The Auto e Moto d'Epoca classic car fair was one of the few major events of its kind to be held in 2020, and the event in Padua, near Venice, was once again a major attraction for classic car enthusiasts from October 21 to 24, 2021.
Almost like in the old days
115,000 square metres, 11 halls, 1,600 exhibitors and four special shows - the organizers of Auto e Moto d'Epoca were once again stirring the pot. However, nothing worked without a "Green Pass"; anyone who was not vaccinated (with the right vaccine), recovered or tested was not allowed to enter Padua and even with a certificate, a lot of time could be wasted waiting in line, as checking the Green Pass, including temperature control, was clearly a bottleneck.
But once you had made it, you were allowed to walk freely through the halls - wearing a mask - just like before the pandemic. You certainly weren't alone, and it was often impossible to keep a distance of 1.5 meters, especially if there was something special to see.
Well-filled halls
There was obviously no lack of demand from exhibitors, the eleven halls were pretty full, the more than 5000 cars on display (and many motorcycles too) had to be parked close together so that everyone had space. There was also plenty to marvel at between the halls, with some exhibitors moving into a tent to be protected from the weather. This proved to be a good idea, as the weather was still quite damp, especially on Thursday.
With so many vehicles, there is always the risk that quality gets lost in the crowd. This was certainly the case in Padua, as in previous years, but some observers found it even more difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.
The cars are getting younger and younger, according to some observers. This was not due to the new cars on display, such as Bentley, McLaren, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, but to the many youngtimers and neoclassics, which often turned out to be used cars, that were on display in the halls.
At least the range of vehicles was international, i.e. not primarily Italian. Only the Americans were a little thin on the ground, while the Japanese seem to be becoming more and more popular in Padua. At least there were several Subaru models on show, and Nissan and Mazda were also represented.
Bertone's designs
The ASI appeared in Padua with 16 Bertone prototypes under the title "Universo Bertone". Some time ago, the organization was able to take over many of the cars remaining in the Bertone collection. They have since been housed (makeshift) in a museum.
At the exhibition, they were presented in the best light and in a sympathetic context. Instead of simply lining up the individual pieces, they were distributed across various club stands.
The Autobianchi Runabout stood between two Bianchinas and the Lancia Kajak next to a historic Lancia model.
There were some of the most interesting creations by coachbuilder Bertone to admire, including the Citroën Camargue from 1972, the Ferrari Rainbow from 1976 and the NSU Trapeze from 1973 based on the Ro80.
But there were also lesser-known designs on display, such as the Porsche Karisma from 1994 or the Fiat Panda Barchetta from 2007.
All red from the Turin museum
The Museo Nationale dell'Automobile in Turin organized a special show on the theme of "L'Italia che vince le corse" (Italy as a race winner) and displayed six racing cars from Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Ferrari in a tent between the halls.
Now you could have been sad because these interesting racing cars were not "better" housed, but the museum people had another surprise in store.
They drove the Fiat 130 HP outside and started the powerful engine. Large crowds immediately formed around the racing car and once again it was clear that an open engine compartment and a roaring racing engine are hard to beat as an attraction.
Superturismo and Endurance
Also dedicated to motor racing were two other special shows presented by the ASI Storico in Pavilion 3.
On display were super touring cars such as the BMW M3, Alfa GTA and Audi A4, as well as the Martini Racing Lancias LC1 and Montecarlo.
The latter in particular were racing cars in the 1980s that even the competition could not simply ignore.
100 years of Moto Guzzi and 100 years of Lancia Lambda
The Italian motorcycle brand Moto Guzzi celebrated its 100th birthday in 2021, so of course a special show was a must.
Various rare two-wheelers from the company's long history were on display.
The Lancia Lambda, which also celebrated its centenary if you take the first drive of the finished prototype as the date of its birth, did not make it to its own special show, but at least made an impressive appearance at the club.
In any case, the many club stands were among the highlights of the fair, because as always, the enthusiasts had prepared their presentation with a great deal of love and dedication.
And many rare and rarely seen cars could be admired.
A little electric
While the world of new cars is moving fully in the direction of electromobility, combustion engines are of course the trump card when it comes to old cars. However, electric motors were not completely absent from the trade fair in Padua.
Stellantis, which has also represented the history of Fiat since the merger of PSA, Opel and FCA, exhibited the X 1/23 prototype from 1974, one of the first electric city cars in the form of a two-seater minivan with a top speed of 75 km/h and a range of up to 70 km.
Mercedes-Benz presented the 190 E, which was unveiled as an electric car in Hanover in 1990 and provided propulsion with two electric motors on the rear axle. Compared to the current top-of-the-range EQS electric model, the performance figures naturally make you smile.
And those who would like to drive an electric car themselves, but with a historic shell, could take a look at converted Citroën Méhari or 2CV.
Italian rarities
As already mentioned, it was not easy to find the special features and rarities among the more than 5000 cars on display, but they were there.
If you looked closely, you could find rare Italian special bodies on series-produced chassis, but also the Etceterini, i.e. the racing sports cars produced in very small numbers by manufacturers that have long since disappeared.
But there were also special features in more popular guises.
When was the last time you saw a VW Polo G40 or a first-hand Opel Kadett D with notchback?
Of course, the commercial vehicles from Alfa Romeo or the one-offs that were always built by enthusiasts are also rare.
And of course a Rally or a Devin are also cars that you hardly ever see in Italy or in this country.
For prospective buyers, the wide selection of cars that one would naturally expect to see in Italy, such as Alfa Romeo Giulia, Fiat 124 Spider or Ferrari sports cars, was of course also exciting.
And in the meantime, the Fiat Panda also seems to have long since broken the EUR 20,000 barrier.
While the average price level was quite in line with today's conditions, there were outliers in all directions. A Maserati Ghibli could be found for less than EUR 100,000, but also for more than EUR 200,000. And whether over EUR 600,000 for a Ferrari Daytona can still be realized today is at least doubtful.
Mirror, mirror on the wall or on the floor
Porsche showed, among other things, the winners of its restoration competition, but also racing cars from its own history, including a Porsche 550 RS Spyder and the 908/3 as it raced at the Targa Florio.
The cars were impressively positioned in front of mirrors so that they could be admired from the front and rear at the same time.
There were also mirrors at the restorers and dealers, but mostly under the cars so that you could inspect the underside of the car and see the quality of the work for yourself.
Spare parts and specialists
Of course, there were also many stands with spare parts and accessories, literature and model cars. And the specialists, from restorers to galvanizers and saddlers, also showed samples of their work.
And when your legs got tired or your head started to spin, countless food stands with good coffee, tasty sandwiches and all kinds of other offers invited you to take a rest. After all, that's just part and parcel of life in Italy ...
