Just A Car Guy: Sir Henri Deterding, GM and chairman of Shell Oil, decided to pave the first road in St Moritz, and called the street Shellstraße (now Via Val Roseg) because he liked to golf without cars kicking up dust

Until 1925 cars were not permitted on the Upper Engadin’s dusty roads, until the Canton of Grison ended its ban on cars driven over public roads

The Bernina Gran Turismo AG drew inspiration from the International St. Moritz Automobile Week of 1929, which was held just four years after the end of the driving ban, and was founded by classic car enthusiasts from the Engadine region of Switzerland

A standing-start acceleration race of 1 km was also held on a nearby road between Punt Muragl and Samedan specially surfaced for the event with asphalt from Shell Oil. To this day, it is known as Shellstrasse, The Shell Road

1932

The legend is that the the boss of the Shell oil company at that time was annoyed with the dust raised by passing drivers while he was playing golf at Kulm Golf, St. Moritz. To combat the problem he had the road paved.

Kulm is one of the highest altitude golf courses in Europe

the Bernina Gran Turismo now races between La Rösa and Hospizio Bernina, just outside St. Moritz. With a starting elevation of 6138 feet, the course climbs 1500 feet through 50 curves. Participants make six runs on the closed road: two test runs and four timed competition runs that offer opportunity to fully stretch the legs of a vintage car.

The aim of the Bernina Gran Turismo is to keep alive the memories of the legendary Bernina races of 1929 and 1930.