The Arlberg Classic Car Rally 2025
Every year and when comes the first days of high summer, an eclectic and elegant crowd ascends to Lech am Arlberg for a few days spent suspended in time. The alpine village, by now in full bloom — its mountains shimmering, the clear Lech river joyfully cascading along its streets and the surrounding fauna and flora blossoming — feels miles away from the winter wonderland it used to look like only a few months before. In the common mind, Lech stays inevitably linked with ski culture and history, the Vorarlberg being one of the main regions the sport had its inception and genesis in. The valley is most often than not snow-capped and boasts the widest ski area in Austria — linking St. Anton to Warth through kilometres of slopes.
The village is also known for its its perpetual links with international artists and personalities throughout the years. If celebrated photographers Slim Aarons or Robert Capa captured the village’s daily life and tourism boom from the 1950s through the 1970s, Lech is also currently a destination for contemporary art — only reinforced by the opening of James Turrell’s Skyspace in Oberlech in 2018.
It is yet something else that brings together this stupendous group of passionates and connoisseurs every last weekend of June, as they are ready to take over the valley roads and passes aboard unique, unexpected and storied vehicles.
Starting July 26th and running over the course of three days, and just as a heatwave was starting to embrace the Arlberg Valley, the Arlberg Classic Car Rally (A.C.C.R.) welcomed about 120 cars from an impressive diversity of style and periods, going from pre-war marvels to cars built in the mid-seventies. If this rally, now in its 16th year running, does have a chore part of German-manufactured cars (we’ve counted over 50 Porsches — including a good dozen extremely well preserved 356 — and Mercedes together, as well as a pretty rare burgundy 1957 BMW 507 Roadster), it also boasts a special place for English cars, whether those are tourers, roadsters or coupés. And there’s nothing quite like seeing (and hearing!) a flock of majestic open-tops Bentleys on those Arlberg roads, their British racing green bodyworks matching the deep hues of the surrounding fir tree forests. Not only do these choices of cars reflect each collector’s specific tastes and character, they also somewhat speak to the spirit of Lech, the village having always been open to new cultures and having attracted tourism from all parts of the world — especially Britain! The village is notably well-known for having been the British royal family preferred winter sports destination over years, undoubtedly reinforcing the links and exchanges between two different but somewhat converging cultures.
First on the start list, however, is an American rarity that few of us are ever able to witness on the road today: a 1914 Ford Model T, fitted with red leather seats and chrome shining under the Vorarlberg sun. The carriage-like vehicle takes the start of the rally’s two full days on Saturday morning, wittily honking away as it leaves the village and accelerates through its undulating roads.
The contrast couldn’t be starker with the alien-looking, aerodynamic Lancia Stratos definitely standing out from the crowd with its unusual bright green colour specification reinforced by its visionary shape.
As diverse as they might be and look, the participating vehicles all follow the same programme and undergo an initial step on the first day in a traditional “car blessing” in town. They are then allowed to rest still until the third day while their owners are discovering Austria’s highest golf course, in a moment carved out of the schedule for discovering Lech though a different lens as well as meeting new participants. Meals and breaks are spent either studying the rally route in utter seriousness or relaxing and socialising either in neighbouring hotels or at the rally start, where the ASC Lech association has set up a bar and meeting space that has quickly become the preferred social hub of the village. Looking at the splendid weather and the Arlberg peaks calling in the distance however, some participants are too tempted to disobey and take the road for a solitary spin through the valley before the big start day. Through these five days and with all conditions needed for an exceptional rally (think blazing sun, extreme fun, a fraternal racing spirit and… a bit of unfortunate rain), what comes out of the A.C.C.R. this year is the ever-joyful and über-friendly atmosphere created by its participants and organisation team. A deep conviviality could be felt all throughout the partakers, and the Austrian tradition of perfected hospitality only added up to the convivial moments spent both on and off the road. Driving a 1955 Porsche Spyder or a bright red Mercedes 300 SL Coupé to the Arlberg valley in a late June summer blaze is proving to be probably one of the best way to get to know or rediscover an exceptional region. The Arlberg roads scenic turns, with their expanding views over high mountain tops, the (usually) splendid weather gracing the washed-up car gleaming badges are all part of what makes this rally extra special.
Now looking with excitement at its next, 17th season in 2026, the A.C.C.R. can rely on its consistency, its rich and diverse starting list, its regular participants but also its welcomed newcomers — for whom there’s always a place to discover this preserved part of Vorarlberg at the wheel of their cherished cars. All in all, this definitely unique rally embodies the values that Lech and the Arlberg valley are about: exceptional landscapes, extremely good company and state-of the art hospitality, as well as a certain “art de vivre” that is only enhanced by taking these roads over in great style.
Cécile Christmann is an architect, curator and writer based in France. She has specialised in the worlds of hospitality and design and regularly works with select brands or hotels on room curations or diverse content productions. She is also a keen writer on her favourite subjects, ranging from the automotive world to architecture, arts and culture.
