With more than 1,000 exhibitors, more than 150 club presentations and around 20 official stands of the leading trading companies on the market, the Techno-Classica Essen with its 32nd edition once again made the Ruhr metropolis the capital of the classic universe after a 2-year Corona break. Here, the protagonists of the international classic and automobile scene and enthusiasts who care for the preservation of automotive cultural assets with heart and mind met for the opening of the season. They presented the entire spectrum of the classic car world to more than 150,000 visitors from 46 nations in the newly designed Essen exhibition halls. The guests were able to admire over 2,700 collectors’ vehicles on display there – and to purchase around 1,800 directly on site.
In the huge range of the 9 exhibition halls and the two outdoor areas, there was a suitable classic car for every taste and budget – from affordable youngtimers like a Triumph Spitfire or a Mercedes SLK from 2009 for a few thousand euros to Ferraris in the double-digit million euro range.
A special distinction was the official 100th anniversary of the Italian company Zagato, which was celebrated with all 6 different models of Aston Martin with Zagato bodies around the SIHA pavilion in Hall 5 and opened by Andrea Zagato and the company management.
Good business in times of crisis
The Techno-Classica Essen thus once again lived up to its claim to be the “World Fair for Oldtimers, Classic & Prestige Automobiles, Motor Sport, Motorcycles, Spare Parts, Restoration and World Club Meeting”: For the exhibitors from more than 30 nations, it was the ground for good business despite Corona and the Ukraine war -this applies not only to the vehicle trade but also to the other exhibition areas such as art, automobilia, model cars and literature. The multitude of “Sold” signs on the vehicles of all price classes showed that with the Techno-Classica the time of waiting was over: If the classic car market was considered rather difficult in the last two years, the world fair obviously stimulated the worldwide desire to buy, sometimes perhaps also to invest capital.
Precious items in demand
Nick Aaldering, managing director of the Dutch trading professional “Gallery Aaldering”, had already sold nine gems in the six-figure euro range from his range of 30 classic cars on the Saturday of the fair – from the Maybach to the Dino Ferrari to the Maserati 3500 GT Spider. “Buyers have become more critical. But those who offer their automobiles at realistic prices find determined buyers,” Aaldering analyzed the situation.
Martin Stromberg, Managing Director of Classic Data from Bochum, the oldest and market-leading company for the valuation of classic vehicles in Germany, confirmed the assessment: “The classic car market has retained its stability even in Corona times and has remained predictable – it has consolidated at a high level.” Internationally renowned dealers such as Eberhard Thiesen from Hamburg, Gerhard Wolf, Managing Director of “Auto Toy Store” in Starnberg or Jaroslav Vrabec from AVC in Prague and Shawn Dougan from Hyman Ltd in Missouri/USA reported good sales results.
Best of Show is an ALFA in a tailor-made suit
A 12-member international jury headed by Dutchman Maikel de Munnik chose the world’s best automobile from more than 150 Concours d’Élégance participants – a responsible task: a perfectly restored 1954 ALFA Romeo 1900 SS with Ghia bodywork from dealer Eberhard Thiesen in Hall 1, Stand 136 was chosen by the experts and journalists as the “Best of Show 2022”. Of particular interest: the prize for a Bugatti T 37 from 1924, which was kept in pristine original condition in the winter garden of a hotel in New York between 1960 and 2019.
Classic car clubs and all “scene representations” on site
In addition to trade and industry presentations, the appearances of international classic car clubs have traditionally been among the main attractions of the Classic World Fair : Around 160 classic car and brand clubs presented themselves and their services on lovingly designed stands – often with scenes from car history recreated ready for the stage.
With particularly much heart blood Borgward-IG arranged a farm with completely unknown Borgward tractor prototypes and placed itself under the direction of their chairman Hartmut Loges scarcely behind the Unimog veterans club, whose scene with the railroad track-laying team was distinguished by the 50 club jurors as the best club booth of the fair 2022.
But for the clubs, the Classic World Fair is more than just an infotainment show. Peter Schneider, Chairman of the German Classic Car Association (Bundesverband Oldtimer-Youngtimer e.V.). (DEUVET) says: “For us as representatives of the interests of the entire German classic car scene in politics, the Techno-Classica is the most important annual meeting point: Here we can coordinate our planned political activities with decision-makers from the classic car scene.”
In addition to DEUVET, other classic car interest groups also use Techno-Classica as a podium for their presentations – these include, for example, the World Vintage Car Association FIVA and its official German representative, the ADAC, which distributed its classic car guidebook hot off the press.
Stability of the classic car business despite the crisis
The stable number of visitors and the positive course of business of the trade have shown at the 32nd Techno-Classica that the preservation of classic vehicles is an important cultural asset and a sustainable occupation with the history of technology even in times of crisis. The classic car is a stable investment whose use has an impact of not even 0.002% on the precursor gases relevant to the climate – classic cars are a hobby that gives many sectors of society, trade and craft an environmentally friendly occupation.
Collector and enthusiast vehicles, model cars, art, car literature with new book presentations and autograph sessions, classic car services, spare parts or even information about upcoming classic car events – there is nothing that does not exist at the Techno-Classica world fair of SIHA, including races such as the 49th AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. That’s why enthusiasts are already looking forward to the 33rd edition of Techno-Classica Essen: It will take place from April 12 to 16, 2023,
