Hundreds of crews come to the start of the historic Monte Carlo Rally every year, wanting to win. In January of this year, luck smiled on the Swiss crew of Claudio Enz / Cristina Seeberger driving a Lancia Fulvia. In an interview with AutoClassicNews.
-Tell us how you had started to participate in rally?
-Our passion are classic cars, we both are car mechanics and were involved into preparing oldtimers for rallies already in our early careers. We did a few small rallies in our region when we first met but we always wanted to participate in the Monte Carlo Historique.
-You have been participating in the Monte Carlo Rally since 2017, improving your results each year. What motivated you to keep on competing?
-The RMCH (Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique) is one of our highlights of the year, we are always motivated to do it. Furthermore we are both quite ambitious, like to compete and measure ourselves with others.
— Claudio, what does this victory mean to you as a pilot?
-The victory means the world to me, I’m still full of emotions thinking back to the moment we won.
-The Monte Carlo Rally is considered one of the most difficult. What was the most challenging for you?
-The rally lasts six days. The car must be prepared very well, the driver must be focused for hours while driving, the co-driver is not allowed to slip up at any time and the service team has to be ready. There are many constituents which must fit together. There is not one difficult thing, there are many, and the clue is, to bring all these parts together and work as a team. And on top of that you also need some luck.
-Claudio, you are a passionate Lancia fan, do you remember how your passion for the brand has begin?
It was put in my cradle. My grandparents have been into Lancia, my parents have been into Lancia, it’s like a family tradition. I am fascinated by the techniques and their rally success.
-You took part in the Autobiachi A112 rally. Are there any fundamental differences driving Lancia Fulvia?
-Indeed, the cars are very different. The A112 Abarth is great but everything is very small and filigree. Compared to that, the Fulvia is a real car, much tougher, well-balanced and more powerful of course. Furthermore driving and especially winning the Monte Carlo Rallye with a Fulvia means a lot to me. Lancia has been my brand since I’m a little boy.
-Do you take part any other retro rallies during the season, and if so, which ones? Or in which ones would you like to take part in the future?
-We have our workshop, Auto Engiadina in Zuoz and are very taken there. That’s why we had to decide for one ‘’big’’ rally and for us it is the RMCH. Anyway we have been participating in the Coppa Attilio Bettega twice and would love to try the Tour de Corse Historique once we do not have to work that much anymore
-Apart from rallying, you restore cars. How did you come up with the idea of setting up your own workshop?
-As already mentioned, we are passionate about cars and especially classics. We both dreamed of our own place and took the chance in 2019.
-What was the hardest part of bringing your idea to life?
-An enormous part and pressure is the financial aspect. Moreover, it needs a lot of courage to take the step and set up something from zero. Now we are working here at Auto Engiadina for four years. It’s exciting to give our best every single day and needs a lot of power to keep the quality.
-Cristina, you have an unusual profession for a girl — a car mechanic, could you tell us why you decided to choose this profession?
-Actually, my dad has always been passionate about cars and motorcycles. That’s why I did go-kart racing for years when I was a girl. When I restored a BMW 600 oldtimer for my final grammar work everything became clear to me. I had found a work which makes me happy.
-Do you have a retro car?
-Yes, I still have the BMW 600.