The British Classic Car Meeting - St. Moritz
The best of British in the grandest place on Earth
Every so often, two separate worlds collide to create something magical. In the case of the BCCM, you witness exactly that: classic British motorcars meeting the alpine grandeur of St. Moritz — my favourite place in the world (except for when I feel it’s Sardinia).
But it’s not only St. Moritz as a town which adds to the old-world splendour of the BCCM weekend, but the quiet star of the concorso, the grand-dame of the Engadin: Suvretta House. Opened in 1912 as one man’s vision of a “home away from home” in the Engadin valley, Suvretta House remains the elegant backdrop for what is and continues to be one of the finest and most exclusive of all automotive events. And to be honest, that’s refreshing, in an age where most of today’s car shows and gatherings are overrun with spotters, groupies, but worst of all, influencers with no interest or knowledge of the automotive spectacle they are attending, present merely for content purposes. Sadly, many once-pure weekends of the automotive calendar have suffered this fate, and knowing where to be and when during those events is an art of its own (for example, never attend the public days, but always invest in the first day of the event where the actual magic unfolds away from the masses).
But the BCCM weekend is something pure, wonderful, and untouched by modern detractions. Pre-war Bentleys from the golden age of La Sarthe, mid-century Aston Martins with racing heritage, to the wonderful Jaguars from a time when the brand was still great, take part in the rally through the Engadin prior to judgement on the lawns of Suvretta House. I find the BCCM truly stands out in its approach to the traditional concours of elegance, not only blending both rally and concorso elements into a single gathering, but the light-hearted theme, designated to every annual gathering: this year’s was tennis.
Summer at Suvretta is nothing short of magical, the newly renovated spa offering views unlike any other with a panorama over the tennis court and towards Silvaplana beyond; a beef tartare lunch served on the terrace overlooking the car covered lawn; or perhaps my favorite past-time, spending the late nights and early hours of the morning in Anton’s Bar with the specially blended Suvretta No.2. The hotel truly feels like a home away from home, with a lobby reminiscent of a living room where you’ll always bump into a familiar face, without fail. For this weekend Porsche kindly lent us the Panamera 4S, which was a truly engaging machine (although not very British), with its 4 seats coming in very handy for the late night chauffeur duties that were inevitably required. Driving the Julierpass was a treat (as always), although in the 4S felt a little more lively than in the Macan GTS I had two weeks prior.
But the feeling of pulling into Suvretta when the drive is scattered with everything from Aston V8s to D-Type replicas is nothing short of awesome, and you’re reminded why there are few places on Earth like St. Moritz - a town where you’ll see these cars driving around on any given weekday. Reconnecting with old friends and new, an event like the BCCM is a very special occasion, with its 32nd year of running proving to be no different. Think of it as a more refined, genuine and elevated summer equivalent to The ICE, hosted in St. Moritz at the beginning of the year - whilst a fantastic event in its own right, sadly one now inundated with influencers and hypebeasts.
Some of my stars of the show included the 1982 Rolls Royce Camargue, the Aston Martin DB6 in yellow, and any one of the Jaguar XK120s. A weekend dedicated to classic British cars is always going to make decisions a challenge. I’m just glad not to be on the jury!
Happy driving!
Azzam