It's not really news that the best way to bridge the winter waiting time for the upcoming classic car season is in a cozy, warm exhibition hall. The only thing that is new every time is how quickly the date approaches - and that you can hardly wait anyway. After Maastricht two weeks earlier, the Bremen Classic Motorshow opened the 2025 classic car season in German-speaking countries from January 31 to February 2.
The BCM has long been known beyond the borders: The traditional show, which has been held in the exhibition halls in the center of the Hanseatic city since 2003, also attracts exhibitors and visitors from the Netherlands, Scandinavia, England and several other regions - southern German dialects are increasingly heard in the far north of the Federal Republic.
Incidentally, project manager Frank Ruge emphasizes that Bremen is not just a sales fair: "Our aim is for visitors to have a great day and go home with a good feeling." And that's why the BCM is also known for its wonderful special exhibitions, which have a different theme every year. In 2025, it was: "From turbo to tradition - Japan's sports car icons".
These were by no means 14 randomly thrown together exhibits, but rarities steeped in history. In addition to the Toyota 2000 GT from 1967, which was only built 351 times, the original 2001 Paris-Dakar winning car of Jutta Kleinschmidt and co-driver Andi Schulz was on display: a Mitsubishi Pajero 3.5 V6 GDI in race trim.
No less exciting is the Toyota Celica Turbo, which is particularly successful in rallies on the African continent. Björn Waldegård won the 1986 Côte d'Ivoire Rally with this very model, which was shown in Bremen and built by TTE in Cologne in 1985.
Another special show was dedicated to the topic of "Modern Classics". The joint stand was organized by BCM, Classic Data and Nordstern Classic GmbH. What the exhibited vehicles had in common was that they all had rear wings or really large rear spoilers.
However, two-wheeler fans also traditionally get their money's worth in Bremen. For the Motorcycle Hall, expert Andy Schwietzer curated a special exhibition comprising 24 exhibits set in the exciting 1980s, when many of the BCM pilgrims were in their prime. Title: "Technology meets design".
Frank Ruge proved that he is a doer and a man of ideas with a very special campaign: the "Classic Youngsters". Contrary to popular belief among the older generation, young people are definitely enthusiastic about the rusty hobby. "We are actually seeing a huge amount of interest from young people when it comes to cool old cars," says the project manager of the Bremen Classic Motorshow. "You just have to listen to them, get them involved. And ultimately just let them do it."
And Ruge means that literally: he gives them a stage in the middle of the trade fair. In the central Hall 4, the participants used their own 200-square-metre stand to work on a Mercedes-Benz W124 saloon and take the opportunity to make other young people aware of their passion. Today, this no longer works so much through club memberships, but rather through social media contacts, spontaneous meetings or virtual communities. Or with the help of a dedicated platform at the Bremen trade fair.
Of course, the traditional club scene is also strongly represented in Bremen. From the Alfaclub to the Z-Stammtisch, the trade fair provides them with inexpensive space for their imaginative stands, which are just as busy as the special shows.
What also makes the BCM extremely attractive is the vehicle exchange in the parking garage, where primarily private individuals can present their classic cars at a reasonable price without having to book their own stand. The advantage: the vehicles are kept cool but dry. In addition to the usual suspects - with a clear focus on Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen classics again in 2025 - there will, as always, be surprises, exotics and a handful of real bargains in the multi-storey parking lot.
But the Bremen Classic Motorshow is also rather down-to-earth in terms of what is on offer. Vehicles in the six-figure price range are rare, and seven-figure vehicles are the absolute exception.
The visitor numbers prove that the formula works - there have never been more guests at the show. For the third year in a row, the Bremen Classic Motorshow has maintained its numbers at the highest level with 46,713 visitors (2024: 45,740, 2023: 46,407).
