You couldn't have wished for better conditions for the last Dolder Classics in the Corona year 2020. Perfect weather conditions on September 13, 2020, called for the old car to be taken out of the garage once again and driven up Zurich's local mountain.
Obviously, many classic car owners had come up with this idea, as the queue at the entrance was already growing steadily an hour after opening and the drained ice field of the Dolder complex was already well filled.
However, as some visitors wanted to be home by lunchtime, there were always places available and the queue could be reduced again if those waiting had not already given up and parked outside.
With special fire department show
A special attraction at one end of the ice rink was a line-up of historic fire engines.
Of course, brands such as Saurer and Packard were represented, but there was also a Ferrari Testarossa among the cars, in fire engine red of course.
It's all in the mix
The special attraction of the Dolder Classics is always the wild mix of eras, designs, vehicle categories and price ranges.
There was a very early Aston Martin DB2 next to a Volvo P1800 or an MG TC next to a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona.
Pre-war limousines, which are otherwise rarely seen, were almost in abundance, but cycle cars also had their place.
And in between a VW Beetle, an Alfasud or a Toyota Corolla.
Lots of bread and butter
In general, the Dolder is always home to beautiful bread-and-butter cars from the past, i.e. vehicles that used to be seen in large numbers on our roads, but which have now become real rarities.
Examples included an Opel Rekord Ascona from the 1950s and a VW Golf from the early 1980s.
Rarities side by side and spread across the ice rink
There were also some real rarities to discover on September 13, 2020. For example, a Dixi DA1 from 1928 was parked right next to a BMW 3/15 from 1931, basically similar models, both of which are descended from the Austin Seven, of which there were also examples on the ice rink.
However, the Dixi and the BMW are even more closely related, as BMW took over the Dixi factories at the end of the 1920s, which is why the BMW is also called the Dixi.
If you walked a little further, you could also spot a Ford Consul Capri, a coupé from England that was called Capri even before the more famous Capri (from 1968). And there were also several examples of the more successful Capri at the Dolder Classics.
The Alvis TC21/10 saloon from 1954, which is much less well known in this country than the later coupés, including those with Graber bodywork, was also beautiful to look at, but nevertheless rare.
The fact that you also get to see an Amilcar and a magnificent Osca Barchetta was almost a bonus. And of course the list could go on and on.
The end of the Corona vintage car year?
The fact that the pandemic is not yet over could be seen from some humorous stickers or masks that were not waiting in the most appropriate place. But as the Dolder Classics is an outdoor event, the restrictions were minimal overall and we can hope that everything will be better again next year.
And if not, then super agent James Bond, whose car and Olin skis were ready and waiting on the Dolder ice field, will certainly do everything in his power to save the world once again ...
