Ten memorable cars, how hard can it be? Well… If you visit Techno Classica, with its dozen halls densely filled with vehicles, it may prove harder than it looks…
In our last article, we presented the factory stages, and we enjoyed their return. Still, their presence was less overwhelming than in previous shows.
As the space available remained the same, it was up to private collectors to fill the void. And they came in all sizes and concepts, though they could not fill the void manufacturers left. These stages had minimal decorations, mainly to advertise the trader’s headquarters.
Below you will find our 10 favourite cars from every epoch size and category. Being on this list does not mean that the vehicle beat all thousands of cars showcased in Essen. They are not necessarily the most expensive ones or the rarest. In fact, we did not even photograph the show’s overall winner, as the green Pegaso Z-102 built in 1951 with ENASA bodywork is an old friend of ours from several earlier occasions (like InterClassics Days of Elegance 2022 and Autoworld’s Pegaso exhibition).
There may be even cooler cars on the show, but we covered them in the past extensively, or we saw so many of them in past car shows that we no longer drop the anchor for a BMW M1 Procar or an elegant 911 Targa.
The Deco Rides Bugnotti is the my little pony of automotive unicorns.
Deco Rides is a modern-day American coachbuilder with a wide-ranging portfolio, offering new Zephyr coupes and convertibles, Auburn Boattail Speedster replicas, and affordable DECO RIDES Boattail Speedsters. One of their business lines includes a replica inspired by high-end pre was French cars.
The Bugnotti is a Chip Foose-designed Deco Rides Generation II Auburn Boattail Speedster with a body inspired by Auburn, Delahaye, and Bugatti design elements. Now this is clearly not a classic, perhaps not even a real car, but we wanted to show you something unusual in the sea of perfection that Essen offered.
The Mercedes SLS is a guaranteed future classic.
Baptised as Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG (with model code C197 and R197) is a front mid-engine, 2-seater grand tourer to top the model range of the Swabian brand. The car was developed by the Mercedes-AMG division with the assistance of David Coulthard and premiered with Michael Schumacher at the steering wheel.
The car followed the exotic Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, and as Mercedes entered Formula 1, the SLS was handed over to AMG.
With its iconic doors, the SLS was also a spiritual successor to the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. The letters SLS stands for Super Leicht Sport (Super Light Sport), as the SL code was carried on with Mercedes’ cabrio bloodline from the Pagoda series to the current R232 SL Class model.
The model had a short lifespan, remaining in production between 2010 and 2014 in both gullwing coupé and roadster versions. Sales numbers remained confidential, but AMG sources mention nearly 10.000 cars sold throughout the entire lifecycle of the SLS model.
The Mostro is a modern effort to revive coachbuilding
The Zagato Mostro follows the once-popular coachbuilder tradition. It is an exotic car on a Maserati GT basis, conceived by Belgian constructor Gillet.
The Mostro pays homage to the legendary Maserati 450s of the late ’50s (the original cars were also dubbed Mostro, meaning monster in Italian). The modern Monster is a GT coupe built by legendary Italian designer Zagato and produced in just five copies in 2015.
Powered by a Maserati V8 engine, it is inspired by the unique model of the Maserati 450S Mostro Zagato from 1957. It was presented at the 2015 Villa d’Este elegance competition in tribute to the 100 years of the Maserati brand, and we keep bumping into several cars on various occasions (judging from their different colours).
The 1953 Bentley replica will make you long for retrofuturism
This might be obvious for many, but the car is a replica. It is based on a Bentley R chassis from 1953, with a 6½-litre straight eight engine developed towards the end of WW2 for military and commercial purposes.
Feeling old yet? The Lancer Evo V is nearing the oldtimer age
For many years we were saying: “30 years ago, back in the ’70s…”. But actually, 30 years ago was 1993, and even cars from 1998 are now eligible under the 25-year age limit (where applicable).
This lovely Evo 5 with Raliart livery was showcased by a trader from Poland. A reminder of our tender age, as it was almost like yesterday that this modern Rallye monster brought Tommi Makinen to his third title (and also two victories in 1998 for Richard Burns).
The Evolution series was initially intended only for Japanese markets for homologation purposes, but from the late ‘90s, Evos were offered through Ralliart’s dealer network in Europe. Originally these cars underpin Mitsubishi’s reign in WRC’s Group A specification up until the eighth generation. Since the EVO VIII, these cars were sporty derivatives of the road versions without an exact match in the World Rally Championship.
The 1998 EVO V was one of the most iconic versions, with more aggressive looks and fewer limitations than the series production versions. The EVO V was granted an upgraded interior with better Recaro seats, an improved engine, widened track and a new body kit with a more imposing aluminium rear spoiler with an adjustable angle of attack.
The Toyota 2000 GT is a rare and expensive exotic
This car perfectly illustrates the diversity of Techno Classica. It may not be in the top 20 in terms of market prices, but its rarity and role in the rise of Japan’s automotive giant makes it a worthy member of this list.
Unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1965, the 2000GT was one of the first “halo cars”, a high-end exotic sport scar to change the image of the Japanese car industry. The 2000 GT is a high-performance fastback coupé to rival the best of Europe, and reviews compared it to legends like the E Type and the 911.
The following decades of constant improvements with new halo cars in the late 80 and 90 took the limelight from the vehicle, but the rise of classic car culture brought back the 2000 GT big time. The market dynamics were strengthened by Toyota’s centennial celebrations and the work of Toyota hotspots like the Louwman Museum and the Toyota Collection in Cologne.
Today, the 2000GT is considered a rare collectable as the first Japanese supercar. Finer specimens of the 2000GT have sold at auction beyond one million USD. This white one was almost a steal, for a bit less, in the booth of Hagerty’s Broad Arrow Group.
The prewar Maybach SW38 mastodon redefines road presence
Maybach was the peak of German luxury in the prewar epoch, and the SW38 was one of their most popular models. The SW38 used the shorter wheelbase paired with a six-cylinder catapulting the massive coupés to speeds beyond 150 km/h.
Maybach cars were renowned for their build quality and luxury, with coachbuilt bodies following the best Art Deco traditions.
This SW38 was bought in Hungary with the chassis in a reasonably good state. Unfortunately, the original Pullman saloon bodywork was beyond saving. Therefore, the chassis was restored to a new design based on the style drawings of Karrosserie Spohn, the standard go-to among Maybach owners at that time.
This Alfa 6C Freccia d’Oro makes you question legends about Alfa depreciation.
This green beauty was parked on the booth of Fine Automobiles, a Maastricht-based trader with a fitting name.
The 6C was the first new Alfa model after the war in 1946, and some 680 Alfa 6C 2500 Freccia d’Oro were built until late 1951. The name means Golden Arrow in Italian and was one of the most expensive cars available at its time. The car found its way to wealthy customers like King Farouk, Alì Khan, Rita Hayworth, and Prince Rainier.
A couple of Ferraris for 15 million euros on 150 square metres: only skyscrapers have more value per surface area
This stage featured hardly any decoration but half a dozen rare and expensive classics. They brought along two Ferrari 275 specimens, one red and one yellow. This car is one of our all-time favourites, and they are all traded for millions.
The Ferrari 275 was a full-size V12 grand tourer, basically the backbone of the Ferrari lineup. Initially, the 275 was powered by a 3.3-litre overhead camshaft Colombo 60° V12 engine producing 260 hp. An updated 275 GTB/4 was introduced in 1966, with a revised four overhead camshaft engine producing 300 hp. The 275 series were the first road-going Ferraris equipped with a transaxle and independent rear suspension. It was also to face the pressure from Lamborghini’s Miura supercar.
The stage featured a Gullwing and two other Ferraris, so we estimated at least 10, maybe 15 million euros, parking behind the corridors.
Lukas Hüni combined immense quality with quantity.
Lukas Hüni is a Swiss trader who assembles star cast for its massive Retromobile stage year after year with breath-taking specimens like an original Alfa Bimotore or an exquisite selection of Ferrari 250 cars. Their presence in Essen is more discrete, but the selection they presented this year was most impressive: five authentic and flawless Ferrari 250 models from the ’60s.
Our personal favourite was the 250 GT Berlinetta Short Wheelbase from 1961. This car is so exquisite that even replicas cost a fortune. The Short Wheelbase version was created to keep the successful 250 Tour de France competitive. The vehicle featured an enhanced V12 3-litre engine and a wheelbase shortened by 20 cm. Ferrari thus gave you a bit less car, but they compensated with performance and a breath-taking coachwork by Pininfarina.
This one is certainly no replica, but a rare SEFAC Competition version, featuring thinner aluminium body sheets and chassis, a fine-tuned competition engine and the best of the Scuderia’s know-how.
As usual, we offer you a poll to share your favourite cars from the show.
The organisers published the closing report of the 33rd Techno-Classica, focusing on the revival of the show.
This year, SIHA reported over 2900 cars from more than 1,100 exhibitors from 30 countries. The report highlighted over 200 club presentations and seven car brands represented at manufacturer level. While the 2023 Techno Classica was no match for the last pre-pandemic edition, it is a step in the right direction.
I really liked the half-tracked VW Bully from an earlier post. The whackier, the better…