The I.C.E. in St. Moritz Is a One-of-a-Kind Car Show
The frozen road.
Touching the clouds in the eastern Swiss Alps, Engadin, a high alpine valley, stretches from the Maloja Pass in the southwest to the Swiss Austrian border in the east, carrying the River Inn through some of Europe’s finest scenery. It is split into two halves, Upper and Lower, with Upper Engadin dotted with lakes named for the towns and villages on their shores. Lakes Sils and Silvaplana are known for windsurfing or sailing, and while they not be household names, another lake in Upper Engadin certainly is: Lake St. Moritz.
The luxurious mountain town on its shores that lends it its name has been a hub of winter tourism since 1864, when hotelier Johannes Badrutt invited four English summer guests back for Christmas and wagered that if they didn’t enjoy their winter stay, he would cover their costs. They ended up staying until Easter, around the time of year when the lake begins to thaw.
When frozen over, Lake St. Moritz has a long history as a winter playground. Since 1907, it has played host to White Turf, a series of horse races, and skijöring (the sport of being towed behind a horse on skis) since 1923, before crowds that now exceed 30,000, while an annual snow polo tournament, the first of its kind, has been staged on the frozen surface since 1985. That same year, as vintage Bentleys raced across the frozen lake to commemorate the 100th anniversary of St. Moritz’s Grand National skeleton race on the famed Cresta Run, Marko Makaus saw more than just a spectacle—he saw potential. Amid the roar of engines and the sparkle of snow, the idea struck: the lake, long a stage for winter sports, could also become a platform for celebrating the artistry and performance of the automobile. Makaus envisioned an event where the world’s most exceptional vehicles wouldn’t merely be displayed—they would be in motion, on ice.
Some 30 years later that vision became a reality when he founded The I.C.E. (International Concours of Elegance) St. Moritz, a now-annual car show on the lake. After percolating the idea for more than 20 years, Makaus officially launched The I.C.E. in 2022, following a test race in 2019. The I.C.E. fits into the lineage of the polo championship and White Turf, big events on the lake that can be enjoyed by enthusiasts, residents, and some of the hundreds of thousands of tourists that flock to the Alpine hot spot every winter.
The two-day event features both contemporary and vintage vehicles. The 2024 concours included such icons as the Ferrari 275 GTB/4, the same model owned by legendary actor and motorsport enthusiast Steve McQueen, whose chianti red version sold for over $10 million (U.S.) in 2014.
The main competition is the Concours of Elegance, a familiar car show concept. On the first day, judges inspect the cars on the ice, checking everything from the tires to the dashboard and the upholstery. But the real fun happens on the second day, when the drivers nudge their vehicles into first gear and set out on the course. This is where the awesome backdrop, ice surface, and cars combine to provide spectators with one of the most unusual visuals in motoring. Open-wheeled racers from the 1930s spray snow behind them as they rip around the circuit. Retro-futurist Lamborghinis that wouldn’t look out of place in Blade Runner motor under the watch of the surrounding mountains. The winter setting means the vehicles themselves command ultimate attention, the reds and blues standing out against the stark white of their surroundings.
The list of winners gives an idea of the diversity of vehicles on display. The 2025 best in show winner was a Bugatti Type 59, an open-wheeled racer that won the Belgian Grand Prix in 1934. More modern but no less striking was the Porsche 908/03 that won the Racing Legends category.
While the scenery may grab the spotlight at The I.C.E., what also endears the event to spectators are the luxury amenities. St. Moritz has long been a getaway for Europe’s elite and is home to perhaps the highest luxury shopping street on Earth, but during The I.C.E, the lake itself becomes a piano bar where drinks are served to guests on sun loungers, and drivers and locals can mingle and share in the enjoyment of the weekend.
The I.C.E. stands out in the world of modern car shows. While the vehicles on display may be viewed and awarded at other shows, The I.C.E is likely the only time they will be seen on snow, much less driven on a frozen lake, and the experience is once in a lifetime.
