It was not easy to get a new trade fair off the ground in Switzerland. The previous top dogs were not enthusiastic, retailers and suppliers were skeptical and the public needed to be convinced first. But Bernd Link and Roland Hatebur persevered and the results are impressive.
5800 visitors attended the Swiss Classic World Lucerne on May 24 and 25, 2014, Link reported on request. This is more than a respectable success. The interest also shows that there is room for such an event, which gives classic cars plenty of space in a beautiful setting and provides dealers and other classic car-related businesses with a platform to present products and services.
Satisfied dealers
No, he didn't sell anything, said one of the dealers interviewed, but he was still satisfied. In fact, the exhibiting companies saw Swiss Classic World less as a sales event and more as a marketing investment. Of course, each dealer had to decide for themselves whether the costs and benefits were well balanced, but the tone was positive.
And the suppliers of top-class classic cars did not let themselves get carried away. Lutziger, for example, set off a veritable firework display with rarities such as the Lamborghini trio 350 GT, Miura and Countach, an Abarth 1600 OT and an almost untouched BMW M1.
Emil Frey Classics showed that they are not only involved with English cars and demonstrated this with a Pagoda, an early Lancia Flaminia Zagato and a red Triumph Italia. Frank's Originale even put a historic caravan on its stand.
The Oldtimer Galerie Toffen presented an auction highlight. The Gullwing Mercedes Benz 300 SL, which went under the hammer on June 7, 2014, was presented in the best possible light.
Fast Englishman
The classic car garage Pitt Jung brought a very special car to Lucerne.
The car in question was a Sunbeam Twincam 3 Litre from 1926/1927, a truly impressive racing car that had already been racing around the Monthléry racetrack at over 192 km/h before the Second World War. Jung gave the car a quick run and the sound coming out of the exhaust pipes was well worth the visit to the Lucerne fair.
Kestenholz Classics showed that not only the English could be fast - there was also a corresponding Austin-Healey on display with the 1914 Mercedes Grand Prix on loan from the Mercedes-Benz Museum, one of the vehicles that secured a multiple victory at the French GP exactly 100 years ago.
Quattro performance show
The public, which streamed through the halls in large numbers, especially on Sunday morning, was offered a lot. One of the highlights was the Quattro line-up organized by the Ur-Quattro-Club.
The rally and road vehicles included, for example, the 82nd of 214 Audi Sport Quattro cars that once belonged to Herbert von Karajan. At 203,850 marks, this car was the most expensive German-made car around 30 years ago. The first customer car was bought by Prince Aga Khan. King Juan Carlos of Spain and Franz Beckenbauer also bought a Sport Quattro. It is interesting to note that Herbert von Karajan's last car, a Porsche 959, was shown at the OTM in Fribourg a few months ago and that von Karajan sold his Porsche 959 to Prince Aga Khan. This brings us full circle, not only to rare cars, but also to Swiss motor shows.
More noise and action?
Many a spectator, but also some industry insiders, wished for a little more action and public attractions for the future, which the Swiss Classic World in Lucerne certainly has. There was talk of "kilomètre Lancé", engine demonstrations or even a superlative sports car show. So there are still plenty of ideas and, of course, there was also discussion as to whether we should not go more in the direction of the parts market. An expansion of the private vehicle sales would probably also be desirable. And an expansion of the club presence would certainly also be nice, as although some clubs were there, the Swiss club scene has much more to offer. Perhaps the organizer should make more concessions to the car clubs here.
This time, organizers such as Lignières Historique, the Swiss Museum of Transport and RAID Suisse-Paris stepped into the breach.
There was little to criticize about the organization, almost everything went like clockwork, apart from a few missing square metres of carpet in the preparation phase. The trade fair catalog also made a very professional impression.
Whether the 18 franc entrance fee was too high or right is probably a matter of opinion. At the end of the day, admission to a movie costs a similar amount and you also got two hours of entertainment at the trade fair in Lucerne. In any case, the dealers and specialist companies were very positive about the admission price, as it ensured that the public was genuinely interested.
Here's to another one!
We can be optimistic that another classic car fair will be held in Lucerne in 2015. The dealers are certainly in favor of such an exhibition and want to continue to support it in the future. And perhaps next year a date can be found that does not directly overlap with Friedrichshafen.
