This Wednesday the Techno Classica opened its gates and will await visitors until Sunday the 14th April. This car show is among my favourite car events and secured a podium finish on the best list of my favourite automotive experiences year after year.
The Techno Classica is also one of the most important classic car events in the continent, and would probably make it to the top in a worldwide list too. To give an idea, it takes a full day to walk through without really dropping anchor anywhere. Even if there are plenty of reasons to stop…
The size of the Techno Classica is truly impressive. 1250 exhibitors from over 30 countries are showcasing their very best, and the exhibition can hardly be covered on foot in a single day: 21 halls and their open air surrounding on 120,000 square meters offer plenty of sights.
Apart from the show’s sheer size, the real value added is the factory presence that makes the top-tier events reach far beyond a traditional second-hand car fairs. Considering the nearly 200.000 visitors, manufacturers increasingly recognize the advertising potential of top-tier classic car shows. Essentially, Techno Classica resembles now a lot to the Frankfurt Motor Show but with classic cars.
This year’s show celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Techno Classica, and raises the bar again combining novelties with traditional strengths.
More than 20 automobile brands are represented by exquisite exhibits on factory stands provided by factory museums, national associations or car clubs.
The organisers added another major auction house Sotheby’s to the traditional main player Coys, and I can already tell, the newcomer raised the game considerably.
Hammer time in Essen – dropping drool and jaw by the Auctioneers chambers
The Techno Classica also secured the participation of the “Big Five” of auto museums (Beaulieu, Louwman, Autoworld, the Cité and MAuto), but many other events rented space to increase awareness.
Blast from the past: the Big Five of Museums joined forces again in Essen
As for the other usual ingredients, car clubs collectors and major trading houses are all on board.
In the coming days, I will provide more details about the individual stages, that take many hours to walk, but a bit more time to write about them in details.
The first article focussed on the import brands, from Alfa Romeo to Volvo, including the VW group’s non-German brands and foreign brands represented by car clubs.
Foreign brands to challenge the Germans at the Techno Classica
The second detailed article covers the German brands, whose headquarters with a factory vault is just a few hundred kilometres away. Their factory stages render the Classica genuinely comparable with the Frankfurt Motor Show, only with more classic cars.
[…] The Techno Classica is also one of the most important automotive events in the continent, which means pretty much the world. The exhibition claims to be the number 1 of classic car fairs, and this show also delivers. […]