Hill Climb Swabian Alb

Mechatronik will also be taking part in the traditional hill climb on the Swabian Alb with a vehicle in 2026. Be curious to see which cars you will find in the paddock this year. Memories of the old days will be brought back on September 7 in Neuffen, when racing cars once again take to the legendary mountain track. There are 18 bends on the 4.2-kilometre-long track up to the Alb plateau, with 280 meters of altitude to conquer. “However, top speeds and best times are not important,” emphasizes co-initiator Gundbert Schall. This is because the Swabian Alb Mountain Prize is not a classic race, but a presentation drive for historic racing cars. “The appeal of the event lies in its history, which many people still remember well.” From 1964 onwards, ADAC hillclimb tests were held regularly on the Neuffener Steige. Back then, the entire city center was the paddock: every free space, every garage was used to service the vehicles between the races. In its heyday, the event attracted up to 30,000 visitors and around 500 participants from Germany and abroad. However, a serious accident sealed the success story of “Klein-Solitude”, as the motorsport event was called in reference to the Stuttgart races: in 1983, one of the drivers left the track and hit a child at the side of the road, who died on the way to hospital. Since 2015, IG Bergpreis Schwäbische Alb, which was founded by motorsport enthusiasts, has been organizing revivals of former hill climb races. From small beginnings, something big has since emerged, says Schall proudly. Last year, when the Neuffener Steige was open to the public again for the first time, the event attracted around 15,000 spectators. The 16-strong organization team is expecting a similar response this Sunday. They have worked hard to achieve this: “We want to offer visitors an exciting day between great racing cars and racing legends,” says Schall. Four paddocks will be set up in the center of Neuffen - open and free of charge for everyone to visit and talk shop with motorsport experts. Many racing fans will remember them from their childhood days, says Schall, listing the names of driving legends such as Helmut Henzler, Rudi Seher, Erwin Buck, Günther Steckkönig, Kurt Brixner, Clemens Schickentanz and Joachim Winkelhock.

You can find general information about the event on:  https://www.bergpreis-schwaebischealb.de/​​​​​​​