Overcast skies and rain showers on Saturday, early summer weather on Sunday. At the Swiss Classic World in Lucerne, the transition from spring to summer could be followed directly.
However, the weather had comparatively little influence on the flow of visitors, and the three exhibition halls on the Allmend in Lucerne were well frequented on both Saturday, June 25, 2019, and Sunday, June 26, 2019. Bernd Link, the busy organizer of the sixth Swiss Classic World Lucerne, reported a total of 13,300 visitors on Sunday evening.
Attractive offers from the dealers
The range of vehicles on display in the Lucerne halls was impressive, from the Fiat 500 to the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (2x), almost everything the heart could desire was on offer.
Although Mercedes-Benz and Porsche also stood out from the crowd in Central Switzerland in terms of numbers, there were many wonderful Italians, rustic Brits, fin-armed Americans and comfortable French cars to be seen.
The prices reflected an optimistic assessment of the market by the suppliers, but this did not stop visitors from inquiring more closely about the details of the vehicles.
In any case, the majority of dealers were very satisfied with the number of visitors and the interest shown.
Daredevil maneuvers at the Motodrom
If you wanted to take your mind off the many beautiful (and usually not very cheap) classic cars that you would love to buy, the Motodrom in front of the exhibition halls offered something very special. Here, historic motorcycles chased each other in an oversized barrel without a lid, i.e. through a horizontal loop.
At times, three two-wheelers were on the move at the same time, so that spectators held their breath as to whether this could go well. Meanwhile, the daredevil pilots also let go of the handlebars ...
Swiss special shows
Several special shows focused on Swiss developments.
For example, the Friends of Old Motorcycles (FAM) exhibited two-wheelers made in Switzerland. There was even a moped among them, as well as a number of sports and racing bikes.
Saurer trucks and touring cars were also produced in Switzerland. They were exhibited on the gravel area in front of the halls, but three vehicles from Saurer Arbon could also be seen at the Swiss Car Register stand.
And in front of the halls, a Saurer stationary engine showed what a real twelve-cylinder diesel sounds like.
Three Swiss car bodies were also on display at Swiss Car Register, drawing attention to the tradition of the car body industry, which was at its best between the 1930s and 1950s.
Rarely seen exotics
Anyone on the hunt for "exotics" in Lucerne was able to discover special automobiles in the halls time and again, as a few examples document.
The Lea-Francis 14 HP Sports Cowell from 1946, for example, was only built twice. The 1767 cm3 engine produced 90 hp. The vehicle on display at Lutziger Classic Cars was the prototype and has an unmistakable body.
The Duesenbergs from the USA are also very rare. The magnificent and thoroughly sporty pre-war automobiles were very popular with actors and industrial moguls in the 1920s.
At the Fondation Renaud, visitors could admire a Duesenberg J from 1929, which ran at an impressive 190 km/h 90 years ago.
Slightly slower, but hardly less exclusive, was the Isotta-Fraschini Valentino Cabriolet from 1927, which was enthroned right next door.
A few steps further on was a Lancia Aurelia B50 with a 1951 convertible body, which once belonged to the actor Giorgio Albertazzi.
The Kleinschnittger microcar, which was on display at Carrosserie Langenthal, was certainly much slower.
In the American Hall 3, a Willys Overland Jeepster, which you don't see every day, stood right in the entrance area of the lower floor.
And finally, on the Zwischengas stand was a Lorenz & Rankl Silver Falcon from 1989. Only 12 examples were built, so it was no surprise that hardly anyone recognized this car straight away.
The auction on Saturday evening
Just before 4 p.m., the halls suddenly seemed to empty. However, the visitors did not go home, they flocked to the front part of Hall 2, where the Oldtimer Gallery auctioned off over 40 cars and a motorcycle.
The cars drove across a stage in front of the audience. All of the vehicles managed to pass this stage, and around two thirds of them were knocked down immediately or with reservations. A separate report analyzes the results of the auction.
Opportunities for discussion
Of course, trading is the focus of a classic car fair, but many exhibitors and visitors also used the two days primarily for good conversations, making new contacts and exchanging ideas with colleagues. No throat had to remain dry, as many stands offered wine, champagne, coffee or even gin and tonic. Those who took every opportunity for a cheerful toast barely managed to walk the entire three halls on both feet.
The hustle and bustle in front of and between the halls
And what was on offer in the halls was only part of the entire exhibition. Between the halls there was a vehicle market of private and commercial dealers, which was not lacking in raisins and special features.
For example, visitors could take an interest in an Alpine-Renault A110 GT4 with a Gordini engine, of which just over 50 were built, or in the Ford Montecarlo GT, which was once bodied by Pietro Frua.
Meanwhile, classic car clubs and visitors lined up in front of the halls with their private classic cars. Here, too, there were interesting cars and, above all, exciting combinations of automobiles and motorcycles to observe. The warm and dry Sunday in particular drew visitors outside time and again.
Success story
Bernd Link can certainly look back on a successful classic car show with the sixth edition. Every year the event seems to grow and there are always new surprises to see. This was also the opinion of the exhibitors and visitors.
So what more would you like to see at the next edition? Perhaps a larger number of clubs, an even broader range of exhibits overall? Most exhibitors and visitors were actually very happy and satisfied when they left the halls on Sunday evening.
