At the first edition of InterClassics Brussels in 2015, there was still a lot of excitement about how this new event would be received. Now, nine editions later, the trade fair landscape is different and InterClassics Brussels is a successful, permanent fixture. Once again this year, three halls with 40,000 square meters of space were occupied over three days (from November 14 to 16, 2025) and there was once again an exclusive special show. Of course, the relevant accompanying trade and a sophisticated art section were also present again. A new visitor record was set with 29,472 visitors, an increase of 29% on the previous year.
V12 supercars
Let's first take a look at this year's special show on the subject of "V12 supercars". Unlike in previous years, this time there was no red illumination, for which the reporter was grateful at the latest when photographing the white Lamborghini. Now illuminated in green, visitors were treated to an impressive parade of vehicles whose V12 engines seem almost anachronistic today in view of electric mobility. So let's take a look around these masterpieces of automotive engineering.
100 years of history
The time frame spans more than 100 years, starting in 1916, with four cars representing the pre-war era: Packard Twin Six Phaéton (1916), Cadillac Town Sedan Series 370 D V12 Fleetwood (1934), Rolls Royce Phantom III Convertible (1936) and the Le Mans works racing car from Lagonda from 1939.
For the period after that, Ferrari was present with three vehicles, namely the Inter Vignale 212 Cabriolet (1951), the Daytona Group 4 (1972) and the 12 Cilindri, the most recent exhibit from 2024. Lamborghini was also represented with three (actually only 2 ½) examples: a Miura SV from 1971 and the Countach LP 400 S, which is a decade younger, were joined by its half-size junior counterpart.
Representing the 1960s were two Jaguar E-Types from 1971, a coupé and a roadster.
The 1990s were represented by the Bugatti EB 110 (1992) and the BMW Alpina B12 coupé from the same year. Mercedes was represented by the SL 6.9 V12 from Brabus (1994) and the CLK GTR from 1997. The Toyota Century from 1997 acted as a kind of antithesis to this. The Aston Martin DB7 Zagato (2003) and Walkyrie (2021) were not missing either. The exotic line-up was rounded off by the Pagani Zonda R Lanzante Conversion from 1997 and the GMA T.50 from 2020. The latter is unmistakable with its aerodynamic fan at the rear.
Once again this year, a twelve-member jury awarded prizes in various categories. The "Best of Show" title went to a 1973 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 exhibited by Gipimotor.
75 years of Formula 1
A show on the theme of "75 years of Formula 1" was presented by Officina Caira in Hall 6. This stand also received an award from the jury. However, the presentation seemed somewhat incomplete to the reporter, as there were no explanatory notes directly on the racing cars. The Talbot-Lago T26C from 1950, painted in Belgian racing colors, represented the early days of Formula 1. It was followed by an Aston Martin DBR4 from 1959. The presentation continued with the cars from EuroBrun (1988), Arrows (1989), Fondmetal (1992), Sauber (2000) and the current Kick Sauber.
Tour of the halls
Let's now take a tour of the halls, although this report cannot be complete in view of the variety on offer. Hall 9 was once again home to numerous clubs, two of which should be singled out as examples. The Belgian club for old Peugeots presented a Peugeot 604 TI from 1980 that had been extended by the Heuliez company. This stand was recognized as the best stand by the Belgian Historic Vehicle Association (BEHVA).
The Volvo Classic Club Belgium celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Volvo PV 36, displaying an example that was rescued in 1974 as a pile of scrap metal and is now in splendid condition. The same club also recalled that the Volvo 66 "inherited" from DAF is now also 50 years old.
Speaking of anniversaries: The Volkswagen Golf I GTI and Polo models have also been around for 50 years, which was commemorated by a series of all Polo models. The famous Polo 3 "Harlequin" from 1994 was not to be missed. Incidentally, its 3806 units were destined for the German market; the car was not offered in Belgium.
The Škoda 1100 OHC flat roadster was a reminder that the company has now been in existence for 130 years.
Art and gasoline
The appealing range of art galleries should not go unmentioned. When else can you see a hammerhead shark made of carbon or a Wankel engine as a clock?
But let's get back to the culture on four wheels. As we all know, InterClassics Brussels (and Maastricht) are not dominated by the Mercedes and Porsche brands. There are also numerous Italian, British and American cars on offer. Alfa Romeo and Ferrari were once again well represented in Brussels, but there was also a Lancia Flaminia Sport Zagato from 1963 for an impressive €295,000.
Several Fiat cars with a Mille Miglia past were also on offer. Among the American cars, a Chevrolet Corvette C2 Convertible (1966) for €98,500 is worthy of mention, while the majestic Rolls Royce Silver Could II from 1961 is particularly noteworthy among the British cars.
However, this does not mean that there were not enough Porsche or Mercedes-Benz cars. Of course, Mercedes-Benz 190 SL, Pagodas, Pontons or roadsters of the 107 series were on offer. A 500 SL from 1992 was available for €35,000, for example, or a 280 SL with just 66,000 km (both R 129) for €34,900, and anyone looking for an E 500 (W124) could even have chosen between two. There was also a 450 SEL from 1976 and a Mercedes-Benz 600 was to cost 109,990. A 300 SL Gullwing was on offer for just under €1.5 million. It will be interesting to see whether fewer examples of this type will be offered at other motor shows in the future.
A number of Porsches were also on offer, with a focus on late four-cylinder models. Particularly memorable was a purple-painted 968 for €99,968. Some Porsche 356s were also on offer, such as a 356 A for €180,000. Of course, there was no shortage of 911s. There were also replicas, such as a 924 turbo Carrera GT or a 356 Speedster replica, which was itself a classic car in the meantime. And anyone who wanted "tributes" could also take a 911 "backdate" with them at this trade fair.
When it came to BMW vehicles, the Z3 models seemed to be well represented. But there were also earlier models, such as a 1600 ("new class"), two 2002 Baur Cabriolets, 3.0 CSi and a Z8.
Now we come to cars that are rarely or never seen at motor shows. In addition to a spectacular 1964 Cheetah, which was awarded a special prize by the jury, we noticed a Jaguar XJ 220 (asking price: €570,000) and an Iso A3C Drogo from 1965. For €69,000, you could have chosen between a Renault Sport Spider from 1997 or a Sport Clio V 6, while the Renault 5 turbo from 1988 would have been more than twice as expensive. Also striking was a Volkswagen XL 1 from 2015, which was offered for €119,500. An Opel Omega Lotus from 1991 could have been bought for €94,000.
As at the beginning of the year in Maastricht, several Meyers Manx buggies were on offer and Japanese cars were also on sale. These ranged from the small Suzuki Fronte (1970), a Subaru XT 1.8, Honda S 2000 or the small S 800 for €70,000 to the "James Bond" sports car Toyota 2000 GT. The latter was offered for €950,000.
There were also some cars with very low mileage. Representative of this group were a Volvo P1800 E "Snow White's Coffin" (1970) with 2359 km for €44,450a Volvo 240 estate (1993) with 22,100 km for €34,500 or a Saab 9.3 (2007) with 33,000 km mileage for €11,900.
Anyone willing to spend up to €25,000 could have chosen from a variety of car brands. Below the €10,000 threshold were a Seat 600 (€6900), a Golf II with only 48,000 km (€7259), a patinated Citroën 11 CV Familiale (€8000) or a Mini 1000 from 1981 (€8500). A Golf I Cabriolet was available for an even €9000 and an MGB for €9500.
In the next price range, you could have bought one of two Autobianchi A112s (with only 400 km for €12,500), a BMW 1602 (€15,500), a BMW 518i from 1985 with 43'900 km or an authentic Peugeot 404 with 70,000 km (both €16,900), but also a Renault Ondine Gordini (€17,000). A BMW 1502 with only 44,000 km, a Porsche Boxster (2004), a Mercedes-Benz 280 SL (1983) or a Lancia Beta Montecarlo from 1976 would have cost just under €25,000.
A well-rounded affair
Last but not least, we turn to the acoustic attractions. Perhaps two decades ago, the reporter was able to experience the engine sound of a Bentley Blower at the TechnoClassica in Essen. The demonstration of the Toyota Overdrive V8 from Thunder Car in Brussels was at least at this gigantic noise level. Nomen est omen, but you can probably only endure that every few years.
Conclusion: The anniversary edition of InterClassics Brussels was a complete success. The organizers once again managed to present a high-quality and varied range of products. Once again, class came before quantity.
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