Since the Swiss Classic World (SCW) in Lucerne has been organizing three rallies in parallel, there has been a lot of movement in the otherwise rather static sales exhibition. Rally participants, youngtimer and pre-war vehicle drivers were allowed to roll through Halls 1 and 2 at the end of their tours to briefly present themselves to the public.
Dani Geissmann, President of the classic car umbrella organization SHVF, moderated the arriving field of participants on Saturday and Sunday and entertained the audience with interesting information about the vehicles.
On Saturday, the Toffen Gallery auction was also held from 4 p.m., with more than 55 vehicles going under the hammer - all results can be found here. The bidding for a green 1963 Porsche 356 B T6 Super 90, a barn find that adorned the cover of the trade fair magazine, was eagerly awaited. The new owner was finally able to take it home for 39,200 francs, knowing full well that the real cost of getting the Porsche back on the road was yet to come.
The buying mood for the 1000 or so vehicles on display at the show fell short of the expectations of the 200 or so exhibitors. At 16,200 visitors, the trade fair registered hardly any fewer than last year. "We were fully booked and have never had so many spectators on Saturday and at the auction," said SCW organizer Bernd Link. "The atmosphere was very good, and many visitors and dealers confirmed our concept."
Those who did not sell a car directly from the fair were often able to report good conversations and test drives the following week.
Mirror image of the market
This is in line with the current buyer's market, i.e. prices are under pressure. Nevertheless, some dealers still had sporting ambitions. Customers for an Austin-Healey 3000 or a Mercedes Pagoda are no longer easy to find beyond 100,000 francs. The offers on the private car market between Halls 2 and 3 were much more open in terms of price. A total of more than 150 private sellers came to the fair and exhibited a refreshing range of cars, from the Ford Capri to the Ferrari 400, which met with lively interest.
But there was also plenty to see in the more expensive areas of the hall, from the Ford Model N at the Pantheon stand, probably the oldest car at the SCW, to an old Toyota Corolla and butter-and-bread Audi 100 at the AMAG Classic and a Bugatti EB110. One particular eye-catcher was the first-ever special exhibition "Neo Classics and Collectables", i.e. super sports cars. There were also newer collector's cars on offer at Toffen, and a Porsche Carrera GT, a Mercedes-Benz SLR and other superheroes were spotted at the dealerships. But the real pit stop had its own stand,
Supercars as a magnet for young talent
As intended, the two Chiron-Bugatti Divo and Centodieci from the Pearl Collection in particular attracted youngsters to Hall 2, where these rare supercars could be inspected up close. From the Zwischengas stand opposite, it was clear that these were probably the most photographed cars at the fair. They were joined side by side with the Porsche 918, Ferrari 488 Pista and Corvette 3LT - around 7000 hp for around 20 million were probably more than were otherwise on display at the entire trade fair.
AMAG celebrated a small anniversary with 50 years of the GTI and the corresponding models. The development work of the new AMAG Classic, which will soon be opening its own small location in Schinznach-Bad, paid off. In contrast to other and sometimes larger trade fairs, it was noticeable that the SCW retained its authentic charm. The cars were not simply parked on bare pavement, but dealers, garage owners and service providers lovingly designed and decorated their stands.
A trade fair with soul
There was a marketplace with food trucks, an entire hall with automobilia and model cars and, time and again, small oases in the hustle and bustle, with the Porsche Center Zug proving particularly inviting with its seating area where you could talk about more than just Porsche. All in all, there was almost a family atmosphere in which friends and acquaintances could meet. And where not only buying and selling took place, but also topics such as young talent and training played a role. "That's also part of the soul of a classic car show," said Bernd Link, "and without it, we can't live our passion."
