Motorworld Classics Berlin, which invited visitors to view and buy classic cars from October 5 to 8, 2017, was actually under a good star. An entire hall (number 11, on two levels) had been added and new exhibitors had been signed up. But then Xavier arrived and made the flags in front of the exhibition halls fly so strongly that a visit to the summer garden was not recommended on Thursday. Storm "Xavier" had northern Germany firmly in its grip and was probably responsible for the limited number of visitors on the first day.
However, this was compensated for on the other three days of the fair, so that the organizers were able to report a new visitor record of 28,500 trade and public visitors.
From the heart
There was already talk of "pure emotion" at the press conference and that the Berlin classic car fair comes from the heart. Visitors could really feel this everywhere, as everything was done to make them feel as if they had stepped back in time, from the trade fair staff dressed in historical costumes to the always appropriate musical interludes and the attractively presented stands.
But even better than stand construction and disguises, Heidi Hetzer, the sprightly globetrotter, summed up what makes the trade fair so special: "Motorclassics Berlin belongs right here, at the AVUS, because the abbreviation stands for "Automobil-Verkehrs- und Übungsstraße" and that's exactly what we do here. We test new concepts and practice getting young and old excited about classic cars and the automobile itself."
The fact that her "Hudo", the Hudson in which she circumnavigated the globe, was also on display in Berlin was of course a matter of honor.
Regional
With around 40,000 square meters (exact figures are not available), the Berlin trade fair is not one of the largest events of its kind, nor can it count on an international audience like the Rétromobile in Paris or the Techno Classica in Essen. It is a regional trade fair with a catchment area of over five million potential visitors.
Manageable
However, you can also get lost in the halls in Berlin, not because they are particularly large, but because they are linked by passageways and staircases. Anyone who understood the architecture could complete a tour d'horizon in around an hour, while a more detailed inspection of the stands and exhibits would take three to four hours.
With the additional hall, the range of exhibits had also been expanded and a strong focus had been placed on motorcycles, which were now used to break up the action in various places.
The IAA-Stuck-Elvis-BMW 507
BMW Classic had brought a very special exhibit to Berlin, the freshly restored BMW 507, which was once an exhibition vehicle at the IAA, was then used by Hans Stuck in hill climbs and finally became the property of Elvis.
Now it shone again in white paintwork as it did back then. Unlike other car manufacturers, BMW had an official stand and deliberately opted for the new trade fair standard, which has great potential.
The movie stars
Two automobile film stars, who could be seen at the Berlin trade fair, caused quite a stir. Two Dodge Charger R/T 440s were used for "Bullit" with Steve McQueen, and only one survived.
The powerful car was seen together with "Eleanor". This was the name Nicolas Cage gave his four-wheeled Achilles heel in the film "Gone in sixty seconds", which was a 1967 Shelby GT 500, but differed from the series with all kinds of modifications.
Three original movie cars were made at the time, followed by many replicas. But the original was on display in Berlin.
Michael Schumacher's racing car
A special exhibition was dedicated to Michael Schumacher and featured many collector's items from the life of the famous racing driver.
Highlights were of course the Mercedes C291 from 1991, the Benetton 194-5 from 1994 and the Mercedes-Benz F1 from 2010 (show car).
Attractive club stands
Although they mostly had to make do with the less well-lit halls, the clubs in particular once again offered plenty of variety and enthusiastically set up stands.
Whether it was the history of the NSU brand or Alfa Romeo vehicles, the VW Beetle or Karmann-Ghia or the elegant Citroën from France, the club stands always had something to offer.
The T3 IG recreated an entire police operation, while the Mercedes Veterans Club staged a wedding.
The activities of the clubs cannot be praised enough, knowing that people do all this in their free time and without compensation.
With Coys auction
With a new partner, Coys of Kensington, the Berlin fair was once again able to offer an auction.
The range of cars that Coys brought to Berlin was quite impressive and included many gems, such as the Renault-Alpine A108 from 1966 as a convertible or the Fiat 124 Vignale Coupè "Eveline", which is hardly known here, was built around 200 times and looks a bit like a shrunken Jensen Interceptor from the front.
Not just stationary cars
Like last year, the Berlin trade fair was also the start and finish of the ADAC Youngtimer Tour 2017, designed for younger participants and vehicles. On October 5, the ADAC was also able to announce a new rally concept called "ADAC Europa Classic", which focuses on car touring in the most beautiful areas of Europe. Similar to the former Trentino Classic, which will be replaced by the Europa Classic, a specific region will be selected and several day trips will be made with a central location as the starting point.
The region for 2018 has already been chosen: the canton of Ticino in Switzerland, with which the ADAC has already had good experience with the Moto Classic.
The trade fair program was supplemented by a series of events that brought well-known personalities from motor racing and automotive history to the stage, such as Norbert Haug, Hans Herrmann and Strietzel Stuck.
Berlin as a magnet
One or two celebrities could already be seen at the preview day on Thursday, such as Günther Jauch, who looked at the display with interest. But even he was able to stroll through the exhibition almost as unrecognized as the other people who were having a good time at the Berlin trade fair.
Whether people not only looked, but also bought, is another question. The exhibitors will now ask themselves this question and then decide whether they will participate again next year when the Motorworld Classics is held in Berlin from October 4 to 7, 2017.
