WORDS: DAVID LILLYWHITE | PHOTOGRAPHY: S.M.A.C.
There’s a new automobile club on the way for those who are passionate about the famed Swiss Alpine resort of St Moritz, the Engadin and its automotive culture.
The St Moritz Automobile Club, (S.M.A.C.) will have its home at the Kulm Country Club, with the aim of uniting the motoring community, and promoting responsible and sustainable automotive activities in the Engadin. It will join other long-established clubs in the area such as the St Moritz Bobsleigh Club and the St Moritz Tobogganing Club.
The club will act as a consultancy to advise the St Moritz Tourismus AG, as it strives to improve and unite the wide range of motoring events and activities that happen in and pass through the upper Engadin.
Richard Gauntlett, the founder of the club, said: “I am delighted to be founding this new and official St Moritz Automobile Club. Over the course of my life, I have found over and over again that the motoring community can be a powerful force for good.
“The motoring clubs of the world have, for over 100 years, served to promote and unite responsible and sustainable activities, which bring together enthusiasts from across the globe. This shared passion has the ability to transcend social barriers, and bring people together to create valuable and future-positive ideas and movements.
“Many of those people devoted to automotive culture are also passionate residents and tourists of St Moritz. We hope to harness the incredible enthusiasm and creativity of our members to make the hobby of motoring a more welcoming and socially conscious activity, which respects and supports the local area and environment.”
Marijana Jakic of St Moritz Tourismus AG, said: “St Moritz has a long automotive tradition, many top-class events dedicated to automotive culture, and numerous guests and locals who enjoy classic cars and are interested in mobility in general. We are therefore delighted that the newly founded organisation will, in future, unite this community and, at the same time, embody the spirit of St Moritz. The St Moritz Automobile Club thus joins the ranks of the already renowned St Moritz clubs.”
Heinz Hunkeler, general manager for Kulm Hotel St Moritz, added: “We are very proud that Kulm has repeatedly been the inspiration for the founding of legendary sports clubs in the past. To this day, we are home to the St Moritz Tobogganing and Cresta Club, as well as the Olympic Bob Run.
“We are therefore delighted that the founders of the new St Moritz Automobile Club have chosen the Kulm Country Club as their home in St Moritz, and we warmly welcome our new family member. For the foreseeable future, we will work together on creating a welcoming space at the Kulm Country Club for all our guests, and especially our new SMAC members.”
The club will be launched in June – this first announcement took place just ahead of the 2024 ICE St Moritz collector car event, which was sadly subsequently cancelled due to heavier-than-expected snowfall.
