Katarina Kyvalova Video Interview

Story and images by Bob Cullinan

The car is massive: A seven-litre 1928 Mercedes-Benz SSK. And the resume of the diminutive driver is nearly as impressive. We met up with vintage racer Katarina Kyvalova at The ICE (International Concours of Excellence) St. Moritz to talk about her career, her favorite events, and where she wants to go from here.

Katarina was born and raised in Slovakia and moved Germany in 1998. A trip to England to watch the Goodwood Revival in 2004 changed her life and set her on a course to become one of the most recognizable drivers in historic auto racing.

She earned her pro license in 2014 and promptly entered a 24-hour race at Portimão, Portugal, driving a 1928 Bentley on an all-female team. Since then the sport has taken her around the world, but The ICE is the one event that Katarina will keep coming back to, year after year.

Her CV reads like a list in every classic car fan’s dream. Katarina has raced the Mille Miglia, the Monaco Historic GP, and even Peking to Paris. But there is one big challenge that she still wants to try.

When we talked with Katarina she had not yet driven the SSK on the frozen surface of Lake St. Moritz. She’d done a test drive on a Swiss road, and that gave her a taste of what the car would be like on the ice.

What’s next for Katarina Kyvalova? Look for her at the 2025 Mille Miglia and the Spa and Le Mans Classic races. And she plans to be back at the Monaco Historic GP and The ICE in 2026.