As the first German classic car show of the year, the Bremen Classic Motorshow has pole position, so to speak, in the trade fair cycle. And you could immediately feel that the classic and modern classic car enthusiasts are eager and fully motivated for something new when you walked through the halls in Bremen from January 31 to February 2, 2020.
A good mood was the order of the day and Friday was already surprisingly busy. There was a lot to see!
Rivals from back then in a large special show
One of the highlights of the 2020 trade fair was certainly the special show "Rivals", which presented former rivals in the car market. It was like being in a 1:1 scale car quartet, with former rivals facing each other in a giant boxing ring.
The Lamborghini Miura P400 S stood opposite the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, two super trumps in the sports car quartet of the time.
A few steps further on, you could admire the BMW 507 and the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, also decoratively painted in black and red.
For some 60-year-olds today, the rival VW Golf GTI and Opel Kadett GT/E reminded them of their automotive youth.
Visitors who drove a car 10 or 20 years earlier may have seen their first vehicle in the VW Beetle Export and DKW Junior.
And many viewers may have once sat in the back seat of the Ford Taunus 15M or the Opel Rekord 1500.
Achievable dream cars of the early seventies were the Opel Manta and the Ford Capri, which faced each other just as much as the super sports cars of the eighties, the Ferrari F40 and the Porsche 959.
Seven pairings, wisely selected, compactly summarized the manufacturers' competition of four decades.
However, it was not only the trade fair organizers who took up the theme of "rivals", but also some of the co-exhibitors. Elsewhere, for example, the former DTM rivals Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo and BMW M3 Evo were pitted against each other on a Carrera track.
And at the Allgemeiner Schnauferl Club, an early VW Beetle, an Opel Kadett A and a Fiat Topolino, all basically Volkswagens, stood together.
The ADAC put together the former rally opponents Morris Cooper S and Citroën DS.
From the bicycle to the automobile
Bicycles and the automobile were certainly not rivals 50 or more years ago, at least not as much as they are today. At the Bremen Classic Motorshow, however, not only automobiles are given a stage, but also bicycles, scooters, commercial vehicles and motorcycles.
There were many interesting vehicles to discover, especially among the motorcycles, but the bicycles, often from Italian racing bike manufacturers, also attracted a lot of interest.
The scooter scene a good 60 years ago
The second special show was dedicated to a vehicle category with two wheels, the scooters that enabled many Germans to make their first long journeys in the 1950s.
In the post-war years, there was a lot of tinkering and development and many a manufacturer took the opportunity to build up a large production again from almost nothing. This included the Glas Goggo scooter and the licensed Vespas from Jakob Oswald Hoffmann.
But there were also rarer vehicles to admire, such as the Bastert single-track car or the Maicomobil-Bender team.
And the popper Vespa with 80 cm3 and lots of plastic add-on parts must have made most visitors grin.
From a wreck to a top-restored vehicle
Typical for Bremen, but perhaps also for today's classic car fairs in general, was certainly the fact that not only restored and new-looking classics were shown, but also barn and hall finds.
Some of the vehicles even looked as if they were only suitable as art objects ...
Expensive and cheap
Of course there were some expensive classics to admire in Bremen, but the majority were in the middle and lower price segments.
Super classics such as a Ferrari 250 GT Lusso, a Maserati 3500 GT Vignale Spider or a Porsche Carrera RS 2.7 were missing in Bremen, but there was a nice selection of Mercedes-Benz convertibles, Porsche 911s and Volkswagen derivatives.
Inside and outside
Trading took place in the halls and in the parking garage, where, as every year, a classic car market was set up. And because the weather was a little kinder for once, prospective buyers were able to spend longer on the unheated parking levels.
There was also a lot to discover that you don't come across every day, such as a selection of Mercedes-Benz 190Es in popular colors of the time, a Mercedes-Benz 280 SE with two doctors as previous owners, VW Beetles from various decades or a unique Apal Corsa with gullwing doors.
Older and younger
Although there were hardly any neo-classics in Bremen, the youngtimers were well represented. Younger people were grouped together in the rear hall in an exhibition section where you could not only buy cars, but also learn a lot about them.
And here, too, exclusive sports cars such as the Maserati Biturbo once stood alongside bread-and-butter cars that were barely thirty years old, such as the Renault 5 or the Peugeot 305 SL.
An Audi TT was just as much looking for a new owner as a BMW Z3 Coupé, a VW Scirocco II or a super rare VW Brasilia.
Some of the youngsters found a new owner on the very first day, with the seller of a Mercedes-Benz 500E sticking a "sold" on the windshield on Friday afternoon and the Renault 5 Alpine also passing into new hands on Day 1.
Original and different
Anyone looking for originality was in for a treat in Bremen, as a number of original vehicles were presented that had hardly been touched, such as an Adler cab from Berlin or a Lloyd.
But fans of restomods or "shabby chic" also got their money's worth. There were also some racing cars to admire, for example at the FHR stand, and cars under construction.
Beautiful, interesting club world
Once again, the clubs provided many highlights and once again came up with some great ideas.
It was not only interesting to look at, but also informative. There was plenty to learn about Lloyd's platform strategy and a number of anniversaries to celebrate, such as the 50th birthday of the Citroën GS and SM models or the 65th birthday of the Triumph TR3.
The Isetta Club presented a whole selection of puffballs, while the DAF friends were almost able to help repair a wounded vehicle.
Special appearances
One major appearance should be mentioned in particular, that of the PS.Speicher museum.
Vehicles were presented at several locations, drawing attention to the opening of the museum's outdoor depots to the public, who now have access to perhaps the largest vehicle collection in the whole of Germany.
Moderate prices
The impression that the prices were set too high or even exorbitant was rarely given in Bremen. In any case, most of the cars were labeled with quite marketable euro amounts.
An MG TC could be had for just over EUR 30,000, a Corvette C2 "Spit Window", much sought after in the States, for EUR 79,900. A Golf Rallye was available for less than EUR 20,000, some 190 SLs were traded for five figures.
So nobody had to get excited in Bremen, and that's exactly how the atmosphere came across: Unagitated, relaxed and laid-back. That's how it should be!
If anything important has been forgotten in the coverage, we would be grateful for your comments. However, some interesting things may still be hidden in the picture gallery with over 230 images ...
