Once again, the Essen Motor Show 2019 not only featured exciting exhibits, but also offered many classic cars for sale. Visitors were also able to enjoy various movie cars. For most visitors, it will have been the first time that they were able to see a movie car up close. The Essen Motor Show is therefore not a trade fair that you simply visit. Rather, you experience it.
Tuning, motorsport and classic vehicles
Of course, even in its 52nd edition, the Essen Motor Show is not a typical classic car fair. The reporter, who visited the event back when it was still called the Jochen-Rindt-Show, is well aware of this. And yet the EMS has been presenting the classic vehicle segment alongside tuning and motorsport for 38 years now. In this respect, the mixture of classic cars, modern classics and new vehicles has actually always been present in the halls on Essen's Norbertstraße. And the "Classic and Prestige" salon has always been an oasis of calm in the midst of the otherwise rather loud and colorful hustle and bustle of the "deeper-broader-faster" community.
This year, the organizer had announced that 17,000 square meters would now be available for classic vehicles in Halls 1 and 2. This aroused curiosity, as this size corresponds to that of a smaller classic car fair. Well, at least Hall 2 was somewhat disappointing in this respect, as there were fewer classic cars here than expected, but there were a few of them in other halls. Nevertheless, there was no shortage of interesting exhibits and offers at EMS 2019.
Lots of movie cars and super sports cars
As always, in addition to the sale of classic vehicles, there were also club stands, accessories and special shows, such as movie cars that were obviously popular with the public.
But let's start with the "Super Sports Cars" special show. It was located around the "temple" of the organizer S.I.H.A. and was certainly one of the attractions of this year's Motor Show. An exclusive compilation of selected sports cars was presented. There was a classic Kremer Porsche 935 K as well as its modern counterpart, the Porsche 935 from 2019, and - in keeping with the film "Le Mans 66" currently being shown - three generations of Ford GT sports cars: starting with a GT 40 replica from 1969 (!) through the GT from 2003 to the GT 67 "Heritage Edition" from 2018.
Also on display were a BMW M1 Procar, a McLaren P1 and the CCX and Agera S models from Swedish manufacturer Koenigsegg.
A nose like a coffin
While the club segment was rather modestly represented overall, the Technik-Museum Sinsheim exhibited a mighty Cord 812 "coffin nose" from 1937 and a replica of the Bugatti T 41 Royale Coupé Napoléon made especially for the film "Rébus".
This gave visitors the opportunity to take in the dimensions of this huge car. The auction house RM Sotheby's whetted the appetite for the auctions announced for the spring with the invitingly open gullwing doors of a Mercedes 300 SL and a BMW 507.
Varying sales prices
As befits a classic car show, there were of course interesting offers of classic cars of German, Italian, British and US provenance, covering the entire range of price scales and states of preservation. Let's start at the top, i.e. in the segment in which the price is often asked. However, this custom is not mandatory, as the classic car department of tuning company Brabus proved. A Mercedes 300 SL Roadster for 1,890,000 euros and an MB 300 S Roadster (W 188) for 698,000 euros were on offer here.
If you wanted a smaller car, you could have found a patinated Mercedes 220 A Cabrio at another stand for less than a quarter of that price.
High price level for Brabus
Speaking of Brabus: there was also a Mercedes 500 E (W 124) on offer for 64,900 and another vendor had a Brabus-tuned SLK from the first R 170 series with a 6.5 l eight-cylinder engine. Once visitors had become accustomed to the price level of the Brabus classics, they were greeted right next door by a "low milage" car known from the trade press and also offered at this year's Retro Classics in Stuttgart: a brown Mercedes /8 with only 532 km on the clock, which had not yet found a new owner for 159,000 euros.
Fiat, Fiat, Fiat ... and De Soto
Among the Italian classic cars, a pre-war Fiat with 6 cylinders and a Touring body stood out. The stylistic affinity with the perhaps better-known Alfa Romeo 6 C 2500 S - also clad by Touring - was obvious; the vehicle was offered for 247,500 euros.
A rare, small Fiat Nardi 750 with bodywork by Vignale was also a pleasing sight. A Fiat Abarth 595 from 1968 also appeared attractive for €32,900. In the more affordable segment, there was a Fiat Panda 1000 CL convertible and an Ape with 3 seats and only 380.6 km on the clock, which cost €7970. US cars were also on offer: a rebuilt 1956 de Soto Sportsman Fireflite for just under 70,000 euros, various Corvettes and a Plymouth Prowler.
German cars also represented
Among the English cars, various MGs, a Morgan Plus 8 and even an Allard K 1 were on offer. The classic cars of German origin were also well represented, if not already mentioned: Several BMWs - including Z 8s - and plenty of Porsches as well as Mercedes models - including more recent ones - were up for grabs.
Of course, classic Volkswagens were also on offer. One Beetle was offered as a new car, another cost just under 10,000 euros and there was also a Spark Beetle in the typical orange paint of the time.
And at the stand of tuner and "PS professional" Sydney Hoffmann, there was a VW Bulli Type 1, freshly rally-tested and showing signs of wear and tear.
And if you still felt like it, you could take a look in Hall 1 A to see how classic cars are interpreted in the tuning and low rider scene. All in all, lovers of rolling cultural assets were able to find what they were looking for at this year's Essen Motor Show.
