Invitations were extended to Bietigheim-Bissingen for the sunny RETRO 2024 season finale. This year, just like the season opening, the event was held at the Stuttgart exhibition center. Unfortunately, neither the forecast 10 to 12 degrees nor the rain that was predicted and kept coming were likely to attract many visitors. As a result, the upper parking lot - which was still completely overcrowded at the opening of the season - remained empty this time. Nevertheless, numerous intrepid visitors were not deterred from meeting up here at the end of the season.
Barkas V901/2 - the smallest truck in the GDR
The almond merchant, who had arrived in his dark red delivery van, had taken precautions and put up a large umbrella right next to the car to protect it from the rain. In his search for a small van with charm, the Ape with its three wheels quickly fell through the cracks. He bought his flatbed truck unrestored in Wilhelmshaven. After that, a trip to "Framo-Jens" was essential, as the Barkas needed a lot of affection, but above all an engine overhaul, which was carried out there in three days.
The small truck built in Plauen uses the same engine as the Trabant or the Wartburg. 900 cc do not suggest a high engine output. However, as the van is mainly used for short journeys - mainly in 40 km/h zones - you can get by with it, says the cheerful owner and hands me a bag of almonds.
DKW Junior
A chance find in a scrapyard awakened the ambition to save the car. A few years later - the engine, gearbox and axles had been overhauled in the meantime - the car was allowed back on the road with a new MOT sticker. The owner liked the external appearance of the two-stroke engine. The patina should show its true age - the main thing is that the technology is in good shape. This is also the view of his partner, who also enjoys the DKW Junior.
Its water-cooled engine produces 34 hp and does not need a water pump thanks to thermosiphon cooling. This means that it cannot break down. The original 6-volt electrical system is also still in use. The excursion, which included a short stop in Stuttgart, continues quietly rattling towards the expressway.
- Car dealership
- Classic Car Dealership
Opel Omega Evolution 500
The presentation of visitor vehicles arrived later than usual on October 5 - probably due to the suboptimal weather. A Rüsselsheim product finally made the start. At this point, Thomas Plehn pointed out that the 40th anniversary of the Opel Omega will be celebrated at Retro Classics in Stuttgart in 2026.
The car shown here only changed hands a year and a half ago. At the time of its production, Opel was a sponsor of FC Bayern. So Giovane Élber & Co. drove Opels back then, and the more powerful models were of course particularly popular.
Whether the 500 units required for homologation for the DTM were actually built is not documented. There is talk of a good 300 units. Irmscher was commissioned with the conversion and fine-tuning. The four-valve six-cylinder engine installed in the car shown here has an output of 230 hp, which means it can still be driven fast today. The fact that the rear spoiler extends depending on the speed is only mentioned here for the sake of completeness.
Opel Vectra i500
We are sticking with Rüsselsheim products. The car, painted in the rare color "Brocade Yellow", saw the light of day as a demonstration car. Apart from modifications to the air filter, the narrow engine compartment left no room for further changes. But with the 184 Irmscher horsepower of the V6 engine, this was not really necessary. The Vectra was entered by Opel in the STW and the BTCC.
Porsche 911 Carrera
The 911 in turquoise metallic from the 993 series prompted Thomas Plehn to say that Stuttgart was, after all, Porsche country. "Not only that," said Michael Gaedt after a quick glance at the license plate underlay, "Stuttgart is also Duttland."
It's nice when the vehicle owner and presenter agree straight away that they have both found the right service partner. It's a small world, but let's get back to the car itself.
It is a Carrera 2, i.e. the exclusively rear-wheel drive version, in this case equipped with the M030 sports suspension. The installed strut brace and harder rubber in the suspension improve road holding.
When asked about the extras, the satisfied owner said that the Tequipment bumper corners and the Carrera S rear grille on the hood, painted in the same color as the car, simply look good on the car. She is currently driving with 17" wheels and the standard seats. When her husband wants to drive the car the right way, the Recaro sports seat and an 18" hollow-spoke wheel set are used. Each to his own.
The power? Henni - just like Dutt, a well-known local figure - measured 291 hp on the test bench in Wernau. You can live with "5 hp too much". The 200,000 km mileage of the car came out of the gun when asked. How long the car has been in her possession, she could only answer with "I don't know, forever".
It goes without saying that this car was not the only Zuffenhausen product on display at the Stuttgart exhibition grounds.
Datsun 2000 Sports
How does one get hold of this car, which has never been sold in Germany? Well, first the best wife of all forbids you to ride a motorcycle. Then, while looking for a Triumph, you come across an exotic bike, and from there things take their course. "In the end, I found what I wasn't really looking for in Switzerland," says the proud owner with a grin.
As in the Matra-Simca Bagheera, the Citröen GS and the Corvette from 1963 to 67, the radio is installed vertically here.
True to the motto "never touch a running engine", nothing was done to the engine. The two-liter engine with two SU carburetors delivers its power to the road via a five-speed gearbox.
Oldsmobile Super 88
Now it's getting colorful. This is another way to get a car, says the owner: "By mistake" he bought the car at auction on "Kickdown". He hadn't expected to win the bid. Not having inspected the car beforehand paid off. The two brothers who offered it for sale had pretty much dismantled everything, but then lost track of it.
Without registration, papers or documents, it was a long way to go before it became a roadworthy car again. And once the car had been dismantled, it could be completely painted in blue metallic, including the underbody.
The recently overhauled 6.5-liter engine delivers an estimated 350 hp with a performance camshaft and different tappets, but is currently still being run in, i.e. treated gently. If you drive the V8 properly, it doesn't need that much fuel, after all, it has plenty of power, says Michael Gaedt. "Well," says the owner, "the power is tempting."
Oldsmobile Delta 88 Convertible
The 75 Oldsmobile shown here is one of the last great US convertibles. Everything that came after it was smaller. That means avoiding parking garages, especially European ones from the seventies. Apart from roadholding, however, the cars had everything you would have wanted back then: Automatic transmission, cruise control, electric windows, ABS and power steering.
Hanomag R25
The variety of vehicle types on display in Stuttgart was a lot of fun. The tractor on display from Hanover - purchased only a year ago on the "Waterkant" - was previously used as a tractor.
Maintenance work is carried out alone or with the Württemberg tractor friends. It is currently used for classic car meetings and tractor excursions. The now closed hood was retrofitted. The four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 2.8 liters delivers a robust 35 hp.
A powerful Beetle
The classic career: buying the then 15-year-old car from a friend; first carefully tackling the rust, then completely dismantling, sandblasting and spray galvanizing - those were the first steps. 40 years later, it is now clear that the thoroughness of the work has paid off.
As it was not clear at the time how long the car could be driven in the city, the only option was to convert it to a new engine with a catalytic converter. "For the sake of the environment", a two-liter engine from the VW-Porsche 914 with a new crankshaft, different pistons, larger valves, a horizontal Porsche 911 fan wheel and an adapted Motronic from the Porsche 944 was installed. The exact performance is not disclosed, as it was only incidental.
The H license plate was awarded because the components installed are contemporary. Even the brakes installed in the Porsche 944 Turbo are already 30 years old. Michael Gaedt and the owner agreed that such a Beetle conversion should not be carried out with water-cooled Subaru components, as is often the case.
Mercedes-Benz 220
Daimler-Benz could not escape the fashionable taste of the new world either, even if the tail fins were quite modest compared to the outgrowths at Cadillac. The column-mounted speedometer, known as the "clinical thermometer", was also a fad that did not survive for long.
The owner bought the car in 1983. He likes the large trunk, which can also accommodate two racing bikes with the front wheel removed and all the luggage for two people.
Audi 100 Coupé S
Not only American influences, but also Italian design inspired the designs of German carmakers. Even after 20 years of ownership, the car is still being driven as an everyday vehicle and has not caused any problems so far.
"Why shouldn't you make everyday life beautiful?" asks Michael Gaedt. He is right.
Mercedes-Benz 170 V
Younger visitors in particular were astonished when the rear-hinged driver's door was opened. You don't see anything like that anymore.
After the war, pre-war vehicles continued to be built - people were happy if at least that worked. The all-steel construction of a car was not yet a matter of course at that time. This required complex presses, especially for curves such as the roof of the 170 V.
The owner uses a self-made special tool to align the star exactly in the direction of travel, the only way to get the look right.
Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9
Colani is said to have contemptuously referred to the design of the W116 series as "chrome spaetzle salad". Well then, you no longer see or hear much about the Colani GT; the S-Class, on the other hand, is still often seen on the road. The missing small spoiler is currently being refurbished, as it is no longer available new. Otherwise, the car was complete.
When looking under the hood, nobody has to worry about tools falling on the floor. There was simply not enough space. There was no more displacement back then.
With a signal from the contemporary three-note overland fanfare, the vehicle, which primarily served as a means of transportation for company directors and statesmen, bid farewell.
BMW Z3
The car, also known as the "sneaker" - built in the USA in 1998 - was one of the first of 17,000 units. As the series was initially not very popular, employees were allowed (forced?) to drive it so that the car could be seen on the road. Today, the coupé version is almost more sought-after than the open-top version. But the owner also has a roadster.
Pinzgauer 712 M
In contrast to the Hanomag described above, an Austrian product was now presented. Originally designed as a crew transporter for military use, this vehicle was used for a long time in open-cast mining near Eschweiler. Mostly used by the Swiss and Austrian armies, this vehicle manufactured in Graz by Daimler-Steyr-Puch has an all-wheel 6x6 drive. The 4x4 version was standard. With its central tubular frame, it is very similar to the Tatra 803. All locks can be engaged and disengaged while driving.
Let's hope that the car never has to be used for its original purpose.
Mercedes-Benz 380 SLC
The car shown here with a 3.8-liter engine was only built 3,000 times and, with its 200 hp, has enough power to enable comfortable, speedy travel. Automatic transmission, cruise control and ABS were standard equipment; electric windows and an electric aerial were available at extra cost.
Interesting are the "blinds" in the rear windows, which are intended to conceal the fact that the rear part of the window cannot be retracted. The individual slats are installed at different angles so that the driver can easily see the road to the rear.
It's nice to see how high quality the fabric upholstery was that came from the house with the star back then. Gerd Müller, who picked up his copy in a fur coat, also enjoyed it.
Silent voices in the rain
The weather kept changing, but in the end the rain was bearable. It could have been worse. Let's wish the operators of the snack stands that they hadn't calculated with the turnover of the last event.
Unfortunately - as was the case at the season opening - many of the visitors didn't really get much out of the vehicle presentations, as only the two presenters were really easy to hear. Only a few of the bystanders were able to hear what the interviewed vehicle owners had to say about their rarities. This could easily have been avoided with a third microphone for the interview partners.
With this in mind, we are looking forward to the opening of the 2026 season and will continue to enjoy the conversations, which were held in the rain but were no less interesting for that.
