Not that there has been a shortage of classic cars this week. The 'Techno Classica' in Essen on Wednesday and the 'Retro Classics' in Stuttgart on Thursday. A full program for your reporter. But after the abundance of either completely original or restored to perfection Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, what felt like half of all BMW M1s ever built, the Le Mans legends in Essen or the simply breathtaking collection of Lithuanian businessman Saulius Karosas in Stuttgart, it was time for a contrasting program. Not cars that you can only marvel at in awe, but cars that you can imagine driving yourself simply because they are affordable, easy to maintain and therefore accessible. Volkswagen of the French kind.
Many German visitors
The A-Market was held for the 20th time this year at the location in Gemert in the south of the Netherlands. It is a good hour's drive from there to the Ruhr area, which also attracts many German visitors. This is also reflected in the license plates in the parking lot: Düsseldorf, Cologne, Wesel, Dinslaken, Mönchengladbach, Kleve, Viersen... "The market used to be held in Soest in the middle of the Netherlands and near our club's parts warehouse," explains Tijs Kolen, who organizes the event on behalf of the 'Enige Echte Eenden Club' ('Only Real Duck Club'). "But the restaurant 'De Kokse Hoeve' in Gemert has proved to be the perfect venue. It's in a beautiful rural location, there's plenty of parking space on a meadow, there's a restaurant and, not unimportantly, we don't have to pay rent for the use of the rooms."
Conversions
The road leading to the aforementioned park meadow is only open to agricultural traffic, but on this Sunday everyone is welcome. When we arrive, we are met by an eye-catching Citroën Dyane, which has been converted into a kind of Ferrari Testarossa with lots of plastic.
On the meadow we find the whole range of Citroën A models: 2CV as a passenger car and panel van, Dyane, Ami 6 and Ami 8, but also Visa, C15, BX, GSA, CX, DS... Rare 2CV-based conversions such as the Burton or Lomax are of course also available, as is a two-seater open-top sports car based on the Ami 8 with the 1300 cc engine from the Citroën GS. The car is mounted on a trailer and is offered for 2,650 euros by a well-known Citroën specialist.
2CV panel van in GLACauto version
Various vendors have spread out their wares along the road. "Open-air stands are free, but when it's full, it's full," explains organizer Tijs Kolen. There are parts galore, from metal plates with type designations to hoods and doors. Also on a trailer is an AZU, a 2CV panel van, in the relatively rare Glaçauto version with three side windows on the left and right of the body, which is on sale for 3,250 euros. That's even less than was asked for some rare Porsche brochures in Essen... Everything is relative.
Books and automobilia
In the restaurant building, the market continues in three halls. There are parts here too, but only smaller ones, as well as model cars, books and brochures. "You can always find something here," says Klaas Jonker, who together with his brother Arie is a well-known figure in the Dutch 2CV scene and mainly specializes in the older model years. Thijs van der Zanden also seems satisfied. With his publishing house 'Citrovisie', he has brought very detailed books on various Citroën model series onto the market in recent years, from the 2CVs produced in Vorst/Forêt, Belgium, through volume models such as the Visa and BX, to the exotic types Axel and Oltcit from Romanian production. He even learned Romanian so that he could talk to former employees of the Oltcit factory in Craiova. "Of course, a market like this is a good opportunity to promote my books," he says. The volumes on the Visa, the Axel and the BX are already sold out. The standard work on the CX published by the publishing house was recently published in French for the first time. Van der Zande's next book project is dedicated to the Citroën XM. He bought the car in question in France a few weeks ago.
DS 7
Somewhat hidden in the parking lot behind the building is a new product from the PSA Group, the DS 7 Crossback. "A great car," enthuses Britta Becker, Chairwoman of Amicale Citroën Deutschland, the umbrella organization of German Citroën clubs. Together with her husband Oliver vom Berg, she has been running the company 'Treffpunkt Citrön' for years, which is a popular address for Citroën parts. "We have also had our own stand here for many years. Especially in spring, at the start of the classic car season, we supply many customers from Germany and the Netherlands with parts for their 2CVs," she says. Then she excuses herself, she has to go on to Techno Classica in Essen, where the annual general meeting of Amicale Citroën Deutschland is taking place in the evening. The club representatives will have the opportunity to inspect the new DS 7 up close.
2019 already sold out
Organizer Tijs Kolen is also satisfied. "The great spring weather certainly contributed to the success of the event, although it has been shown in previous years that even cold or rain does not deter enthusiasts from attending. But when the sun is shining, it's simply more fun. And then people are more likely to come in a 2CV." All 75 available tables were full this year and have already been reserved again for next year. "I always send out a circular email with a registration form, but it's really just a reminder, because all the places are already taken." However, visitors are very welcome, the more the merrier. The date for 2019 has not yet been finalized, but it will certainly be mid to late March again. It's definitely worth a visit.
