The 2020 anniversary post recalls automotive anniversaries that left lasting memories throughout the year. These anniversaries provide ample opportunities for dedicated themes at car shows, where factory museums exhibit their favourite cherished masterpieces and milestones.
These stages are often on par with the big ones in Frankfurt or Paris with jaw dropping decorations.
Also, museums prepare special exhibitions, with the help of the factory, private collectors, and sometimes the national importer. Some marques like to ride the tides of nostalgia with anniversary editions, while spectators and connoisseurs get a glimpse of their glorious past.
In retrospective, this year was primarily about COVID, punching a vast four-month hole in the middle of the year, also wiping out all major car events. Some museums reopened but with enhanced confinement rules and temporary shutdowns.
Many birthday parties were cancelled throughout the year, affecting most birthday boys, but the hardest hit brand was arguably Alfa. But still, browsing through my photos there were quite a few memorable moments, and luckily, there were a few posts saved up for this year, like a 2019 visit to the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo.
The 70th anniversary of Seat
Spanish automobile manufacturer SEAT was to celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2020. Honestly, I have a bit of difficulty in recalling any legendary or event outstanding cars from these 70 years, but the brand usually erects a small but stylish stage at the Techno Classica.
As the Techno Classica was cancelled in 2020, I commemorate the brand with a few photos from the Seat stages from previous years.
I also added a Bocanegra from the Abarth Works Museum, featuring a wide range of brands associated with FIAT.
The Abarth Works Museum is the best place to celebrate the brands 70th birthday
Lada’s 50th birthday – the grassroots initiative
2020 saw another promising celebration with Lada commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first model rolling off the assembly line. It was a historical moment for the Russian car industry, as Ladas proved to be the most popular cars of the eastern block.
Those who have some memories on how it was behind the iron curtain might recall, that in a communist system, high sales and popularity might not go hand in hand. In this case, however, the various successive models attracted a considerable fan base. Lada VFTS replicas are about as numerous as in the case of real racing icons like the Audi Quattro, even if the specs fall far behind.
At the same time, 2020 makes it challenging to celebrate car anniversaries. The Coronavirus cracked down on car events and exhibitions, down to the smaller outdoor events. I can not recall anything particular at the major classic car shows in the first quarter.
Therefore, I would highlight one museum where I encountered an unusually high concentration of finer cars from the eastern block. I was actually surprised to see that the Museum with the best Lada collection is located in the “West”, in Belgium. Still, I must say, the Abarth Works Museum surprised me in many ways.
Mazda 100th anniversary – could have been so much more
Next to all these European classics, it is quite hard to imagine that Mazda, known for its sporty and modern design, celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2020. Well… in a way it doesn’t. One hundred years ago, Mazda was a manufacturer of cork established in the city of Hiroshima.
After a decade of operation, the predecessor company Toyo Cork Kogyo Co. Ltd diversified into the production of small three-wheeler transporters (the first Mazda, the Go from 1931 carried the name of the founder Jujiro Matsuda).
The anniversary year’s key player was the Mazda Museum in Germany, preparing a stage for this year’s Retro Classics Stuttgart, and planning much more. But it’s all down the drain now…
Iconic Brands at Retro Classics: Mercedes, Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Mazda and BMW
Luckily, a few museums could still hold the line to accommodate exhibitions, using their vast spaces available for a longer period. Autoworld was a major automotive hotspot since the summer deconfinement and also launched a brilliant Mazda exhibition.
About two dozen cars occupied three corners of the ground floor, but the autumn re-confinement almost immediately shot down the exhibition.
To allow these cars to be seen at all, Autoworld amended its calendar to make sure that visitors can get to see the exhibits. Thus the cars of the Mazda exhibition can be seen next to the current Skoda exhibition until 24 January 2021.
Skoda 125th anniversary – saved by the bell
Another 2020 anniversary was the 125th anniversary of the famous Czech brand. I see you raising your eyebrows now… 125 is not even a round number, not to mention the subject, known for shabby rear-engine water boilers that were sold as personal vehicles in Eastern Europe.
A lot has happened since the rear engine pariahs, and Škoda became a massive success again with the VW Group’s help. Their car show stages emit the best confidence with light colours and natural materials, and success in every area from bicycle sport to rallying.
And when it comes to history, the Czech brand has a lot to offer, with a permanent museum (still on my bucket list). They also show presence at classic car shows, in Essen every year I can remember, often with a grand stage.
This year, they had a great start by also attending Rétromobile with a medium-sized stage that offered everything: origins, past, classics, racing and a concept for the future.
Skoda did not exhibit at Retro Classics, and Techno Classica was cancelled, thus for me, the next big Škoda event was the exhibition at the Belgian national museum Autoworld, that host the few dozen Škodas, bringing together an outstanding selection of exhibits.
The selection encompassed race cars from as early as the ‘40s, along with a pretty comprehensive overview of its historical models up to their current model line-up including Škoda’s latest plugin hybrid model.
Alfa Romeo 110th birthday could not be devastated by Covid. But sure it tried….
Arguably the most important car anniversary of 2020 was the 110th anniversary of the Alfa Romeo brand, and it could have been even much better if the pandemic did not rip it apart.
Alfa is already a star of the classic car world with a strong factory presence in the Essen Techno Classica every year. Of course, this event was also cancelled.
I also had high hopes to see the Dutch Spettacolo Sportivo for the first time, but that was also cancelled a few weeks before the start. Even Autoworld, that is featured in this article several times and organised brilliant exhibitions with exquisite Alfas, cancelled its flagship Alfa exhibition.
What remained, still brought Alfa to the first place in my list, as Retromobile and Retro Classics and a handful Museum exhibitions provided a generous insight into the history of Alfa Romeo. On 24 June 1910, the Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (ALFA, in Italian, even acronyms sound cool) comes to life. Their first car ever created was the 24 HP, designed by Giuseppe Merosi, and this car was showcased at the FCA Heritage stage at Rétromobile.
The most breath-taking selection of Alfa Romeos was brought together at the very same Rétromobile, on the stage of Lucas Hüni during.
Lukas Hüni honoured the 110th anniversary of Alfa Romeo at Rétromobile
The year went on quite well for me, as I managed to combine Retro Classics with a visit to Sinsheim, hosting a Mythos Alfa Romeo special exhibition, located in a brand new hall, built and dedicated for this exhibition. I got to see two interesting birthday parties with one trip.
The museum in Sinsheim assembled the selection of cars in close collaboration with Alfa Romeo (both the factory museum and Alfa Romeo Germany), offering an overview of the company’s history in motorsport as well as in design.
The exhibits encompass pre-war masterpieces and top models such as a 6c Mille Miglia and continue with design icons like the Montreal and rarities such as the Alfa Romeo Matta right up to the current Giulia.
Sinsheim is one of the best places to celebrate Alfa’s 110th birthday
To make up for the loss of so many great opportunities to see Alfa Romeos, I processed my backlog and published a three-part mega-post on the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo, one of the best car museums in the whole world.
Alfa’s factory Museum is the best place to experience its glorious 110 years history
The anniversaries illustrate quite well the year 2020, with great potential and lots of preparations, all to be squashed by the unfolding pandemic. I surely hope for a better 2021!
