At the beginning of November, the 38th International Vintage Car and Motorcycle Show took place in the halls of Eurexpo on the outskirts of Lyon. On an area of 53,000 m2, around 600 exhibitors presented everything that delights the enthusiast's heart on small and large stands. The number of visitors was expected to exceed last year's figure of 55,000. The friendly weather was inviting.
In addition to the large Renault and Citroën stands, the special exhibitions 50 years of the Delahaye Club, Aston Martin, Autodiva, the Berliet Foundation and the Osenat auction house attracted a great deal of attention. The French collectors' and brand clubs as well as the museums displayed magnificent classics and rare individual pieces. Paintings, photos and sculptures by artists could be admired in the Village des Artistes.
There were countless stands with an almost unbelievable number of old and new spare parts and accessories for collectors' cars and motorcycles. It is no wonder that this exhibition, even more than the Rétromobile in Paris, attracts many "mechanics" and amateurs who restore or repair veteran and collector vehicles themselves.
Collectors of historical documents, magazines and books, advertising signs, records and pictures were all well catered for. Last but not least, the physical well-being of the many visitors was also well catered for. Restaurants, brasseries, bars and sandwich stands were within easy reach in all halls.
Large parking lots were available around the exhibition halls for the thousands of cars of visitors and exhibitors. The access routes, some of which were somewhat awkward, were monitored by security staff.
Of course, many Swiss visitors also came to Lyon in addition to the French visitors. The French Veteran Car Club Romand exhibited a beautiful Clement from the early days and an MG with compressor on its centrally located stand. Members and friends were invited to a much appreciated aperitif.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Delahaye Club, it occupied a large stand and was one of the outstanding attractions of the exhibition with over 25 vehicles from all eras. In addition to the veterans and commercial vehicles, the rows of magnificent touring and sports cars from the 1930s and 1940s were admired. Four cars were from Switzerland. The famous Saoutchik 135M convertible, which celebrated its première at the 1949 Paris Motor Show, accompanied its owner and the author to Lyon in a trailer.
Aston Martin also presented a large number of cars from the post-war period. From the DB1, which also comes from a Swiss collection, to the latest prototypes and two James Bond cars that had been specially sent from the factory, there was plenty of "British precious metal" to marvel at.
The Osenat auction took place on Sunday. Most of the vehicles were from the post-war period. An elegant Delahaye Cabriolet 135M by Chapron was offered at an astonishingly low price of 150-180,000 euros. Automobilia, sales catalogs, radiator mannequins, etc. were available for small exchanges.
Despite the sometimes heavy crowds and the thousands of visitors, who were well spread out, many smiling, friendly faces could be seen. For some, this large exhibition before the winter was a great experience, giving them the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with friends and colleagues. Lyon can be reached quickly and easily from Switzerland on the highway. We are also already looking forward to the 2018 exhibition.
Most exhibitors started packing up late on Sunday afternoon and traveled home with their treasures in the evening. On Monday morning, the halls were almost empty and so we were also able to load up the 2-ton Delahaye without hindrance and set off on our journey home to Switzerland.
