For once, the automobile once again took center stage in Germany on 30 August to 1 September 2019. Against all the cheating in the combustion chambers and the political electric madness, hundreds of dream cars were once again on display in Schwetzingen Palace Park.
Loyal visitors
What began in 2001 in Schwetzingen as the first pure Concours d`Elegance Automobile with an international jury in a German palace park has since developed into the "trademark of Schwetzingen" in the classic car scene.
Some participants have taken part more than 10 times. Since then, over 250,000 visitors have been able to admire more than 2500 classic cars from all decades (from 1890 onwards) from all over the world at 14 events to date.
Small cars at the center of
The diversity of the 15th Automobile-Concours d`Elégance Classic-Gala Schwetzingen once again covered the most important model years and a spectrum from petit bourgeois to royal.
Thanks to the commitment of well-known small car collectors, the small car category featured international automobiles from the economic miracle era, some of which had never before been seen in public in Germany.
The Norsjö Shopper, for example, is almost a shopping cart in disguise, while the Felder Autoroller with just 9 hp invites its occupants to enter through gullwing doors.
From small car to luxury GT
Many a microcar manufacturer managed to establish a serious automobile production in the post-war period - such as the Bavarian agricultural machinery inventor Hans Glas, who developed everything from the Goggo scooter to the "Glaserati" 2600 V8.
Thanks to the huge success of the Goggomobil, Hans Glas also had the means to build larger cars such as the Isar 600, the 1004 to 1304TS series and finally, with Frua's design, the sporty coupés 1300 and 1700 GT, including the corresponding saloon.
The crowning glory of the program in 1966 was the V8 in the chic 2600 GT coupé, which the press soon dubbed the "Glaserati" due to its sporty shape. The history of the Glas company ended in 1968 with its sale to BMW.
Stately contrasting program
There were three very special state cars on the palace terrace. One was the Bugatti Type 46 from 1932, also known as the "Petit Royale", which was only built once.
Then there was the Rolls-Royce Phantom 1 Landaulet from 1928, both vehicles featuring an open Landau body above the chauffeurs.
The third in the group was the four-door Maybach State Cabriolet from 1939, which has half a Zeppelin engine as a six-cylinder under the hood.
The transition to modernity was represented by a Mercedes-Benz 600, which was so expensive at around DM 70,000 in 1963 that the German government still rents these representative cars from Mercedes today.
Bentley as an honorary brand 2019
The end of the First World War led to a large number of industrial companies being founded in the metal industry in 1919, including Citroën, Alvis and, above all, Bentley in the London district of Cricklewood, where Walter Owen Bentley had previously operated a dealership for the French car manufacturer DFP with his brother under the name Bentley & Bentley.
Bentley was a passionate racing driver. The Bentley brothers sold numerous vehicles with elegant touring bodies that were comparable in quality to Daimler and Rolls-Royce and gave rise to the term "gentlemen's sportscars".
As early as 1925, the financier Woolf Barnato managed the company, which was then taken over by Rolls-Royce in 1931 and by the Volkswagen Group at the end of the 20th century.
First time with rally
Around 50 participants combined their weekend in the castle gardens in Baden with a rally. Using a logbook sheet, a route had to be followed according to the letter sequence "ASC-CLASSIC-GALA-STERNFAHRT" and the letters searched for had to be documented somehow in their order - a fun journey that explained the route as the destination.
Many prize winners
In high temperatures, the trophies were awarded in the beautiful but dusty castle park.
It would go too far to list all of the approximately 100 award-winning cars, so please refer to the attached list. However, a few deserve to be highlighted:
First and foremost the Classic Gala prize winner, the Horch 853 A. A car in its original condition with a logbook in which all journeys are recorded with mileage and passengers.
Best of Show was the Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 MM Cabriolet Hermann from 1939, which made it onto the stage under its own power, while the racing version "SS" was transported on the trailer behind a tail fin.
The Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio (2nd place Best of Show) came from Basel to Schwetzingen on its own wheels. Hats off, after all, it was over 200 kilometers of freeway with sometimes heavy traffic.
The Aston Martin Lagonda S2 was the third in the Best of Show group. It probably looks better and more functional today than it did when it rolled out of the factory halls.
But an '82 Mexico Beetle also won a trophy. Its proud owner thanked his late grandfather several times, looking up to the sky, for guiding him to his dream car.
And the Americans
The Americans should not be forgotten, who as always showed an impressive armada of large-volume cars in their area.
Among other things, the large tail fins of the beautiful Cadillacs from the late 1950s were impressive.
The special show of the Chevrolet Corvair, which was presented in various versions, should also not be forgotten.
Great atmosphere
Johannes Hübner has once again succeeded in creating a magical atmosphere in the castle garden.
Beautiful cars and plenty of space made the visit a pleasure and you can understand why many enthusiasts come back every year.
A request to our readers and the connoisseurs among them: If we have labeled a vehicle incorrectly or incompletely, we would be happy to receive corrections.
If you would like to see the humorous and artistic side of the Classic Gala Schwetzingen, we recommend you take a look at the picture story that was published a week ago .
