The Swiss Classic World classic car show took place for the 10th time in Lucerne from May 31 to June 2, 2024. Bernd Link and his team had spared no effort in putting together a varied and unique program that went much further than you would expect from a medium-sized event in central Switzerland.
Braving the weather
You wouldn't wish such a start to the event on anyone. On Friday, it rained cats and dogs without a break.
So it was not to be expected that many enthusiasts would already be riding in their classics on the first afternoon. But some took the plunge anyway. And the halls filled up more and more, also thanks to the possibility of arriving in a modern car and finding a parking space in the immediate vicinity.
There was plenty to see at the trade fair and, of course, many people met up with old acquaintances.
50 years of the VW Golf
A large special show in Hall 4 celebrated 50 years of the VW Golf and the Swiss premiere of the latest VW Golf GTI. Seven Golf models showcased the breadth of 50 years of development.
A Golf LS automatic represented the beginnings, an early GTI the start of a new vehicle segment, the Cabriolet another body variant, the Rallye Golf stood for technical experiments and two normal Golf III and IV for the mass versions.
Many visitors were particularly impressed by the early Golf from 1974, as first-generation models with metal bumpers are rarely seen on the roads any more.
Cars that you don't see every day
The fact that not only the early Golf has disappeared from the public eye was also demonstrated by other vehicles that could be spotted on a tour of the trade fair.
For example, the Swiss Museum of Transport exhibited a Dufaux racing car from 1905, which once traveled to England for record attempts but was unable to start there due to technical problems. Who knows, if the project had been successful, it might still be possible to buy Dufaux cars today. But as it was, series production remained a dream.
The TVR Tuscan LWB Wide Body from the early seventies made it to at least a small production run. Less than 30 of the third generation of the TVR Tuscan were produced and of these, only nine cars had a long wheelbase and a new body shape, as could also be found on TVR's M series a few years later. With a V8 and almost five liters of displacement, the Tuscan was faster than most top-class sports cars at the time.
Pietro Frua's design for the Monteverdi 375 L was created just once in 1968, when Peter Monteverdi famously decided to continue with Fissore and risked a legal dispute with the Italian coachbuilder. The only example could now be seen on the Lutziger Classic Cars stand.
Hardly anyone in this country knows the Mathis brand. After all, the last production cars were built in Alsace in the 1930s. And only a few were exported. Nevertheless, one example from 1932 has apparently ended up in Switzerland and will hopefully be back on the road soon, once the engine is back under the hood.
Another exotic car that could be found and even bought in Lucerne is immediately drivable. The VW Brasilia was never officially imported into Switzerland. It looks a bit like an old-fashioned Golf, but still has the traditional air-cooled four-cylinder engine in the rear.
Although built thousands of times, the Ford Consul Corsair from British Ford production is almost forgotten. The right-hand drive model shown was originally delivered in Switzerland in 1960, but has since passed the veteran's inspection and is for sale.
You could also buy a car that you will probably never see on the road. After all, the Saker RAP X from 1999 is a thoroughbred racing car without road approval. Thanks to the use of mass production technology, this car from New Zealand promised low-cost racing.
The 1962 Dodge Lancer embodies a completely different story, which was told at the AMAG Classic stand. Like other cars from the Chrysler Group, this Dodge was assembled at AMAG in Schinznach. Americans from Schinznach had a good reputation because the Swiss finish guaranteed better reliability and more careful production.
Some VW Karmann-Ghia cars were also built in Schinznach-Bad. At the AMAG Classic stand, visitors could read about the entire history of Schinznach car production.
Extensive dealer displays
There was hardly a wish that could not have been fulfilled at one of the many dealers exhibiting at Swiss Classic World.
Whether you were looking for an early Porsche 911 (and found it at Touring Garage or Porsche Classic Zurich, for example) or a rare Bentley (on display at Lutziger Classic Cars, for example), there was certainly no shortage on offer.
From the red (or white) Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint to the turquoise blue or gray VW Beetle, there was practically everything that you can otherwise only see and try out by traveling around a lot.
Anyone who wanted to buy a Bugatti with a special body, an Alvis with a Graber body or a Chevrolet Corvette converted into a concept car look-alike could definitely be catered for. Just like those people who finally wanted to drive off in a car with a star or a Ferrari horse.
And anyone who didn't find what they were looking for among the dealers could still have a look around the private vehicle market between the halls, where there was an impressive range of cars to explore, from pre-war classic cars to modern classics.
Active membership and reader recruitment
Even those who already owned a classic car could get help. With spare parts or with the support of the clubs and service providers. Some clubs, for example, had multiple presentations in and in front of the halls.
For example, many different Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar models were on display.
Those who wanted to try out or subscribe to magazines (naturally) found what they were looking for, as did those who wanted to discuss a specific technical problem or were looking for a spare part. Just classic trade fair business.
Rally drive-throughs
Classic car fairs are actually quiet exhibitions where there are mainly stationary cars on display. But Swiss Classic World wanted to offer more and created the opportunity to drive through one of the large halls.
The Mille Miglia WarmUp Rally took advantage of this on Friday and the audience was delighted to be able to hear and smell the cars, while the rally participants were probably happy to be in the dry for a few minutes.
On Saturday, the newly launched Swiss Classic World Rally was then sent on its way as a prologue in Hall 2, once again attracting a large audience.
Live auction
However, even more spectators lined the ramp in Hall 2 on Saturday evening when the Oldtimer Galerie from Toffen auctioned off 50 cars. The vehicles proved that they were in working order as they drove through, which motivated the audience to bid.
If the bids stalled, restarting the engine of particularly sonorous cars was enough to make the prices rise again. The results of the auction are documented in a separate report .
Hustle and bustle outside the halls
It wasn't just the halls that were busy, old vehicles could also be admired in front of and around the halls. The forecourt in front of the exhibition buildings was used by several round trips and rallies to show the cars to the interested public.
And we have already mentioned the private vehicle market between the halls above.
Many visitors until the end
After a reasonably pleasant Saturday in terms of weather, Sunday also turned out to be rather damp. Nevertheless, many visitors came in their old cars and the rush began as soon as the doors opened on the last day of the fair and continued until almost shortly before the end of the fair.
The previous visitor record was broken again with around 16,000 entries.
In any case, the exhibitors were highly satisfied and all of them actually want to come again. And this is a good sign for this classic car fair, which can hopefully look forward to a long future.
