kilometres to the finish at the top of the pass. Surrounded by the dramatic mountains of Graubünden, the topographically challenging pass is a true experience even for seasoned hillclimb racers. What makes the Bernina Gran Turismo so special for spectators is the fact that you hike to the best vantage points along the route yourself — sometimes having to endure several hours on the mountain in rain, hail, or snow. In return, you get closer to the cars than at almost any other race in the world.
Particularly in the Competition Class, the drivers went all out; Susanne Halusa in the elegant Ferrari 250 SWB Competizione, Ronnie Kessel and Francesco Siccardi in their wonderfully agile Alfa Romeo 1750 GTAm, and especially Daniele Perfetti in the roaring Porsche 911 Carrera RSR, who was ultimately crowned the race winner, delivered racing at its finest. Franco Gansser also delivered an exceptional driving performance, conquering the tight corners at the wheel of the brutally stubborn Porsche 908, closely followed by Hans Meeder in a bright red Porsche 911 Carrera RSR.
But even in the Regularity class, where the times are set by the FIA, and during the demonstration runs, drivers could be seen drifting through the corners with plenty of skill and squealing tires. From the monstrous Bentley 4 1/2 Litre with Katharina Kyvalova at the wheel to the Lamborghini Diablo, icons of automotive history could be seen sprinting through the hairpin bends, while off-road legends like the Audi Quattro Group B S1, Lancia 037, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6, and Subaru Impreza WRX ST1 Prodrive (with Victoria Dold, just 19 years old, behind the wheel) evoked memories of rally racing’s golden era.
Meanwhile, Alexander Boller put on an excellent show in his Ford Galaxie 500, a red aircraft carrier on wheels, as did Marc Gassman in the furious Ford Mustang Foxbody. At the Bernina Gran Turismo, one can also compete with less brute force: Kurt Engelhorn in his Lotus Elite S2, Christian Klainguti in the Riley Cope Special, and Fabian Bartlome in the Austin Cooper S reminded us that in hillclimb racing, low weight can sometimes be more valuable than displacement and horsepower. Vic Jacob ultimately took the podium in the Regularity class in an Austin Healey 100S.
However, it wasn’t just automotive history that came to life at the Bernina Gran Turismo. Attendees were also granted a glimpse into the future of racing: Fritz Burkard brought his new Bugatti Bolide to accompany his Bugatti Type 59—a matte-black UFO with more than 1,600 hp, which was serviced like a Formula 1 race car between sessions, complete with heated blankets and a crew of mechanics. It was the monstrous racer's first outing on the open road, and so, alternating with Burkard, legendary test and racing driver Andy Wallace and Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac shared the honours at the wheel. Menacing like a stealth bomber, the race car shot up the mountain between rocks and pine forests, disappearing back into the hangar beneath the Bernina Hospice after each stint like it was Aera 51.
It's this mixture of incredulous amazement and an authentic, relaxed racing atmosphere accompanied by bratwurst and coffee in a paper cup that makes the Bernina GT so special. Up here, beyond the tree line, it's all about the good vibes, the shared joy of spirited driving, the love of cars and mountains — and less about self-promotion and Instagram likes. When the winners were announced on Sunday in the village square in Poschiavo, we already felt like part of an automotive family that comes together every year on a September Saturday morning to let their engines roar together in the morning sun. Needless to say, we’re already counting down the days to the next one!
Photos: Andrea Klainguti and Keno Zache
