Referred to humorously by its organisers as “the little Monaco of the Alps,” the Arosa ClassicCar has attracted fans of historic motorsport from across the world since its first edition in 2005. IWC Schaffhausen chose the 14th running of the event to debut its IWC Racing Team in Switzerland. Former Formula One driver Karl Wendlinger drove the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” on the winding 7.3-kilometre hill-climb route from Langwies to Arosa, finishing in seventh place.
The Arosa ClassicCar attracts around 25,000 spectators to witness automotive legends speed along the twisting hill-climb route, which covers a distance of 7.3 kilometres and 422 vertical metres as it winds its way from Langwies to Arosa. It is also the only course in Switzerland that has a 1.2 kilometre downhill stretch.
IWC Schaffhausen has had a strong connection to motor racing, has maintained a partnership with Mercedes-AMG since 2004, and supports a number of different historic motorsport events.
“We are proud to be the first watch brand to launch its own racing team and are particularly pleased that our Swiss debut was held against the breathtaking backdrop of the Swiss Alps,” said Linus Fuchs, IWC Managing Director Switzerland.
Named “the Sports Car of the Century” in 1999 by motoring journalists, the first “Gullwing” rolled off the production line in 1955 with 215 bhp and a top speed of 250 km/h. It was the same year that IWC launched the Ingenieur.
The Austrian Karl Wendlinger was part of the Sauber-Mercedes team that won the 1991 World Sports Car Championship and, in the years that followed, was a star in the newly formed Sauber Formula One team. Wendlinger is now an ambassador for Mercedes-AMG, a company with which IWC shares a long-standing successful partnership.
IWC Schaffhausen introduced its motorsport team at the 76th Goodwood Members’ Meeting in southern England in March of this year.
