Every year, we rank the best car events before the end of the year. This year, however, we attended only 10 events, missing out on a number of key shows and races, but we still strived to see a few shows we had not attended for some time.
2025 promised to be a good year and delivered on most fronts. Even if Geneva is gone for good, the Brussels Car Show returned to take back its place as a major European international car show (also for the COTY award ceremony). As a cherry on top, even the 2024 substitute Brussels Auto Show returned, albeit in a new location and at a new date. InterClassics Maastricht celebrated its 30th anniversary, and we got to see the very last of Essen Techno Classica before the organisers of Retro Classic would take it over. Following last year’s hiatus due to municipal red tape, the Classic Days lived through a comeback at a new venue. For the first time, we were not welcome at Spa Classic, raising a big question mark about us covering Peter Auto events in the future.
We missed out on several key events, but the 10 shows offered a good cross-section of events and included most major shows. The Autosalon in Brussels was an obvious choice, and after 4 years, we attended the IAA in Munich. InterClassics Maastricht celebrated its 30th anniversary, and we could not miss out on the last Essen Techno Classica ever to honour the legacy of one of the best classic car shows in the world.
10. International Racingshow
Our 2025 car show season ended with the International Racingshow, which proved to be a fitting way to conclude our events calendar. The last place does not mean that the organisers have anything to be ashamed of.
The last place is mainly warranted by the show’s compact size, but make no mistake, this was a decent event that we would happily revisit next year.
9. Antwerp Concours was another great event for its size
Antwerp Concours d’Elegance 2025 proved to be a worthy celebration of its 20th anniversary. This show has been a personal favourite since the world recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, and it never fails to impress, despite its small size. With a selection of about 70 cars following various exciting themes, the Antwerp Concours brought stylish flair to the autumn classic car season. This year, the central theme followed a Comic theme, that allowed a wide selection of cars with comprehensive decoration. The other topics ensured that fans of high-end classic cars were satisfied as well.
However, a show of this size could not be featured higher on this list, though we found this event better than, e.g. the Concours section of the Zoute GP on its own. At the same time, Zoute offered a comprehensive package of classic Rallye, supercar rally, high-end car show and auction, which then catapults Zoute to the top end of this list. Despite the 9th position on this list, Antwerp Concours remains a stable item on our bucket list for next year.
8. InterClassics Brussels brings its usual level of wow factor
This year’s InterClassics Brussels encompassed three halls, offering about the same surface areas as last year, though less than the golden times before Covid. Such a compact format will not help InterClassics to climb higher among car shows, as others have recovered better by now. The three halls have still offered a decent spectacle for several hours. Surely a must for next year.
7. InterClassics Maastricht’s 30th birthday brought back golden memories
InterClassics 2025 celebrated the event’s 30th anniversary, and the organisers brought together the best cars from their past events. This alone ensured a considerable wow factor, and the usual exhibitor space was fully utilised.
Even if we got to see hundreds of exciting classics and a few supercars, the show was still far from the size of the two German shows below.
6. We had to attend the last-ever Essen Techno Classica
The 35th Techno Classica is supposed to be the very last Techno Classica ever, so the organisers decided to go out with a bang, going all in: Essen Techno Classica 2025 occupied the entire Essen expo area, covering 120,000 square metres, the equivalent of the area of 17 football fields.
Despite its former size, this year’s Techno Classica definitely missed its former grandeur. Five-ten years ago, we could witness factory stages from 10-15 brands, from German local heroes to exotics, some on par with their presence at IAA. This year, only a few small stages with manufacturer (or rather importer or flagship trader) support, but even with that, we saw many more breathtaking classics and exotics than in Stuttgart or Maastricht. We would have liked to see this event higher on the list, but the competition was simply too strong.
5. Retro Classics Stuttgart was a good baseline for next year’s Retro Classic Essen
Retro Classics is among the top-tier classic car events, and with 10 halls to fill, it has a lot to offer. With several decades of history, the organisers built up an entire series of events, and next year they will take over Essen (from Techno Classica’s SIHA).
The show’s size and participation of several car brands made sure that Retro Classics beat the ailing Techno Classica, though the spectacle is nowhere close to that of Retromobile.
4. IAA was another world-class event, even if bested by the competition
Here, we have to draw an imaginary line, as with the IAA, we are entering a different dimension. From here on, every show is a major spectacle worth a trip from the other side of the country, or even the continent. IAA is one of Europe’s long-standing international car shows, and the Munich edition is Germany’s effort to revitalise the car show concept following the pandemic. When the Frankfurt location became uncertain, Munich stepped in to offer its city centre as a free-access public venue, along with the infrastructure of its expo area for industry meetings.
The IAA 2025 featured a so-called Summit, a traditional car show hosted in exhibition halls (though restricted to journalists and industry members), while the open space area in the city centre offered free access to the public. This split however meant that visitors could only attend the city show, that alone was no match to the Autosalon that showcased some 60 car brands.
While we also find that the fourth place does not do the IAA justice, as it offered a decent spectacle for visitors, we could not say it offered the same wow factor as the Autosalon.
1-3. Zoute GP is reaching for the top spot again
The next three events are so diverse that we will not assign ranking numbers. Hence, the number 1-3. Zoute is a fully fledged world-class petrolhead paradise that offers a wide variety of programs for fans of luxury, classic, and supercars alike. Though it went through a decline in the past year, the 25th edition of the Zoute Grand Prix proved to be a worthy event for this milestone anniversary. The organisers added several new features, including the revival of the Concours d’Elegance, which also featured a second auction.
We spent a very eventful Saturday in Knokke, and could have done even more if we had attended the other days. This year’s Zoute may not be the absolute best iteration, but it is undoubtedly one of the best car events of the year. It is such a petrolhead paradise that we are not sure if we would trade Zoute for any other car event from 2025 (luckily, there were no overlaps). At the same time, we could not say it was better than the next two, unless you are specifically eying a variety event like the Zoute.
1-3. The Autosalon Brussels returned for the crown of international car shows
Belgium’s international show returned after a year of hiatus, taking its place back from the Brussels Auto Show. It also took over roles from the defunct Geneva Car Show, boasting everything we love about international car shows. This year, the show occupied four major halls and a few auxiliary rooms, which was one hall fewer than in 2023. The show also lacked a thematic exhibition like the Bond in Brussels in 2022.
On the automotive side, however, there was an incredible offering from car brands, even compared to the pre-COVID IAA levels. Several dozen stages awaited visitors, as the organisers promised 63 brands, covering both passenger and commercial sectors. We did not count them, but indeed, the Brussels Car Show featured more car brands than Paris or Munich. Even if you are not looking for a new car, the show still offered plenty of wow factor. Some of the major spectacles of the past are gone, like the 2022 Bond in Brussels or the dream car exhibitions of the past. Even the military vehicles abstained, which we did not consider essential for a car show.
1-3. Retromobile remained the king and queen of car shows.
Before COVID we used to say, Retromobile was the queen of classic car shows for its style and elegance, while Techno Classica was the king for its size and the powerful presence of car manufacturers. Since then, the German car shows have declined, while Retrombile recovered pretty well.
When it comes to classic car shows, Retrombile simply plays in a different league. Retro Classic, InterClassics or Techno Classica are no match for the Parisian show. The Museums and collectors organised exciting thematic exhibitions, and the organisers secured contributions from factories, while major traders outdid each other in offering more extravaganza. Most car shows can be proud to summon a major auctioneer, in Paris, there were three that weekend. Unless classic cars leave you completely cold, Retromobile was the best show in terms of wow factor.
