The 24th information event, launched many years ago as an insider event in Roggliswil, now addresses the major topics of the classic car scene. It is now known as the "Swiss Car Register Academy" and takes place every year at the new Emil Frey Classics Center in Safenwil. On January 26, 2023, it was time again and around 150 classic car enthusiasts, specialists and experts discussed originality, substance, identity and the moral duties of a classic car owner.
After a brief welcoming address by Hannes Gautschi, Urs. P. Ramseier introduced the current objectives of the Swiss Car Register . Key words were: No future without origin, driving AND preserving, passing on know-how/knowledge.
Next, Philipp Husistein presented the "Classic Vehicle Compass", a website on which topics and knowledge about classic cars and their preservation are to be bundled. The aim is to build a bridge between theory and practice.
Felix Aschwanden next explained what is meant by the "Vehicle Life Cycle", in principle a product life cycle adapted to the automobile: creation/construction, use+maintenance, decay, demise.
In a further presentation, Philipp Husistein then drew parallels between the preservation of buildings and the preservation of historic automobiles, naming basic terms and standards.
Felix Aschwanden then used a Porsche 356 to explain how difficult it can be to establish the identity of an old car if modifications were carried out even before it was delivered and components have been repeatedly replaced over the years. This then led to a clarification of the term "substance", in which a distinction can be made between original, historical, current, missing and "immaterial" substance.
René Gauch then used several examples to show how even clear identity markers can lead to misunderstandings and questions of origin. For example, the Lister-Maserati on display next to the stage was once a Lister-MG. The Jaguar XK120, which was also presented, had two different chassis numbers in its life and today there are three cars under chassis number 906-007, which are clearly different and all have an interesting history since the 1960s. Because the Americans and Europeans had different standards for VIN numbers (identification numbers/chassis numbers), there are relatively modern cars such as Jaguar XJ (X300) or Porsche 944, which have two different chassis numbers.
Urs. P. Ramseier then addressed the topic of documentation, which is becoming increasingly important for historic vehicles.
In his usual entertaining manner, Georg Dönni then gave an insight into the difficult decisions that had to be made when restoring and restoring the white Jaguar XK120.
This Jaguar stood right-hand drive at the London Motor Show in Earls Court in 1949, was then converted to LHD at the factory, given a new chassis number and sold to an American ballet dancer. Many years later, it reappeared in France painted black and is now being carefully restored to its original condition with maximum preservation of the original substance.
Afterwards, there was a demonstration of the newly launched "Classic Vehicle Compass" website, which can be used free of charge for the time being , until a short panel discussion was followed by many bilateral discussions over "Älplermagronen".
Exciting topics, but also many philosophical questions. It was easy to get dizzy and some participants were probably thinking about much more concrete problems when driving home, such as where they could find an original rear light for their Singer Gazelle or who would make them a new windshield for their Audi 75.
