Yes, it's not particularly original to write about the weather. But it would not be fair to the factor that made this year's St. Gallen classic car fair a successful end to the season to ignore its part in the success. A bright late-autumn day with double-digit temperatures is not all that unusual - but it is not to be taken for granted either. Especially when the skies had been very good with the watering the week before. However, the optimistic forecasts prompted many visitors to take their classic bikes, which had not been mothballed, for a spin. As a result, not only the exhibition area on the exhibition grounds, but also the extensive visitor parking lot along Bachstrasse was already well filled with historic automobiles half an hour after admission.
Those who took the time to view all the showpieces presented in the open air took quite a while to queue for their tickets at the entrance gate to the exhibition halls. There was already too much to see before that.
In addition to the "must-see" program of models from the MGA, Citroën DS and VW Type 3 ranges, which are as common as they are popular, there were also numerous exotic cars from the lower price range on the free parking area. Matra-Simca Rancho and Datsun Cherry 100 A stood out not only for their rarity, but also for their immaculate condition.
Of course, the enthusiasm about their presence did not mean that there were no high-priced exotic cars to marvel at. Ferrari 512 TR and Lamborghini Espada were parked in the grass verge next to the track bed as if they were everyday Fiat products. Meanwhile, Porsche 944s were parked in a crowd that one would not have expected even from the ubiquitous 911.
As the open-air site lived up to its name in two respects - not only in the open air, but also with free admission - the area between Halls 3, 9 and 7 was a hive of activity. The large number of young families whose offspring were fascinated by old sheet metal was particularly noticeable.
Of course, there was also plenty to get excited about, from the BMW 3200 CS to the Scania L 110 Super. In between, there was a broad spectrum of Ford Fairlane 500, Lancia Fulvia, Ford Scorpio, Alpina B6 or Opel Olympia Rekord. The prize for the widest rear tires went to De Tomaso Lonchamp, whose monster tires made even the Chevrolet Corvette next to it look slender.
All this ensured that the almost 800-metre walk from your own car to the box office could take up to two hours. Inside the halls, the usual picture of large classic car trade fairs was presented, albeit scaled down to a pleasant size. There were the dealer stands with polished sports cars, numerous spare parts tables, countless rummage boxes, tin signs and oil cans, lots of model cars - and the inevitable row of Porsche 911s.
But there were also more unusual offerings here, such as a Riley RMB from 1947 and a London cab from the 1990s, albeit more for the Anglophile car enthusiast.
With a Mercedes-Benz 350 SL and a 220 S Coupé, the touring garage from Oberwenigen held up the star of the otherwise conspicuously underrepresented other Stuttgart brand.
Friends of Italian makes could marvel at Clay Regazzoni's Ferrari F40 or buy a Fiat 128 Sport in the pastel light brown of a hazelnut glacé - if they didn't drive straight to Bologna to Auto e Moto d'Epoca.
For the Swiss scene, the St. Gallen classic car fair was the last major "pure" event for historic motorized transportation. And that's why the weather deserved a special mention. Because thanks to the Sunday break in the constant rain, the visit didn't feel like a night out at the disco - but rather like a cheerful conclusion that makes you want to start again next year.
