In addition to the established German trade fair giants in Essen, Stuttgart and Bremen, Berlin is now also presenting a journey back in time to past classic car decades. The timing of "Motorworld Classics" (first event from October 8 to 11, 2015) is well chosen, as it fits in well with its competitors, which take place in spring and winter. This shortens the long wait for all those hungry for a trade fair and also offers a thoroughly sensible addition for the German scene as a whole in terms of location.
The venue on the Berlin exhibition grounds around the radio tower and within sight of the historic Avus racetrack is well chosen and offers potential.
Launched on a grand scale
Eight exhibition halls and the outdoor area were filled with vintage and classic cars. The organizer spoke of sold-out areas, 200 exhibitors and over 700 classic vehicles that could be admired by the more than 20,000 trade and public visitors. Whether there were really that many visitors can hardly be verified, but the "traffic" on Thursday seemed to be quite thin and there were hardly any crowds on the other days either. The large political rally on Saturday, which made it impossible for many interested people to get to the exhibition halls, probably helped, or rather hurt.
But those who did manage to get there had plenty to see, as the trade fair was well organized and lovingly put together.
Separate hall for Mercedes-Benz
A separate exhibition hall was dedicated to the Mercedes-Benz brand. In addition to older pre-war classics, the Stuttgart-based car manufacturer also exhibited rare youngtimers such as the W124 E60 AMG, which was only built in small numbers.
Special show East-West
Later in the trade fair, the special show "Classics of Unity" reminded history buffs of the German reunification period. Numerous information boards documented the events in words and pictures. However, the main focus was on the numerous car models from East and West in comparison, such as the Wartburg Melkus versus the BMW M1 in the "sports car" category.
Celebrities on site
Among the prominent faces at the trade fair were racing legends such as Hans Herrmann and artists such as racing photographer Rainer W. Schlegelmilch, who presented an impressive selection of photos of his work in his own exhibition.
Eberhard Mahle and other racing legends were also on site.
Trading is allowed
The organizers of Motorworld Classics place a central focus on the vintage and classic car market. In addition to boutiques, parts and accessories dealers, the focus was on the sale of classic vehicles.
Renowned dealers and restoration companies, as well as many private vehicles for sale, were presented in and around the exhibition halls. In addition to this offer, the auction house Auctionata put 39 classic vehicles up for auction.
The results will be reported in a separate article.
New edition already planned
There will be another Motorworld Classics Berlin next year, planned for October 6 to 9.
