For the first time, Passione Engadina will be held in Austria and Italy, linked by the Reschen Pass.
Alfa Romeo and Abarth sponsors, FCA Heritage present with four magnificent cars from its collection: the Alfa Romeo GP 16C Bimotore, the Fiat Dino Spider, the Lancia LC2 and the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari. The sixth edition of Passione Engadina, from 18 to 20 August at St. Moritz, definitely got off to an excellent start.
The watchwords of Passione Engadina have always been exclusivity and relaxation.The event, created to bring Italian automobile design to Switzerland, is only open to historic automobiles produced in Italy until 1980 and a selection of sports cars built after 1981.The gathering delivers the ideal mix of competition and enjoyment, with tastings and social events against the unforgettable backdrop of the Swiss valleys.
FCA Heritage played a key role in the 2017 edition, participating once agian with authentic gems from its collection.The 1935 Alfa Romeo GP 16C Bimotore, designed by Luigi Bazzi for the Ferrari team, with two engines, one behind the driver.
The 1969 Fiat Dino Spider, built further to an agreement between Fiat and Ferrari, was dedicated to the memory of Enzo Ferrari's son Alfredo ("Dino"), after his premature death.
The 1983 Lancia LC2, equipped with a Ferrari engine, is an unforgettable car which reaped thirteen pole positions during its career together with three victories: at Imola, at the Spa Francorchamps 24 Hours and at the Kyalami 9 Hours.
The Heritage brands and Ferrari come together once again in this lovely setting, confirming a long-established friendship which began when the Alfa Romeo racing department united them all in a single team.A partnership that has never been extinguished, and continues strongly today.
Alfa Romeo and Abarth, the event's sponsors, also made a major contribution to its spectacular appeal.Visitors to Passione Engadina were able to test drive Stelvio, the Alfa Romeo brand's first SUV, and Giulia Quadrifoglio, Giulia Veloce and 4C Spider. Abarth's participation was equally impressive: members of the public could admire the 124 Spider and the exclusive Abarth 695 Rivale and also enjoy open-top test drives in the 595C Turismo, the 595 Competizione and the 124 Spider itself.
To conclude, the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari confirmed the bond between the Scorpion brand and the Maranello constructor, based on many shared values such as a passion for performance, a racing soul, obsessive attention to detail and Italian style.
Abarth was also celebrating another lasting association: the partnership between the Scorpion brand and Arturo Merzario, known as the "jockey" due to his slender physique, but one of the greatest Sports car drivers of all time.The relationship began in 1967, with Carlo Abarth, who - as Merzario himself admits - was like a father and a mentor to the driver. Over the years, their association was crowned with glittering successes in different categories: a series of wins starting with the 1968 Italian Rally Championship, at the wheel of a Fiat Abarth, which even led to Merzario competing in Formula 1, between 1978 and 1979, in a car of his own construction.
Today, fifty years after that first handshake with Carlo Abarth, Arturo Merzario is still a very important member of the great Scorpion family, publicising and promoting the brand in the role of ambassador.
At Passione Engadina, Abarth decided to pay homage to this legendary personality's career during the gala evening.
Read the stories of the FCA Heritage cars starring at Passione Engadina 2017:
Alfa Romeo 16C Bimotore: sixteen cylinders in two engines.
Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari: the prancing... Scorpion!
Lancia LC2: the Lancia with a Ferrari heart.
Fiat Dino Spider: born for Ferrari Formula 2.
More information at
www.passione-engadina.ch