For the 18th time, friends of old sheet metal gathered in Schwetzingen Palace Park to select the most beautiful and elegant, the best preserved and the most original. And once again, the organizing team under Johannes Hübner was able to put together a show of superlatives.
The undisputed highlight were the Röhr automobiles, which were lined up right at the entrance.
14 x Röhr
Röhr Auto AG was founded on February 10, 1926, 500,000 Reichsmarks were invested and Hans Gustav Röhr was able to realize his dream of building a modern and powerful car under his own name. An eight-cylinder car was quickly developed and the first Röhr 8/40 PS cars were already on the streets of Ober-Ramstadt in 1927. With independent wheel suspensions, a low-bed box frame and gear steering, the company offered innovative technology and the eight-cylinder engine ensured prestige.
The press reacted positively, and an appearance at the IAMA in Berlin in November 1928 ensured a good influx of orders. New models were developed, but the economic crisis made things difficult for the small company. Röhr came into Swiss ownership, was now called Neue Röhr Werke AG and soon presented another new model, which was developed with the help of the Porsche design office in Stuttgart. The RA already had 75 hp and the coachbuilders did their bit to make people look up to Röhr. Perhaps the most famous eight-cylinder is Autenrieth's streamlined saloon from 1932.
Because luxury cars alone were not enough to keep the company afloat, the company took over the license to build the Type 75 from Tatra. Of course, the car was first improved and then marketed as the Röhr Junior. Business with the small four-cylinder car with boxer engine was good, but the expensive models sold less successfully. The FK 13/75/100 hp Olympier model, which was positioned as an absolute luxury car with the help of Porsche, was also able to do so. Just four examples were sold, then Röhr came to an end in 1935, with the last Junior leaving the Ober-Ramstadt factory on March 9, 1935.
Today, 30 of the 4000 Röhrs built are still in existence, some of them in a wretched state.
The fact that you can marvel at 14 of these cars in one place is almost a miracle, thanks to the Classic Gala.
Six Röhr Juniors in various versions and eight Röhr 8s, representing almost the entire spectrum of luxury car production, impressed visitors to the Concours. Even in Pebble Beach, this is as good as it gets.
110 years of Bertone
Röhr was not the only special topic in Schwetzingen. The 110th anniversary of Bertone was also celebrated and an interesting cross-section of vehicles designed or built by Bertone was brought together.
Of course, perhaps the most famous Bertone design, the Lamborghini Miura, was not to be missed. But the Alfa Romeo Montreal, the GTV (also called Bertone!), the Lancia Stratos, the BMW 3200 CS and the Fiat Dino Coupé also made an appearance.
There were also cars from Bertone's history that hardly anyone knows, such as the Gordon Keeble or the Fiat 850 Visitor Bus, which was used to drive important visitors around the Fiat plant.
120 years of Cadillac
Cadillac is looking back on 120 years of company history in 2022 and this was of course celebrated accordingly as part of the US Classic Car Concours.
Two of the famous pre-war V16 cars were on site, as well as the 1904 Runabout, one of the US manufacturer's first cars.
Of course, the large luxury limousines of the fifties and sixties with their fins and panoramic windows were not missing either. And the spectrum of prize contenders extended all the way to the 1991 Allanté.
Rarities and special features in every corner
The special thing about the Classic Gala is not only the impressive special shows, but also the countless special cars that are parked somewhere in the park and are not immediately noticeable at first glance.
In September 2022, for example, these included the Glas M61 prototype from 1961, which was designed as a successor to the Goggomobil but did not make it into series production. Instead, it was used as a normal car until 1981 and only then deregistered.
Or the Kaiserauto 501 from 1935, which was built by an aircraft designer in the style of the Zeppelin flying objects and powered by an NSU motorcycle engine. The vehicle, which is somewhat reminiscent of a cannonball, ran at a whopping 100 km/h.
A few steps further on, we came across a round vehicle labeled Maier Leichtbau from 1935. Originally, a DKW engine did its duty in the aerodynamically ingenious and self-supporting light metal body. This engine was later replaced by a VW power unit. Now the long-established car is back on the road and you can only admire its innovative refinements such as a height-adjustable chassis or a headlight that swivels into the bend.
The Lamborghini Miura P400 on display was certainly a special feature. The special thing here was that this Miura had obviously been painted in a wide variety of colors over the course of its life. Instead of simply sanding everything down and going back to the original color (blood orange), the owner decided to show the different layers of paint. A paint job could hardly be less striking.
The sports car future of the fifties
Of course, the super classics were not missing either; the sports cars of the fifties even had their own class.
On display were a BMW 507 and a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, along with other elegant models from the same era.
The 1953 Ford Comète would also have fitted perfectly into this group, but it was a little further forward.
Important club and manufacturer contributions
The contributions made by various clubs in Schwetzingen cannot be overestimated. The manufacturers were also represented at certain points. Mercedes-Benz certainly stood out here.
The S-Class was celebrated and the record-breaking SSKL was on display. And they even started the engine, which created a pretty impressive background noise.
After the rain came the sun ...
Weather-wise, the 18th Classic Gala was not quite ideal. Especially on Saturday it poured down quite heavily. But by midday the sun was shining on Saturday and the raindrops created their very own charm on the paintwork and chrome surfaces.
Those who got tired of walking around could enjoy refreshments at the many stands and chat with colleagues.
... and on Sunday the winners were honored
After the large-scale jury had done its work, the winners emerged, who were then presented on Sunday afternoon.
The Best of Show Classic-Gala Schwetzingen 2022 went to the Rolls-Royce Phantom I Hooper Tourer from 1928. Second place went to the Bugatti 57 Stelvio Cabriolet from 1934. Third place went to the 1953 Ford V8 Cométe.
The Classic-Gala Grand Prix 2022 was won by the Lagonda V12 DHC from 1939, with the Mercedes-Benz 500 K Cabriolet B from 1934 in second place and the Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 from 1929 in third.
The Star of Classic-Gala Schwetzingen 2022 was awarded to the Cadillac 4335 V16 Phaeton from 1930.
The State Prize of Baden Württemberg 2022 was awarded to the 1932 HIspano-Suiza H6B Spohn.
The Cadillac 4335 V16 Phaeton from 1930 also received the Best of Show of the US Classic Car Concours.
At the Röhr special show, the Röhr 8 Type F streamlined saloon Autenrieth from 1932 took first prize, followed by the Rohr RA8 Monobloc Aerable and the Röhr limousine coupé Autenrieth 1935.
The 120 Cadillac 120 Jubilee Trophy was awarded to the 1941 Cadillac 62 Convertible.
And in the Trofeo 110 Years of Bertone, the Mazda MX81 Bertone from 1981 took first prize, followed by the Gordon Keeble and the Fiat 850 Visitor bus.
