Over 200,000 visitors flocked to the halls of the Essen Motor Show from November 28 to December 7, 2025. Around 500 exhibitors had gathered there - the specialized car trade was represented as well as clubs and companion trade. There was once again a drift arena and the "Tuning Experience" was not missing either. However, the 57th edition of the traditional trade fair also marked the end of an era. The "Classic and Prestige Salon" organized by SIHA took place for the 43rd and definitely last time. This event segment, located in Halls 1 and 2 and covering around 17,000 square meters, had always seen itself as a "trade fair within a trade fair" for visitors with an affinity for classic cars. Our walk through the exhibition halls will also focus on classic cars.
Around the SIHA pavilion in Hall 1, exhibits on the general theme of "GT Sports Cars" were on display, but a more accentuated concept would have been desirable here. The Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II and an Abt XGT were the modern protagonists of the theme, whereas a Fiat Abarth 700 Bialbero GT and a Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 represented the 1960s. Vehicles from Aston Martin, Bristol and a Porsche from the latest production were also on display. Most impressive from the reporter's point of view, however, was the beautifully shaped Fiat 8V.
This time, however, the SIHA pavilion was visually enhanced. A gate flanked by a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and a classic Porsche 911 pointed to the classic car trade fair in Dortmund, which SIHA is organizing for the first time next September as the "Techno Classica Salon", whereas the "Retro Classics" will already be taking place at the Essen exhibition grounds in April 2026. It will be interesting to see which concepts both trade fairs will pursue and how they will be accepted.
Twinkling stars
In recent years, the almost 600 square meter "Mercedes Fan World" stand in Hall 3 has increasingly developed into a major attraction and once again had specialties in store for visitors. Here are just three representative cars: The fascinating Maybach Exelero, which is now housed in the National Automobile Museum (Loh Collection), was prominently placed - but too closely fenced in. The car was once initiated by tire manufacturer Fulda and had already been shown at its stand in Essen years ago.
The Maybach 57 S from the Swiss company Sternthal, powered by a V12 biturbo engine, was also impressive.
Finally, Pogea's Project 107, an exclusive restomod based on a 1979 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL with modern AMG technology, was also remarkable.
During our tour of the trade fair, extremely wild foiling of the cars seemed to be on the retreat, whereas the color light blue was disproportionately represented this time.
Japanese cars have certainly finally arrived on the classic car scene.
Rare companions
The polarizing tuners of the 1980s and 1990s are still very much in vogue today. Companies such as SGS (Styling Garage) or Erich Schulz, known for his extreme Mercedes conversions, who returned to the Essen Motor Show this year with his own stand. In addition to a six-door Mercedes-Benz G-Model for falconry, the 190 E "Citycar" was certainly worthy of note. This shortened "Babybenz" (W201) with the rear end of the S 124 might also have fitted well into the Mercedes-Benz portfolio at the time. In any case, the car should be seen in the context of the series-built Opel Kadett C "City".
The JB Car Design stand, with its striking cages, once again featured Porsche 911s, which can be given a "backdate" to order.
There you could also find a mint condition Wiesmann GT in blue metallic, which was offered for €159,500.
However, some cars had been seen more often in Essen, such as the Allard K1, the yellow Artega GT or the Citroën C3 5 HP from 1923.
This was not even the oldest car with an internal combustion engine at the show, this was probably a Renault F10 from 1921.
Only the Detroit Electric, shown by Metropole, was even older. Overall, however, there were only a few pre-war cars to be found.
For sale
If you wanted to spend up to €20,000 at the Essen Motor Show, you could have chosen between a Citroën Ami Super for €10,000, a rare Fiat Panda 4x4 or an Adler Trumpf (around €17,500).
Around the €50,000 mark was a BMW Z1 for €48,900, which competed with a tuned Beetle with a 2.4-liter engine for €49,900.
One price category higher, there would have been a Dodge Viper for €63,800, a Mercedes-Benz E 500 for around a thousand more or the Renault Sport Spider, which had already been shown in Brussels two weeks earlier and was available for €69,000.
The price region around €100,000 also showed a mixed picture: Here, for example, there was a choice between a Mercedes-Benz 170 V Cabriolet for €108,000, a Mercedes-Benz 300 CE 3.4 AMG Cabriolet for €99,900, an Alfa Romeo Montreal for €98,900 or a Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2, which was on offer for €120,000.
A Subaru Impreza 228 STI for €299,000, a new Brabus 1000 All Grey for a rounded €569,000 or the Abt XGT mentioned above, for which €610,000 was being asked, for example, ranked in even higher price spheres.
PS tinkerer
Let's skip "Drift" Hall 4 and take a quick look around the other halls, starting with the "Tuning Experience" in Hall 5.
In addition to the green Chevrolet Corvette C8 from this year's exhibition poster, there were, as expected, numerous cars with air suspension, including classic cars. Sometimes non-brand engines were implanted in a familiar shell. For example, there was a Volkswagen Beetle with Tesla technology or a tuned Volkswagen engine had found its way into the shell of a Renault Dauphine Gordini.
Speaking of Renault: The conversion of a Renault Monaquatre from 1931 with an American 400 hp engine was certainly extreme.
A modified DKW Schnellaster (spelling at the time) with air suspension and a two-stroke engine from Wartburg was hardly inferior.
We found the Mercedes-Benz W 108 by Martin Szombierski remarkable. While you occasionally find replicas of the famous "red sow" from AMG at trade fairs, a "blue sow" was on display here as a tribute. The precisely constructed car was painted in the Mercedes color "china blue".
A Citroën CX equipped with fine materials and attractively painted could not be denied a distinguished appearance. It even had "suicide doors".
Its counterpart was found elsewhere in the EMS. Anyone who remembers the name of the "dirty" detective Horst Schimanksi from the TV series "Tatort" - played by Götz George - could discover his "company car", which was in need of some attention. A club from Duisburg is currently looking after the car.
The companies of tuner Jean Pierre Kraemer (JP Performance etc.) seemed to be omnipresent at the trade fair. On the main stand, tuned Nissans, a light blue Chevrolet Camaro SS and a Jaguar E-Type project that has been started were on display, naturally as a widebody version.
Two conversions of Porsche 911 models by Kraemer's former colleague Sidney Hoffmann were on display, including once again the Porsche 911 RWB "Furusato", which is otherwise on permanent display in the Loh Collection.
Résumé
Time for a résumé. The Essen Motor Show is a successful, permanent fixture in the trade fair landscape. Although it is aimed more at a younger audience, it was once again of interest to fans of historic cars this year. However, the event has changed considerably over the years. On the one hand, visitors can no longer find former excesses such as "pole girls" or body painting. On the other hand, the EMS has largely mutated into a tuning fair. The previously integrated "Classic and Prestige Salon", a small classic car fair at the end of the year, provided an attractive contrast. Next year will show whether classic car enthusiasts will still get their money's worth at the EMS.
