A parade of beautiful cars

Ferrari rosso corsa, Corvette torch red, Lamborghini yellow, Maserati Noble Blue, Jaguar forest green… the gleaming bodywork at Eclectica sparkled beneath the high plateau’s summer sun. Brainchild of the Automobile Club de Crans-Montana (ACCM), the concours d’élégance has taken place every summer in the Valais ski resort for four years. At the helm: ex-racing driver Nelson Philippe, the youngest driver in history to have raced at the CART and Champ Car Championships — at just 17 years old — and the youngest winner in Champ Car World Series history (in 2006 at Surfers Paradise, Australia).

In addition to its legendary president, the association counts around 150 members, who are “collectors, entrepreneurs, designers or simply enthusiasts, united by their love for exceptional automobiles, good deeds and Alpine drives”, specified Nelson. The ACCM’s mission is to “celebrate automobile passion in all of its forms: heritage, design, innovation and the art of mountain living”. Old timers and supercars, simple 2CVs or rare prototypes, no matter their value, these vehicles embody iconic designs, exceptional engineering, legendary brand history and the passionate fervour of their owners. 

Rally spirit and aesthetic reunions
“Each year, the Club organises several major events”, explains Nelson. Taking place over three days on the last weekend of July, Eclectica is without a doubt the Club’s leading light, having attracted around 10,000 participants for its last edition. The concours d’élégance, which unites some 100 vehicles on Rue de Prado, just steps from the golf course, includes exhibitions, artistic performances and “gourmet moments”. The very chic Collector’s Picnic, for example, which takes place before the event, boasted a partnership with Audemars Piguet for last summer’s edition. The goal? “To bring car lovers together in nature, in a friendly and refined environment to celebrate time, engineering and the art of Swiss living”.

An essential part of the overall event, the Crans Turismo scenic drive “revives the spirit of cruising the high plateau’s most legendary routes”. The idea? To gleefully rev car motors for a retro-inspired epicurean tour, set amongst an incredible Alpine background. There’s no timing scores here, only beautiful stops for gourmet food that’s meant to be shared and enjoyed. For 2026, the concept is evolving: “while still in discussion with the authorities, we hope it will be an official drive on a closed road, a proper tribute to Switzerland’s great sporting heritage”, added Nelson.

New trajectories
With several ACCM members being originally from Geneva, the club is currently in discussions with the Automobile Club de Genève “to explore being associated clubs, an extension of our already-established partnership with the Automobile Club de Lugano”, added the club president. “These kinds of partnerships reinforce the connection between our plains and our mountains, helping make French-speaking Switzerland a true intersection of automobile culture”.

To reinforce the spirit driving all of these projects, 2026 should see the introduction of a new ACCM event in parallel to Eclectica: the Alps International Motor Show (AIMS), set to take place 22-26 July at the Cry d’Er parking lot in Crans-Montana. Porsche, Ferrari, Bentley, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, McLaren… several iconic marques should be there, accompanied by key players in sustainable transportation, like the creators of luxury electric cars Lucid Motors from California, Polestar from Sweden, Rimac from Croatia and Alpine from France. “The goal is to become the automobile industry’s unmissable summertime event, uniting car manufacturers, designers, media and collectors, all while being surrounded by stunning natural landscapes”. On the agenda: Alpine test drives, design and technology conferences and dedicated immersive experiences.

automobileclubcm.com