In keeping with the tradition of the former Porsche Classic Day in Schinznach-Bad, AMAG Classic invited classic and vintage car drivers to Schinznach-Bad on June 25 and 26, 2022, to meet up in a sociable atmosphere regardless of brand and period. Well over 1000 vehicle owners responded to the call, partly because Dino Graf and his organization team did not just focus on the Volkswagen Group brands, but kept the meeting open to all old cars.
There were good reasons for this, as some of the brands once represented by the Swiss car importer are no longer part of either the Volkswagen Group or the AMAG Import portfolio. But AMAG Classic also wanted to demonstrate that it loves all old cars.
This was also demonstrated when a Skoda 120 S drove in and Dino Graf whispered: "It's probably rarer on our roads today than many a rare Porsche ....".
But there were certainly other rarities on site, including an impressive collection of Chrysler/Plymouth Valiant models, rare Alpina BMW versions and one of the elegant Cadillac Series 62s with huge rear fins.
Folk festival atmosphere
Schinznach-Bad is easily accessible south of Brugg (in the Basel-Bern-Zurich triangle) and is therefore conveniently located for many Swiss classic car owners. What's more, the meeting itself was free of charge and the organization ran like clockwork.
As a result, not only owners of VW, Porsche and the like found their way to the former AMAG headquarters, but also many classic cars from other brands, from Alfa Romeo to Triumph. There was plenty on offer for them, including various bands, reasonably priced food and drink and, of course, plenty of opportunities to talk shop with colleagues and new acquaintances.
At the Porsche Classic you could also drive a simulator and there were information points all over the site where you could gather knowledge on one topic or another.
Insights into the history of AMAG
Of course, AMAG Classic also wanted to provide information about its own history. As is well known, this does not only consist of the import and trade of automobiles, but there was also a longer phase in which AMAG assembled cars. From 1949 to 1972, cars were manufactured in Schinznach-Bad, initially Standard models, later Volkswagen (e.g. Karmann Ghia) and Chrysler derivatives, such as the Chrysler Valiant or the Dodge Dart.
29,227 cars were produced in total, the last car was a Plymouth Valiant. On June 26 and 27, 2022, some former assembly employees led visitors through an exhibition that provided information about this phase. And they had a lot to tell, because the "Montage Suisse" was born out of necessity. Swiss customers were demanding and Montage in Schinznach-Bad helped to offer cars that met the needs of the market.
So while the company's own assembly facility has been history for 50 years, the buildings in which it took place are not. The individual rooms were open to visitors on AMAG Classic Day.
AMAG Classic collection accessible for the first time
Over the past few years, AMAG has amassed a not-so-small number of cars that have something to do with the development of the traditional Swiss company in a narrower or broader sense. Until now, these cars were spread out in various locations and were hardly visible.
Now, however, a property has been found where part of the collection can be shown to the public, but only by appointment. On the two Classic Days, however, all those interested were allowed to make a pilgrimage through the Restomod underground garage if they were prepared to take the seven-minute walk from the meeting in the direction of Brugg.
It was well worth a visit, as there were some interesting cars on display. There was Audrey Hepburn's Audi 200 Avant quattro, for example, as well as a VW Xl1, an Audi Front 225 and one of 20 parallel hybrid Golf test cars built.
Most of the cars in the AMAG Classic collection have a special story to tell, including an inconspicuous economy Beetle that was registered in Thun on March 31, 1983. This was in fact the last Beetle imported by AMAG, as the round rear-engined Volkswagen had fallen victim to the Swiss exhaust and noise legislation (AGV82/86).
The buyer of the last Beetle had the number BE 320 637 specially issued to him, as this number corresponded exactly to the number of VW Beetle models imported by AMAG. And it was precisely this Beetle that AMAG was able to buy back many years later, making it a prominent member of the AMAG Classic collection.
Some of the museum cars on display, or models similar to them, also brought visitors to the meeting in Schinznach, such as the Beetle RSI or various Beetle variants.
Good weather and successful attendance
A successful event, according to the visitors. No wonder some classic car owners drove to Schinznach-Bad on both days, sometimes even with different cars. The weather cooperated and ensured two almost continuously sunny, albeit warm, days. Organizer Dino Graf was also delighted with the large number of visitors and the successful event: "It couldn't have been better ... ".
