Under the new name "Classic Car Show", the former Brussels "Interclassics" was relaunched after the corona break. Although the "no restrictions" label only referred to (no longer existing) pandemic restrictions, it was symptomatic of the event's relaxed atmosphere. Anyone arriving on the Belgian state railroad SNCB was put in a positive mood by a poster announcing that the time of masks was over and would be replaced by a smile. Good conditions for the trade fair, which was once again held in the impressive Art Deco buildings on the Expo site right next to the Atomium in the Belgian capital from November 18 to 20, 2022.
Three halls, two special shows
In three halls with around 40,000 square meters of exhibition space, visitors were presented with a broad spectrum of the classic car scene at a high level. In addition to classic cars, relevant books, model vehicles and art were also traded in Halls 5 to 7. There were also two special exhibitions again: "75 Years of Ferrari" in Hall 5 and "50 Years of BMW M" in Hall 6. Almost half of Hall 7 was reserved for the "BEHVA Village" and provided sufficient presentation space for classic car clubs and interest groups. The number of "modern" vehicles on display in Brussels was pleasantly limited.
Let's start a tour that cannot be complete in view of the variety on offer. The special show "75 years of Ferrari" was a cooperation with Autoworld Brussels and the Ecurie Francorchamps. Fortunately, there were only a few overlaps with the Ferrari anniversary exhibition at Autoworld Brussels just a few weeks earlier. On the contrary, it was deepened and supplemented. The exhibits ranged from the early Ferrari 166 Inter and 250 GT SWB models to the 365 GTB/4, 512 BB Competizione Stradale, 288 GTO, Testarossa, F40, F50 and Enzo Ferrari through to the modern 488 Challenge and Monza SP 2 models. However, not all of the vehicles were painted red. Those of the Ecurie Franchorchamps wore the Belgian racing color yellow. The special exhibition "50 years of BMW M" was somewhat smaller. Here, for example, the BMW 3.0 CSL Group 2, the BMW M1 as a Procar and road car, the BMW 528i Group A and the BMW M3 DTM from 1986 were shown.
Rare cars from Italy and England
But back to Ferrari once again. It was probably due to the anniversary of the brand with the Cavallino Rampante that the classic car trade offered a large number of Ferraris of all types and model years. However, other Italian car brands were also well represented, particularly in "Nobelhalle" 5. For example, an Alfa Romeo SZ, two Fiat Panda 4x4s, a Fiat Campagnola and a Siata Daina Grand Sport Barchetta were on sale. One of only ten Alfa Romeo 1900 C SS Ghia cars built in 1954 was also on offer, as was the rare Fiat 1100 TV Vignale, which is one year younger. The Fiat-Abarth 750 GT Zagato with its characteristic "double bubble" in the roof was certainly a particular eye-catcher.
Once again, British cars were comparatively well represented in Brussels. In addition to various high-priced Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, Jaguars and Aston Martins, a rare Jaguar XJS 4.0 Shooting Brake, a Healey Westland Roadster from 1948 and - more recently - an MG XPower SV-R with a V8 engine, of which only 25 were built, stood out. The presentation of the new roadsters from Caterham was not really classic, but nevertheless fitting.
Many youngtimers, few pre-war
Of course, there were also vehicles from German brands on offer. One of the cheapest was a Porsche 914/4 from 1972 for 28,500 euros. A Golf GTI from 1990 would have been available for just over half the price of the 914. At the other end of the scale were, of course, various Porsche 911s. The blue and white brand was also well represented. From small cars such as the Isetta and BMW 700 to some mid-range models, the range extended to the 3.0 CSL, Z8 and M1. From Mercedes-Benz, there were the typical convertibles and coupés from various model series right up to the 300 SL gullwing, but some vehicles from the 123 series were also on offer. Entry into the world of the stars started at just under €10,000 for an SLK 200 of the R170 model. The vehicle that was far too young in this context, but probably the most powerful, was a Mercedes-Benz X-Class from 2020 with three axles.
In addition to various Peugeots and Citroëns, the cars of French provenance also included a Matra 530 LX from 1971, a Simca 1200 S from 1968 and a Renault 8 Gordini. An undervalued youngtimer with classic potential stood somewhat on the sidelines: a Renault Avantime from 2001, which was available for just under 15,000 euros.
The range of pre-war classics was rather small. In addition to a Bugatti Type 46 from 1930, there was a Cadillac 431 Convertible, an Auburn Phaeton, a Delage D.6.75 Cabriolet from Chapron and a C 17 Torpedo from the short-lived French company Donnet from 1929. However, the mighty Lancia Astura Cabriolet from 1936 with Pinin-Farina bodywork was particularly impressive.
Low mileage for a lot of money
However, there were not only vehicles in the high-price segment. If you wanted to spend less than 30,000 euros, you could have chosen between an Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300 Nuova from 1975 for 13,990 euros, a Lotus Europa from 1972 for 24,990 euros, a Porsche 968 Cabrio for 21,500 euros or a Peugeot 205 GL for 8900 euros. The latter had only 44,000 kilometers on the clock.
Lovers of "low mileage cars" once again got their money's worth at this year's Classic Car Show, assuming that the low mileage was comprehensible. The offerings ranged from a first-hand Opel Kadett B with 30,622 km to a Citroën ID 19 from 1966 with 39,000 km for 85,900 euros to a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL from 1993 with just 8500 km for 89,900 euros.
Anyone interested in cars from prominent previous owners could also find what they were looking for. For example, a black Ferrari 400i was on offer, whose first owner is said to have been actor Rock Hudson. And a 1954 Bristol 404 from the fleet of King Hussein of Jordan was also on offer. Actor Hans Albers would probably have been delighted with a mighty 1953 Cadillac Eldorado on offer.
Clubs with beautiful stands
There were other highlights too, such as the presentation of three Honda S 800s and the varied "Art Area", which cannot be expanded on here. In the "BEHVA Village" ("Belgian Historic Vehicle Association") in Hall 7, which was unfortunately only suboptimally lit, automobile clubs and interest groups had the opportunity to present their field of activity. The reporter would like to mention just two stands as examples. The Vlaamse Vehikel Klub VZW showed a TE 2800 from 1973, an Opel Manta A modified by the Belgian company Transeurop-Engineering, which was not allowed to bear the Opel name, but had the six-cylinder 2.8-liter engine from the Commodore GS implanted under its curved hood.
The Belgian Peugeot Club had put a lot of effort into the decoration, having lovingly recreated a contemporary ambience to mark the 90th anniversary of the Type 301.
With this year's Classic Motor Show Brussels, the organizer has once again succeeded in putting on a versatile and high-quality event after the corona break. As a result, the numerous visitors and vendors should have gotten their money's worth. Just a few hours after the opening, some exhibits were adorned with a sign with the words: "sold", "vendu", "verkocht" or - particularly charming - "Félicitations à son noveau propriétaire" (congratulations to the new owner). Let's hope that he will take unlimited pleasure in his new acquisition.
