As at the 2025 season finale, the lower parking lot in front of the trade fair halls in Stuttgart was sufficient to offer all visitors space for their cars. This time, it wasn't the drizzle that put some visitors off attending, but temperatures of around five degrees Celsius, which also put a damper on sales at the ice cream stand. However, the core of die-hard petrolheads did not let this deter them from visiting.
A rare GAZ M-22 Volga immediately caught the eye in the parking lot. Its 75 hp from a displacement of just under 2.5 liters enables the car to reach speeds of well over 120 km/h. However, according to the owner, the estate car, which was imported from Russia in 2016, is most fun at 80 to 100 km/h. He was unable to fulfill his dream of a GAZ 24-24 with a large V8 engine, as these models are virtually impossible to find.
Alpine A110
"It's starting," said one visitor, but presenter Michael Gaedt, who was supposed to introduce individual vehicles to the audience, was nowhere to be seen. The reason: he had sat down next to an Alpine A110 so that he could talk to the occupants of the low-slung vehicle. The coupé, which was built in 1974 and has belonged to the current owner (in the passenger seat) since 1980, now has an impressive 300,000 km on the clock. An impressive 70 hp from 1300 cc is enough to move the vehicle, which weighs just 650 kg, appropriately.
Mercedes-Benz 220
The former Porsche designer Anatole Lapine brought the car from Switzerland and had it restored in Zuffenhausen. His wife later sold the gem to a photographer who is a close friend of the current owner and who wanted to sell the car again after just one year. Initially too expensive, an agreement was reached six months later when the friend wanted to trade in the W187 at a dealer for a new VW bus.
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Audi, BMW, BMW Alpina, und weitere
BMW 316i Compact
"1,005,913 kilometers, that's unbelievable," Michael Gaedt exclaimed in amazement when he looked at the speedometer. That's right. But 5913 kilometers is. After the retirement of her previous winter BMW after almost 300,000 kilometers, the owner finally wanted a car again that only needed servicing and refueling, but which she could otherwise simply drive. A challenging task if it's not a brand-new car.
After a lengthy search, a BMW 316i Compact from the E36 series was found on the Internet: only 4800 kilometers on the clock and with verifiable, regular customer service at an authorized workshop. The engine compartment looks as good as new; the interior smells like a new car. The white indicators, the M sports gear knob and the 16-inch alloy wheels in "Styling 43" don't make the car any faster, but they look good.
Porsche 928
The car with the registration number "S-JO 928" is the official vehicle of chief detective Joachim Stoll, known as "Jo", from the ZDF early evening crime series "SOKO Stuttgart", in which presenter Michael Gaedt himself played the role of "Schrotti" from the very beginning. In the movie, he runs a car repair shop and tinkers with older cars. However, the viewers of the series don't believe that he actually does the work himself. Even today, "Schrotti" still pays great respect to the complicated technology of the Porsche 928.
Citroën 5 HP
The oldest vehicle on the site was painstakingly restored in the south of France and brought to Germany eight years ago. The 856 cc four-cylinder engine produces 11 hp, which accelerates the car to a maximum speed of 65 km/h. Braking is only on the rear axle; the three-speed gearbox is unsynchronized. As his current project is taking up too much of the current owner's time, he is considering selling the 102-year-old Citroën.
Citroën 11 CV
The happy owner has only had the car since October 2025, when she discovered it on a trailer at the Veterama trade fair in Mannheim. She talked to the seller and drove home. A few days later, the decision was made: "I want this car." Since then, she has been using the gray "Traction Avant" regularly in everyday life, even though the transmission only has three gears and power steering is required. Thanks to the pre-installed auxiliary heating, the gray Citroën is also pleasant to drive on cold days.
DKW Munga
It was actually supposed to be an Audi 100, but they were all in catastrophic condition. The Munga in front of us, on the other hand, ended up being used by the emergency services, but still had to be thoroughly restored. A special and useful detail is the measuring cup in the tank cap: one capful of oil to ten liters of petrol is the ideal mixing ratio for the three-cylinder two-stroke engine. However, the possible fording depth of 50 centimetres has not yet been tested after the overhaul.
Continental Mark IV
One of the largest cars on the site. If you don't want to drive a rental car, you just buy a classic from a dealer in advance for your vacation in Florida and trust that everything will be fine. The calculation worked out: At meetings in the USA, there were even prices for the car. If you put the 15 liters of petrol that the 7.5-litre V8 consumes per 100 kilometers in relation to the vehicle's length of around 6 meters and unladen weight of 2.2 tons, then it is almost bearable. Rather unsuitable for traffic light start duels, the giant is most fun at a peaceful 110 km/h on the highway.
Ford Taunus 17M
As a "line of reason", it forms the stark contrast to its aforementioned corporate brother. Also technically: 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, 55 hp and four-speed steering wheel gearshift as well as - because it can't always go straight ahead - two "strut braces" as standard. The current owner received the Taunus as a gift from his boss and, despite a valid MOT, first had to carry out some repairs to the car. Freed from rust, the "bathtub" has since completed several trips to the Vosges and Lake Garda.
Thurner RS
Intended as a Porsche competitor, only 121 examples of the GRP sports car on an NSU chassis were built between 1969 and 1974. Less than 30 of them are said to still exist. The engine came from the NSU TT and produced 65 hp, which was more than enough for the owner. With an unladen weight of only 590 kg, speeds of up to 180 km/h were still possible. In the racing version, the engines had up to 125 hp, but had to be overhauled after each use.
It was a pity that only about 20 people standing directly around the vehicles on display were able to follow the performances. The primitive loudspeaker system was simply not sufficient to cover a large area. In addition, only the presenter himself could be heard through his microphone. The vehicle owners' answers could only be heard at a distance of less than five meters. It is therefore possible that our readers now know more about the cars on display than some of the visitors who had traveled all the way to the event.
It was also a shame that the ramp on which the vehicles were shown in Bietigheim a few years ago was missing, as was comedian Thomas Plehn. Not that Michael Gaedt didn't present the vehicles skillfully, but the two of them always had a lot of fun talking to the visitors. Anyone who takes the trouble to read older reports on the season opening will quickly see that unfortunately only a fraction of the previous visitor numbers are currently being reached.
On leaving the site, we noticed two younger visitors talking animatedly about their vehicles. One of them was sitting in a BMW Touring 520i from the E34 series like his parents used to drive; the other had fulfilled his childhood dream with a Mercedes-Benz 220 CE from the W124 series. Both share an interest in technology, an enthusiasm for older cars, the fun of meeting like-minded people and the exchange of experiences, as they carry out repairs themselves wherever possible.
So let's be happy that, contrary to all prophecies of doom, young people are also discovering their enjoyment of classic and vintage cars, and let's wish everyone a great 2026 season and - at least in Germany - hopefully bearable petrol prices again soon.
