After being canceled last year, like so many of its peers, the St. Gallen Classic Car Fair took place again on October 24, 2021. The slightly reduced scope compared to the last edition was hardly noticeable, as the stands of vehicle, spare parts and automobilia dealers were more mixed this year, which made for a more varied walk through the two exhibition halls. Over 100 dealers had set up their stands. Unfortunately, exhibitors cancelled even in the last week, which did not make it easy for the organizing couple Hürlimann to prepare a substantial and exciting trade fair. Nevertheless, the result was convincing.
In order to be allowed to enjoy the tour at all, the approximately 5,500 visitors had to present a valid Covid certificate and ID card at the entrance, which the trade fair staff in St. Gallen managed to check far more quickly and in a more organized manner than their colleagues in Padua. Anyone who did not have a valid certificate with them could have one issued at a rapid test center on site.
Despite the small event area and only a single day of opening, the interior of the halls presented the usual picture familiar from much larger classic car fairs: a wide range of vehicles from Meili DM 20 tractors to Triumph TR4s and Porsche 911s, lots of tin toys in their original boxes and an abundance of new and used spare parts. At the same time, the trade fair remained pleasantly compact thanks to only two halls.
Rarities and exotic cars were also on offer: the Touring Garage offered a Jaguar XJS 5.3 V12 Convertible and a Mazda RX-7 Turbo Cabriolet, among others.
At Goodtimer you could buy an Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider or a 1953 Fiat 1900.
The Alfa Romeo 8C Monza and the Bugatti Type 51 on the stand of Oldtimer-Garage Buschor were not for sale, but together with the Talbot-Lago T26 C and Maserati 8CM they attracted many interested glances.
Just like the monstrous dragster Beetles, which had hardly anything in common with an innocent 34 hp VW apart from the roof skin.
Friends of the original preferred to gather around a Ford Taunus P4 station wagon or an unrestored World Champion Beetle.
There was even more variety than in the exhibition halls. The outdoor area, where visitors could park their classic cars, could also be visited without an admission ticket and was filled to capacity barely an hour after opening.
The main reason for this was the beautiful weather with hardly a cloud in the sky, which persuaded even those whose cars would otherwise have been in hibernation for a long time at the end of October to come along in their classic cars. A small open-air museum was added to the exhibition in the hall, offering something for everyone, from a Ford Thunderbird from the 1950s to a Renault 5 from the first months of production.
And even in the free visitor parking lot, many a classic car could be admired that you don't come across every day.
Once again, St. Gallen proved that you don't need 15 halls and 1000 exhibitors for a successful classic car fair. What the exhibitors lacked in quantity, they made up for in friendliness. And, as we all know, it's easier to meet up with friends in small groups than in large ones.
The date for 2022 has not yet been set, but it is likely to be in October again.
