It is truly remarkable how well the crews of the fifteen UK cars got on over the two weeks of touring with such a difference in ages, nationalities and back grounds, it was not a guarantee for success, in the end parting tears told it all. 

Memories abound for us. The early morning quiet outside our mountain hotel, the cars assembled for the mornings run after an informal briefing. The empty road disappearing down the valley through the Swiss countryside beckoning us. The chat between crews on the two way radios we all carried giving a sense of sharing the experience and incidentally helping keep the cars together over the long distances. Then that rack steam railway we rode, an engineering feat of great magnitude, built in 1903 to carry Victorians up to view  the Glacier, now sadly gone and depending on your point of view, global warming or a natural phenomenon. It has been retreating for a hundred and fifty years!. Lunch in an un restored hotel from the same era, it took three train loads of us into its beautiful old dining rooms. Furniture, stags heads, crockery and age worn interior.

Then the ’Klausen’ the hill climb road over this torturous pass. In 1926 Nuvolari, Hans Stuck, Carricuola forced their huge racing cars up the incline. Elizabeth Junek, the best female driver from those times it is recorded as saying ’ I was half frozen when I reached the snow covered summit, I let the Swiss talk me into this terrible race, I got dizzy just looking at the Ariel pictures of it. At night the Damned curves gave me night mares.’ The starting hut, newspaper reports and brass plaques are still to be seen today. Yes memories. 

Another pass but a later one is the ’Stelvio’ of Monte Carlo rally fame and the sixties. Pat Moss (Stirling’s sister) in her big Healy with Anne Wisdom had some considerable success with this one. The Mark 7 Jags were there along with the beautiful Sunbeam Alpines, Alphas and Saabs and Paddy Hopkirk and his Mini and so on. We drove it too and it is still breath taking in its audacity, who would have thought to built such a road over impossible terrain. Double hair pins going ever higher and doubling back on and up to the sky! Our crews shouting ‘clear’ to the driver giving chance for an extra sweep of the wheel. We passed a big Healy that day, near the top, fluted bonnet, its driver with the biggest grin you can imagine.

Then there was the Swiss cow bells echoing round the mountains, sleepy villages with thunderous church bells ringing and old MGs struggling up the mountain sides and frequently stopping, bonnets up to cool down. They all made it as far as I know. A great challenge to do in an old car but obviously fun.

Yes we enjoyed it all, especially friendships made with MG enthusiasts from thirteen countries. If you ever get the chance? Just do it!

Dave & Carole Walker