Exactly 200 years ago, in the summer of 1825, the Stelvio Pass was opened to traffic. At a time when there were no railways, road transport was by horse and cart, and armies were largely moved on foot, this was a sensational project. The construction, based on plans by Italian engineer Carlo Donegani, took five years and involved 2,500 workers. Until 1915, a stagecoach ran across the pass all year round, connecting the Lombardy region with the Venosta Valley, which belonged then to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The area is now part of the Alto Adige (South Tyrol) region. The road also connects to the Swiss Engadin.
Since the 1950s and 1960s, the road has become increasingly popular for tourism and sports. With a total of 88 hairpin bends, 40 from Bormio (Lombardy) and 48 from Trafoi/Stilfs (Alto Adige/South Tyrol), the road is a true paradise for motorists, motorcyclists and cyclists. It is the highest mountain pass in Italy (2,760 metres) and in Europe only the Col de l'Iseran in France beats it, with a mere 10 metres. Top Gear praises the Stelvio as the “most beautiful road in the world”.
Thanks to a number of very active local ASI clubs, in particular the Club Valtellina Veteran Car and the Veteran Car Team Bolzano, and a very passionate hotelier, Stephan Gander of Hotel Bellavista (also celebrating its 150th anniversary this year) located at hairpin 46 of the Stelvio in Trafoi, a wonderful and unique event took place on 4, 5 and 6 July. Almost 150 historic vehicles and their crews were the stars of the show. Among them were cars that have made history on the pass. The crown jewel was the Auto Union Type C ‘Silver Arrow’. On 5 July, it was driven to the top of the Stelvio by none other than Hans Stuck Junior. His father won the Stelvio hill climb in 1932 with a Mercedes-Benz Typ SSKL. Audi Tradition brought three other iconic vehicles to the Stelvio, including a 1913 Audi C14 (“Alpensieger”) and a 1938 Wanderer W25 Stromlinie.
Four pre-war British Frazer Nash cars were also among those that drove up the mountain in Bormio or Trafoi. Frazer Nash is a brand that has also made history on the pass. Other vehicles recalled the Stelvio's role in the famous Italian cycling race, the Giro d'Italia, notably a 1966 Fiat 1500 belonging to Italian public radio station RAI and a rare Alfa Romeo AR 52, a 1950s off-road vehicle that supported the team of legendary Giro winner Fausto Coppi. Twenty historic motorcycles completed the beautiful picture on the pass!
In addition to the iconic sports and racing cars from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, there were also a number of cars that are very well known to the general public and were once seen in large numbers on the pass, such as the Fiat Topolino and 1100. FIVA President Tiddo Bresters and his wife Marianna brought their 1973 VW Beetle 1303 S from the Netherlands, a car that has conquered many mountain passes in the 51 years it has been part of the Bresters family. The VW Beetle also has a historical connection with the Stelvio, as Prof. Ferdinand Porsche and his team tested the VW prototypes on the Stelvio in the 1930s and stayed at the Hotel Bellavista.
The Italian police were also present with a number of cars, including a spectacular Lamborghini, but also some classic and new Alfa Romeos, including, of course, a model “Stelvio”.
A magnificent projection of the history of the Stelvio on the façade of the Hotel Bellavista, complete with digital fireworks, rounded off the festivities on Saturday. The next day, the pass welcomed a distinguished visitor: none other than Emperor Francis I of Austria attended the festivities, accompanied by chancellor Prince Metternich, who opened the pass 200 years ago. Numerous current dignitaries from across the region shared their views on the past and future of the pass, while folklore groups provided local entertainment.
The event emphasised the unity between man, machine and road. It also demonstrated how well historic vehicles are suited to enjoying historic roads.
Last but not least, the Stelvio 200 was the first event in Italy where 95% of participants used environmentally friendly biofuel, and the remaining emissions were zero balanced by buying carbon credits (for a total of ten tons). Accordingly, this event can be deemed to have been the first scientifically confirmed net zero historic motoring event and it is quite significant that it all happened on the occasion of bi-centenary of such a symbol of human ingenuity as the Stelvio.
Text and pictures by Tiddo Bresters
