Classic Expo Salzburg took place for the 14th time at Messe Salzburg at the weekend. '70 years of Porsche' and '110 years of Carlo Abarth' were special exhibition themes. In addition, numerous suppliers provided a varied range of products and services.
Mozart for jubilarians
It may have been a coincidence, but somehow it fitted: just as we entered the hall with the two special exhibitions on the anniversaries of Porsche and Carlo Abarth, Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in A major (for the enthusiasts: KV 622) sounded from the loudspeakers. Classical sounds and classic cars in the city of Mozart - an almost ideal combination.
Porsche at the center
As with every classic car event this year, the 70th anniversary of Porsche as a sports car manufacturer took center stage in Salzburg.
Three special exhibits were displayed on a kind of catwalk: A 718 RS 60, an RSK and a 904, all in stylish silver gray.
Elsewhere in the hall, the color red dominated: a magnificent Gmünd Coupé, a 906 and a current 911 Cabrio in the legendary colors of Porsche Salzburg, like the 917 with which Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood achieved the first overall Le Mans victory for Porsche in 1970.
110 years of Karl Abarth
Red also dominated the second special exhibition, which was set up to mark the 110th anniversary of the birth of the Viennese Karl Abarth. As 'Carlo Abarth', he made a name for himself as a racing driver and designer. Among the exhibits was an Abarth 2000 Sport Spider Prototipo from 1969, in which Arturo Merzario and Gijs van Lennep celebrated successes, including overall victories in the race on the Mugello street circuit in 1969 and 1970.
The exhibition also included an Abarth 1000 SE-017, known as 'Cuneo' or 'Keil' in German, two Abarth Monomille coupés, an Abarth SP 1000, the 3000 Sport Prototipo in which Johannes Ortner won the European Hillclimb Championship title in 1971, and a Porsche 356 B 1600 Carrera GTL Abarth.
The latter car was the link between the two special themes at Classic Expo Salzburg.
Successful auction
As in previous years, the Viennese auction house Dorotheum held an auction as part of the event . The offerings included numerous US limousines, all of which were in good condition visually, but certainly not for everyone.
The pricing was accordingly: many of the US cars changed hands for less than 15,000 euros, some even for less than 10,000 euros. The estimated price for the ex-Elvis Presley Cadillac DeVille Estate, which was listed in the catalog at 100,000 to 200,000 euros, also proved to be too optimistic: 69,000 euros was the highest bid.
The Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 B Pescara fetched the highest price, selling for 451,000 euros, considerably more than the estimate of 260,000-340,000 euros. A rare Alfa Romeo 'Matta' off-road vehicle was sold for 20,700 euros.
Of course, Austrian cars were not missing either: a Fiat Panda 'Final Edition' with Steyr-Puch all-wheel drive proved to be an extremely affordable youngtimer at EUR 7130, a Puch 500 DL from 1960 was sold for EUR 14,375 and a lovingly restored Steyr-Puch Haflinger went to a new owner for EUR 33,350.
Lively trade
There were numerous dealers in the exhibition halls, providing an extensive range of products. These ranged from stylish limousines such as a Duesenberg or a Horch 853 to a Porsche 959, which was offered for the proud price of EUR 1,280,000.
There were also restoration objects, including a Porsche 356 declared a 'barn find' for EUR 39,000, but visitors said that the car had been advertised in a German magazine three years ago.
One rarity was a Lamborghini Centenario, a 39 hp tractor in metal paint, which was built in 2016 in a limited edition of just five to mark the centenary of the company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini's birth.
Austrian celebrities
At the 'Ennstal Classic' stand, we met legendary Formula 1 reporter Helmut Zwickl, who announced his book 'Damals - Als Sex noch sicher und die Formel 1 gefährlich war' (Back Then - When Sex Was Safe and Formula 1 Was Dangerous), which will be published in November.
"There are so many interesting stories that were simply worth capturing," said the Austrian, who together with Michael Glöckner is also the driving force behind the 'Ennstal Classic'.
With rally and fire department
The regularity event 'Salz & Öl-Rallye' started on the exhibition grounds on Friday and Saturday, which made for more interesting vehicles. The Piding volunteer fire brigade also exhibited some historic fire engines in the outdoor area. Various clubs were also represented with presentations.
In two halls there were stands from private and business suppliers of parts and automobilia, where there were many interesting finds.
Cars and art - in Salzburg in a different way
The 14th edition of Classic Expo Salzburg was once again a successful event. Anyone who wanted to could combine access to the Classic Expo with access to the 'Art Salzburg' art fair. Classic cars in the city of Mozart, a successful combination.
