Jaguar, Ferrari, TalbotA frozen lake. Fifty rolling sculptures. Two days where motorsport heritage, design culture, and contemporary art share the same white canvas—and the whole town leans in.
There are concours events that ask you to admire machines from behind a rope line. St. Moritz asks something different: step onto the ice, feel the altitude, and watch history move—elegantly, deliberately—across a surface that turns chrome and coachwork into light.
On the crystalline expanse of Lake St. Moritz, the 2026 edition staged 50 classic and sports icons as if they were pieces in a gallery—until the moment they fired up, rolled out, and let the mountains of the Engadin do what mountains do best: make everything feel sharper, rarer, and more alive.
The lake isn’t a backdrop—it’s the point
Friday was the formal introduction: cars presented, inspected, judged, and absorbed at close range. Saturday is where the I.C.E. earns its reputation—free laps on the lake, reflections sliding and stretching beneath tires, the sound of engines ricocheting off snowbanks and hotel façades.
If you needed one line to capture the vibe, it might be this: the I.C.E. is a concours that refuses to stay still.
The jury’s verdict: five categories, five time capsules
At the end of day one, the international jury named Best in Class across five categories—each a different lens on performance, rarity, and design.
Best in Class winners (2026):
- Legendary Liveries: Lancia Stratos (1976)
- Open Wheels: Maserati 4CLT (1949)
- Birth of the Hypercar: Jaguar XJ220 (1993)
- Barchettas on the Lake: Ferrari 750 Monza (1955)
- Icons on Wheels: Talbot-Lago T150C SS “Teardrop” (1937)
And in a very “St. Moritz” twist—where senses matter as much as spec sheets—2026 also introduced a new recognition for the way a car sounds when it comes to life.
Best Sound (new for 2026, presented by Bang & Olufsen): Pontiac Vivant (1965).
Best in Show: the Teardrop moment
By Saturday afternoon, the lake had done its magic: the cars weren’t just beautiful objects anymore—they were moving experiences. Then came the headline result.
Best in Show: Talbot-Lago T150C SS “Teardrop” (1937).
The trophy itself is now part of the I.C.E. story—designed for the event by Lord Norman Foster, and presented in person alongside Peter Harrison of Richard Mille.
Two more awards rounded out the emotional center of the weekend:
- Spirit of St. Moritz: Ferrari Dino 206 S (1967), an award signed by Rolf Sachs and presented by Marijana Jakic of St. Moritz Tourismus AG.
- Hero Below Zero (public award): McLaren F1 GTR Lark (1996).
Precision overhead: Patrouille Suisse over the ice
Some events have a flyover. This one has an alpine airshow.
The official aerobatics team of the Swiss Air Force appeared as a featured part of the program, with displays scheduled over both days—adding a rare, high-intensity “above the lake” counterpoint to the slow-burn elegance on the ice.
Why St. Moritz gets it right
The I.C.E. has always been a study in contrasts—old and new, sculpture and speed, silence and sound, static judging and dynamic driving. In 2026, that contrast got richer: the lake delivered the spectacle, the city delivered the culture, and the awards stitched the story together.
For a few days at altitude, the automobile wasn’t treated as nostalgia or commodity. It was treated—correctly—as design you can start, drive, and hear.
