It almost seems as if there are too many anniversaries to celebrate in 2019: 100 years of Citroën, 100 years of Bentley, 100 years of Alvis, 60 years of Mini, and so on. It is not easy to do justice to everything, not even for the Fribourg classic car and parts market on the language border in Switzerland.
But even if support from the manufacturers was a long time coming, those involved pulled out all the stops and what was on show was certainly worth a visit to the Üechtland.
100 years of Citroën
The main attraction was certainly the special show at the back of Hall 1 to celebrate Citroën's 100th birthday. From the early Type A, which established Citroën as a manufacturer, to the comparatively modern C6, there was an interesting selection of cars from the oeuvre of the company with the two angles (symbolized gearwheels).
The highlights were certainly the Kégresse from 1923 with caterpillars and the 2 CV Sahara with the two engines. But the Légère, DS, SM and GS Birotor models also delighted fans of the French car brand.
Street lamps and elaborate explanations, as well as films and a bistro created a French atmosphere and provided information.
100 years of Bentley and Alvis
On the upper floor, there were several birthdays to celebrate as part of the club show, such as 100 years of Bentley and many years of Alvis.
The latter brand in particular has been one of the forgotten manufacturers for decades, so it's all the nicer to be reminded of it once again in light of the anniversary.
60 years of Mini was also celebrated with several variants of the smart small car; the Mini Moke was on display one floor below and would have fitted in well with the line-up.
The AMC show
The line-up celebrating 40 years of AMC Switzerland was also something very special. The American Motors Corporation built some pretty bizarre vehicles in the 1970s, including the chubby AMC Pacer and the truncated AMC Gremlin.
There was a model of both on site, supplemented by a Pacer station wagon and an AMC Eagle. It was a feast for the eyes!
Lancia Fulvia in the spotlight
The Lancia Fulvia coupé is more of a classic body design. Auto Bordin had rounded up a considerable number of these elegant vehicles with the suffix "HF" and the stand and the vehicle line-up were impressive.
As is well known, the first coupés for the Fulvia were built as early as 1965, and in 1969, 50 years ago, the 1.6 HF version came into the spotlight. Rally victories followed rally victories and the graceful coupé with the unorthodox V4 engine also found many fans on the road.
100 years of the Swiss Carrosserie Association
The Swiss Car Register dedicated its stand on March 23 and 24, 2019 to the 100th anniversary of the Swiss Carrosserie Association.
On display were a Jaguar XK 120 with Beutler bodywork, a Sbarro BMW 328 Replica, an Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 with Langenthal bodywork and the Rapid small car.
Imaginative club stands
The club stands also had plenty to offer outside of the major anniversaries, such as an ambulance at Zastava and a VW bus "dans son jus" at Volkswagen Friends.
Motorcycle enthusiasts also got their money's worth, for example at the Condor military motorcycle compilation or at various interesting exhibits on various stands.
Rarities at the vehicle market
Of course, those who wanted to buy were also catered for. The range of vehicles on offer was probably even larger than in previous years. Whether Chrysler Valiant, Audi RS2, Lancia A110 Abarth 70 HP or a rare Fiat 1500 Vignale Coupé, there was no lack of variety.
The prices were mostly in earthly regions and one or the other collector's item is sure to have found a new owner or at least a serious buyer.
Classics on the doorstep
Thanks to the beautiful weather - the sun shone practically uninterrupted on both days - there was also a lot of hustle and bustle outside the halls and the classic car visitor parking lot presented an interesting picture.
Some outdoor stand owners even dispensed with a tent roof and offered their goods in the open air.
Socializing and good conversations
Once again, however, the OTM Fribourg was probably the main reason for many get-togethers with old friends. A chat here, a chat there, the day passed quickly and some simply ran out of time in the evening.
Official figures on visitor numbers have not yet been reported, but it can be assumed that the number of visitors was similar to last year, and Sunday was perhaps even better. Retailers and stand owners were not euphoric, but were satisfied, especially as the trade fair management had worked harder than in other years to satisfy the exhibitors.
