A classic car and parts market for the Zurich region was organized for the first time in 1978, when it was held in the VBZ workshops in Zurich-Altstetten. After 32 years, however, these premises were no longer available and, after a one-year break, the classic car fair welcomed its visitors to the Eulachhallen in Winterthur for the first time.
Another year later, the organizer changed and Pierino Keller took over the reins and began to breathe new life into the somewhat dormant event. The years from 2013 onwards were characterized by steady growth, and on 12 and 13 November 2016, both halls could be used for the first time, which meant much more spacious conditions.
Weather better than feared
You would think that events that take place in halls are hardly dependent on the weather, but this is not the case with classic car fairs. When the weather invites you to take another drive in your old car, many classic car owners take advantage of the trip to the fair, especially as Winterthur offers free parking for old cars in front of the halls.
Pierino Keller was correspondingly worried about the weather forecasts, which did not bode well. But things turned out much better than expected, with the sun even shining for long stretches on Saturday. Accordingly, many visitors arrived in classic cars, only the "Trunk Sale", i.e. the market on the parking lots from the trunk, probably suffered from the bad forecasts, after all, selling outside in bad weather is not very profitable.
The BMW of Max Heidegger
The main attraction in Hall 1 was the Heidegger special show. Max Heidegger opened a garage in Triesen (Principality of Liechtenstein) back in the summer of 1962. In addition to his work with Simca and Jaguar vehicles, he soon added a BMW dealership to his business. He became internationally known above all for his performance-enhanced engines and vehicles, such as the BMW 530 Heidegger, which, like Alpina vehicles, were wolves in sheep's clothing. Consequently, Heidegger also became the importer for Alpina-BMW vehicles in 1978.
In addition to selling and tuning road vehicles, Heidegger also established itself as a successful racing engine manufacturer. Countless Formula 2, Formula Super Vee, sports car and touring car engines left his workshop and ensured countless successes on racetracks around the world. Max Heidegger even built a Formula 1 engine in 1981. In 1992, he finally handed the business over to his sons.
Seven complete vehicles and several engines from his rich oeuvre were on display in Winterthur. The hot Group 5 BMW 320s made the eyes of visitors young and old light up, while the rather inconspicuous road vehicles were a particular delight for those nostalgic for technology (after all, the 1975 BMW 530 Heidegger produced 230 DIN hp at 6750 rpm and had a ZF five-speed gearbox).
Small cars, big cars
Once again, the smallest cars were the biggest for many visitors. Autohaus Eberhart Classic had dedicated its stand to small cars from the fifties and sixties. For example, there was a BMW 700, a BMW Isetta 300, a Vespa 400 Mobil and a Kleinschnittger F125 on display, while an NSU Wankel Spider also attracted a lot of attention.
However, much larger vehicles could also be admired elsewhere, such as VW bus variants from various model series, a majestic Rolls-Royce limousine or American cars.
A Swiss tradition - the Migros car
The Migros trolleys that roamed Switzerland decades ago as mobile retail outlets have almost been forgotten. That was a time when the store still came to the people instead of directing shoppers to the shopping center.
One of these mobile Migros stores from 1986 could be admired in Winterthur, completely decked out with Migros products. Some people were amazed at how cramped it was in the large lorry, as shopping had to be done in single file.
It's a shame that the products from back then weren't put on the shelves, as that would have been even more nostalgic.
Parts, books, etc. ...
As befits a classic car and parts market, there were of course also parts, books, magazines and accessories of all kinds for sale.
Strolling through the various market stalls, there were many a trouvaille to be discovered that you don't see every day. Or when was the last time you saw Jürg Dubler's Formula 3 memoirs in book form?
... and lots of good conversations ...
For many of the visitors, however, the focus was not on buying, but on camaraderie and conversations with people they had perhaps never met all year.
... with sausage and cake
And last but not least, nobody had to go hungry, as there was plenty of food on offer, including traditional sausages, sumptuous Black Forest cakes and all kinds of other treats, and of course there was also something to quench your thirst, for example at the friendly stand of the Traction Avant friends.
In Winterthur, the faces of the visitors were distinguished and satisfied, and the vendors were also positive and pleased about the many conversations they were able to have with potential customers. Goal achieved!
