2022 turned out to be a busy year for DD with the highlight being the annual Stelvio meeting. The end of production of Lotus line up of sports cars set the theme for the meeting: ‘Still a Masterpiece’. It was, is and will always be for us enthusiasts.
Most of the participants, from all over Europe, gathered on Friday evening in Bormio. Temperatures were quite cool and some snow had already fallen on the Stelvio Pass. This did not stop us from making the evening drive to the pass, to admire it without the usual daily traffic. Shivering from the cold but at the same time warmed by the breathtaking view, we then returned to the hotel for dinner.
The morning:
A nice warm sun woke us up on Saturday morning and greeted the arrival of several local crews. The locals plus the long-distance travelers brought the number of Lotus present to celebrate the anniversary to 68. The anniversary that is being celebrated by the drivers since 1999. Right on time the group of Lotus set off towards Stelvio to make a coffee stop at the famous Folgore refuge. Luckily the large car park was large enough to allow all the colorful cars to be united in one spot. Of course everyone took the opportunity to shoot pictures of the spectacular gathering of so many Lotus cars.
After an hour or so of chatting and coffee, we set off again towards Switzerland via the beautiful Umbrail pass. An exceptional spectator was a herd of cows who also wanted to pay homage to our Lotuses.
Slightly late, we arrived at the Hotel Bellavista, on the slopes of the Stelvio, where we enjoyed a delicious roast and where the owner delighted us with an interesting presentation on the history of this famous road, which has been a destination for sports cars and others for many years.
Happy and rested, the long-expected moment arrived: The ascent of the Stelvio Pass via the famous 48 hairpins. Unfortunately, our luck deserted us slightly and the sun gave way first to an English drizzle and then to a fine downpour, perhaps a salute in an English theme to Lotus. Tired but satisfied we then returned to the hotel where a nice aperitif and a succulent dinner awaited us afterwards.
Sunday saw the departure of part of the group for the Dolomites for the 2nd tour of the Dolomites. Being close to the Stelvio Pass at this gathering, open to all, there was a large number of Lotuses present who decided to add these 2 days to the first 2!
Dolomites:
Busy Monday morning saw us set off on time in the direction of Passo Gardena, where a breathtaking panorama made a brisk ascent more enjoyable. Continuing on our way, we crossed the beautiful Falzarego pass and the Tre Croci, before arriving to have a well-deserved coffee at Lake Misurina. We then set off again to cover the short distance to Baita Resch, the place for lunch.
We set off again punctually in the direction of the Giau Pass, where some participants were able to enjoy the aroma of glowing brakes: a nice BMW X1 decided to throw down the gauntlet to our sports cars and on the descent ran out of brakes to stay ahead of us. After this amusing interlude, we could not fail to stop at the barrier of the Fedaia Lake, which with its colours and panorama is always an incredible destination on our tours.
The last half-day of the tour with very little traffic and a more cheerful pace than on the other days brought many smiles to the participants’ faces. In the direction of the Nigra Pass we travelled along the beautiful road through Tires and our stop was at the Lavazè Pass with its characteristic little lake. We left quickly in perfect time and through a very free Val di Cembra we arrived for lunch at Maso Franch, the place for lunch and the last destination of this last Tour of 2022.
An incalculable number of hairpin bends and smiles characterised these four days in September, which can only leave us with an overflowing desire to organise next year’s tours.
Delightful Driving loves to share the passion for driving, for the land and wants to ensure that memories are left to tell family and friends in the years to come, we hope this will be true for everyone.
We look forward to seeing you at the next gathering.
Bye
