New classic car fairs with international appeal are not exactly born every week, so it was all the more interesting to see how the first Interclassics Brussels turned out on November 6-8, 2015. It was organized by the same people who are responsible for Interclassics Maastricht (already 22 editions) and their routine was palpable.
15,000 to 20,000 visitors had been expected, but whether this figure could be achieved will only be revealed by the final calculation. In any case, the exhibition in the large exhibition halls did not feel full on Friday. The trade fair still seemed a little raw, lacking a bit of "decoration" to conceal the high halls and make it a little more friendly.
There was no lack of beautiful cars, which is probably why most of the visitors came.
The history of Bugatti
As a special attraction, Interclassics Brussels featured a Bugatti exhibition with an announced 30 vehicles. One of these was the unique Bugatti 57 by James Brown, who clad a pre-war chassis with a futuristic plastic body in the early 1950s.
Also on display was the Type 57 "Aravis", one of two 57s with a D'Ieteren body, which was fitted by Ablert d'Ieteren. For fans of racing history, the Type 37, which Elisabeth Junek drove in the 1927 Targa Florio, was certainly a special treat.
It was a pity that these and the other Bugatti automobiles were presented in a somewhat cramped and fenced-in setting; some enthusiasts would certainly have liked to see the individual vehicles displayed more generously so that they could be inspected more closely.
60 years of Goddess
In October 1955, 60 years ago, the Citroën DS was shown for the first time in Paris. It hit like a bomb, no one had expected such a futuristic vehicle and the Citroën people recorded 12,000 orders on the very first day, a record that remains unbroken to this day. And even today, six decades later, the goddess, as the car was called, looks elegant and almost timeless. It is not without reason that the Citroën DS was named the most advanced technical innovation of the twentieth century in 2001.
Various models and variants were presented to the public in Brussels in their own themed pavilion. There was the normal saloon as well as the "Familiale" estate version or Chapron special bodies such as the Majesty or the Palm Beach convertible.
Fine vehicles at the dealers
The local dealers naturally used the trade fair to showcase their impressive capabilities. Marreyt Classics, for example, displayed unique vehicles, while HCS had a Mercees-Benz 290B Special Roaster and a Talbot Lago on its stand. One of two Moretti sports cars was on display at LBM, while BCSC presented a completely original Delahaye 135M.
Bonhams showed three cars from the Opus collection. Clubs presented their flagships and patiently explained to the public what the cars were all about.
The fact that Belgium is not a car nation was also evident from the fact that classic cars from all the major countries were on display.
Development potential available
The debut of Interclassics Brussels can certainly be described as a success. The potential was there to see, and there is certainly room for improvement.
So it will be interesting to see how the trade fair will present itself in a year's time.
