Event
Planai-Classic is the winter counterpart to the Ennstal-Classic, organised by the same team in the same Styrian valley but in January conditions. Around 50 classic cars built before 1976 compete over three days through the Schladming-Dachstein region without four-wheel drive or electronic driving aids, which is the point of the exercise.
The programme covers distinct stages. The Dachstein mountain section runs on snow-covered roads with reduced visibility. The Night-Challenge at Gröbming's harness racing track unfolds under floodlights. The Niederöblarn Alpine airfield adds a flat, fast contrast to the mountain stages. The final day brings the Planai road climb, ascending through hairpins to 1,830 metres – the stage that gives the event its name and that, in wet snow or ice, becomes a different proposition from what the entry list might suggest.
The car field is mixed in the way that makes regularity rallies interesting to watch: Healey Silverstones alongside VW Beetles, Lancia Fulvias, vintage Porsches, and classic Mercedes-Benz models, all subject to the same conditions. Spectator access is open throughout – the Gröbming start, the trotting track, and the valley stages are all reachable without credentials.
Gröbming sits in the Enns valley about 20 kilometres east of Schladming, in a part of Styria where the ski infrastructure means accommodation is straightforward and the roads between stages are part of the experience. January in the Dachstein region means reliable snow cover and short days, both of which the event uses deliberately.
