This hall has always been home to Mercedes and used to showcase some of the most spectacular exhibitions before COVID. This year, it hosted Mercedes and BMW, but with a clear absence of factory support. This does not mean we left completely empty-handed: Hall 1 offered a lot of wow factor even without factory support.
The largest part of this hall was dedicated to honouring Mercedes clubs, with some support from the factory branch, like the SLS mule. Mercedes celebrated two company anniversaries: It’s been 100 years since Benz and Daimler merged to form Daimler-Benz AG, and the 140th anniversary of the automotive itself. It has been 140 years since Benz and Daimler independently registered their vehicle patents. This also marked the beginning of the automobile age worldwide.
If you happen to drive an older Merc, you might also celebrate here, as the organisers announced several model birthdays:
25 years of the SL R230 series
30 years of the SLK 1st series (R170)
75 years of the “Adenauer” Mercedes 300 (W186 series)
40 years of 4-Matic all-wheel drive
50 years of the W123 series.
In addition, we loved the high-end cars, including several SLR and SLS specimens, as well as a Dodge Viper mule testing new technologies for the upcoming SLS.
The second major theme of Hall 1 was reserved for the Bavarian brand. BMW celebrated the anniversary: 60 years of the BMW 02 series, with a dedicated stage featuring racing and civilian classics, along with modest racing decorations.
The other major BMW theme was the 90th birthday of the BMW 328. The Bavarians honoured this extraordinary anniversary with an exclusive special show dedicated entirely to this brand milestone.
Launched in 1936, the BMW 328 excelled with its lightweight construction and motorsport prowess. With its striking Art Deco design, innovative tubular frame, and powerful six-cylinder inline engine, it dominated the lower class at many European race tracks, including class victory at the Mille Miglia and winning its category at the 1939 Le Mans (finishing 6th).
In addition, the Bavarians honoured anniversaries of several other models:
50 years of the E24 6 Series Coupé
40 years of the M3 E30
BMW Motorrad: 50 years since Helmut Dähne’s victory in the production class at the Isle of Man TT.
The rest of the hall featured dealers and traders. The most prominent was Axel Schuette, one of the few traders who actually bothered to build a stage in Essen.
