Leipzig residents may forgive the title. But it already indicates that the following is about a wide range of products. We are talking about the 29th edition of the classic car fair in Maastricht. It is traditionally the first classic car show of the year, has been called the "Classic Car Show" for some time now and is the model for the successful pre-Christmas offshoot in Brussels. As it is only half an hour's drive from Aachen, it is not only attractive for visitors and exhibitors from the Benelux countries, but also from Germany.
120 years of Ford Performance
Let's leave aside the 60 racing simulators of the "SIM Formula" competition in the Forum Passage and go straight to the trade fair, which once again showcased over 800 classic cars in two halls covering 35,000 square meters, flanked by the typical accompanying trade in model cars, books and parts
This year's special show focused on "Ford Performance" and showcased 120 years of the American company's racing and rally history with 24 exhibits. The oldest vehicle on display was the Quadricycle built by the company founder himself in 1896. The series continued with early sporty T-models, the "Golden Deuce" - a Ford V-8 Coupe from 1932 -, the legendary GT 40, the Capri and Mustang models along with several racing cars and the Ford GT Liquid Carbon from 2021. In addition to this special show, the exhibitor "PreWarCar" contributed a Ford "Ballard Special" to its stand. This is a racing car from 1929, which has an in-line eight-cylinder engine made up of two four-cylinder Ford A engines.
This year's range of classic cars on offer was once again diverse and wide-ranging. Of course, there were vehicles from Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, but as always in Maastricht, Italian, English, American and French brands were also well represented. Even a DAF 66 and various Volvos were not missing. Cars from the BMW brand seemed to be strongly represented this time, including the Z models: the offer ranged from the Z1 to the Z3 to the Z8. Two BMW 503s were also on offer.
The range of Porsche 924 and 944 models also appeared to be plentiful, while Mercedes-Benz tended to offer more recent models, such as a 500 E from the W 124 series. Pre-war vehicles were also on offer, as well as some Japanese cars, such as a Toyota Celica (TA 22) or a Honda NSX (NA1).
Many stationary vehicles
Perhaps this is just the reporter's perception, but such an accumulation of vehicles with very low mileages - assuming they can be traced - as at the Classic Car Show Maastricht is unlikely to be seen again. Here are a few examples: A Maserati Quattroporte GTS from 2016 probably had the lowest mileage - just 280 km. It is hardly surprising that exquisite collector's cars such as a 1964 Ferrari 500 Superfast have only covered 32,000 km or a Ferrari F40 just 18,000 km.
But there was also a Mercedes-Benz CLK 200 Cabriolet with just 17,000 km on the clock and a CLS 500 with 33,000 km on the clock. There was also a BMW Z1 with just 11,000 km and two BMW Z3s with 10,000 km and 49,000 km respectively, and the aforementioned Honda NSX had just 34,000 km on the clock. A Mercedes 300 TD Turbodiesel from 1980, which had already clocked up 351,047 km and cost €22,900, represented the opposite pole, so to speak.
Let's take a look at the vehicles that are rarely offered. This doesn't just mean the Pegaso Z-102 Berlinetta, which was recently on show at the Classic Car Show Brussels. Here in Maastricht, the car impressed the jury, who voted it the "Best Car of the Forties & Fifties".
But let's move on to other rarities. When is one of only 67 Volvo Sport P 1900s built (with a body from Glasspar, USA) ever offered and when is the MG ZT 260 SE sedan with the eight-cylinder engine from the Ford Mustang? The MG RV8 is also rarely seen at motor shows, which is certainly also true of a Citroën Méhari with all-wheel drive. Well, all these vehicles were on offer in Maastricht.
Bread, butter and caviar
The range of bread-and-butter cars on offer was also interesting: a Renault 25 with very low mileage, which has now disappeared from the roads, was on offer, as was a rather inconspicuous, dark green Audi 80 with 59,000 km for 6500 euros.
Of course, there were a number of vehicles in the highest price category on offer, such as a Lancia Aurelia Spider (1955) for €825,000. Anyone looking for a Facel Vega in Maastricht would also have found one. The author found an elegant Fiat 1900 Coupé Granluce worth mentioning, which could certainly be seen alongside the numerous Lancias, Ferraris etc.
Anyone with a budget of up to around €25,000 looking for a classic or modern classic car would have come across some interesting offers in Maastricht. For example, a Peugeot 403 from 1959 was on offer for 8700 €, an MG TF (2005) was to cost 9500 €, a thousand less than the aforementioned DAF 66. In the price range around 16,000 €, you could have chosen between a Peugeot 302 from the Art Deco era (1938) for 16,700 € or a Peugeot 505 (1980) for 14,800 €, unless you opted for a Fiat 500 Giardiniera for 17,500 €.
The aforementioned MG ZT 260 was on offer for just under €20,000 and for around €24,000 you could have chosen between a fully equipped Jaguar XJ from 1995 for €23,900 or a Mercedes-Benz CLS 500 that was ten years younger for €24,500. However, it would be interesting to find out whether the Volkswagen T1 "Sambabus" with 23 windows offered for a rather ambitious €149,950 actually found a buyer for this price.
Prize winners
Once again this year, prizes were awarded in ten categories. Here are a few of the winners: The light blue Simca 1000 (1965) from the Simca Automobiel Club won in the "Best Club Car" category. The "Best Preserved Car" prize went to the light blue Citroën Ami 6 (1963). The Pegaso Z-102, the most beautiful car of the 1940s and 1950s, has already been mentioned above. The dark Ferrari 500 Superfast was awarded "Best Car of the Sixties", and the title "Best of Show" went to the Isotta Fraschini Model 8-A Torpedo with bodywork by Castagna (1930).
The 29th Classic Car Show Maastricht was once again characterized by an international flair. It almost goes without saying that this trade fair showcased classic automobiles of the highest quality. It is therefore not surprising that a new visitor record was once again set with 35,408 visitors.
