It's not easy for organizers! Informal classic car meetings have become extremely sensitive to the weather. While the number of vehicles at the "Friends of Nostalgic Cars" meeting was still almost in double figures, the number on September 24, 2023 was approaching four figures. In any case, the turnout was impressive and it was not only the vehicle owners who came in large numbers, but also spectators who simply wanted to have a good day.
And they were treated to a lot.
Long tradition
The meeting of the "Friends of Nostalgic Cars" (FNA) has a long tradition. Back in the mid-1970s, old cars came together in Obwalden for the first FNA meeting and many of the cars that attended the 49th annual meeting were not even built back then.
In the early days, people were very open about the year of manufacture and even allowed a 12-year-old sports car to enter, but today there is a more or less strict limit of 30 years to keep things under control.
Immerse yourself in past decades
The majority of the cars at the 49th annual meeting were probably from the 1960s to 1980s, but the pre-war decades were also well represented and young cars such as the Mazda MX-5 were also on site.
Some visitors dressed in the style of the old days, giving the meeting a very special touch. You almost felt transported back in time ...
Multimodal
The special thing about the meeting at Triengen airfield was that it wasn't just about cars.
Historic airplanes took off and landed on the adjacent airfield and the red Antonov biplane even invited visitors to take passenger flights.
A steam train also passed behind the meeting.
Only old ships were missing, while the commercial vehicle sector was also represented with tractors and military vehicles.
On one to four lanes
Everything was represented in Triengen, from 50 cc mopeds to large-volume Americans. Motorcycles, tricycles and, of course, above all, passenger cars demonstrated the full breadth of mobility in the past.
Even an electric vehicle arrived in the form of a Detroit Electric, otherwise the classic petrol engine dominated.
Bread-and-butter and exotics
In keeping with the brand-independent and popular credo of the FNA, the former bread-and-butter cars were particularly well represented.
VW Beetles could be seen on every corner, and there were several examples of the Renault 4CV on site.
The presentation of the Renault Dauphine/Ondine was particularly extensive, as they had managed to park in a row and show off their variety of colors.
The American faction was also very well represented, ranging from pre-war Fords and Chevrolets to the large saloons, coupés and convertibles of the 1970s.
And of course the Ford Mustang in all its variations was not missing.
But there was also no lack of exotic cars. When do you see a Vauxhall Cavalier, a mixture of Opel Manta front end and Ascona center/rear section, in this country?
The Iso Rivolta Lele is also one of the rare cars, as is a TVR 3000 M.
The Enzmann 506 was also only built in small numbers, which makes it all the more surprising to see nine examples lined up in a row.
The great thing, however, was that there was something for everyone among the many, many classic cars scattered around the various parking lots and roadsides, whether they were interested in the Peugeot 203 or the Volvo Amazon.
Folk festival
There was a great atmosphere on Sunday, September 24, 2023, helped by the pleasant autumn temperatures, of course, but also by the food on offer and the opportunity to meet up with many old friends.
While last year we had to worry about the future of the FNA, the 2023 annual meeting should give it a new lease of life. Perhaps we should simply think again about whether youngtimers should also be included; after all, they are also the future classic cars.
P.S. As always, we are grateful for any feedback if we have incorrectly labeled vehicles in the extensive picture gallery .
