The traditional classic car and parts market OTM has an eventful history. Initially, the Rais couple ran it successfully for decades in Burgdorf, Bern and Fribourg. In 2012, the Fribourg Forum operating company took over the reins. It continued to run the market, but was ultimately forced to cancel twice due to Covid-19 and, to make matters worse, went bankrupt in summer 2021.
New team
The renaissance of the weekend of March 26 and 27, 2022 is thanks to a new team: Dakota Events. This is a team led by Dominique Durussel, who has already organized various events and collectors' fairs. For the revival of the market in Fribourg, Durussel has been joined by other people, including press officer Jean-Marc Kohler.
"In fall 2021, there were two options: Either stop completely or continue with new momentum. We stuck to Louis Chevrolet's motto: Never give up!" says Kohler, looking back and is delighted that the team managed to get the market off the ground again in just a few weeks: "Many people didn't want to believe that we were really taking the plunge, but it was worth it."
New name
The fact that the market is now starting under the new name "Swiss Retro Mecanika" is primarily for financial reasons, as Jean-Marc Kohler explains: "We would have had to pay the bankruptcy office an amount that was beyond our budget for the rights to use the old name".
So the team started under a new name, which is perhaps a good thing. After all, not all exhibitors and visitors had been happy in the end. "We were also primarily concerned with regaining people's trust," says Jean-Marc Kohler.
Cheese slice included
In any case, the mood at the trade fair weekend was good, and many visitors were pleased that "something was going on again", as was said several times outside the entrance. Those who then entered the grounds initially saw a lot of familiar things: first of all, there was the outdoor area with junk dealers, parts dealers and food stands (oh yes, there were also cheese slices again). And there were also numerous classic cars for sale again. The moderate price level was already striking here.
Once inside, we realized that things had changed somewhat. Access to the upper floor with the additional areas, the club show and the second outdoor area was closed. The market was therefore limited to the lower floor with the hall and the foyer.
Smaller and airier
The area was therefore considerably reduced compared to the last event in 2019, not primarily due to a lack of interest, but because of other uses. For example, the Great Council of the Canton of Fribourg has moved into the hall where the club show used to take place and the Covid test center has moved into the rear part.
After all, 12,000 square meters remained and most of the stand areas were occupied, although there was a little more space in the aisles than before. However, this is not only a disadvantage for visitors, as more space also means more relaxation.
Less crowding and a smaller number of vendors naturally also meant that the tour ended a little more quickly this time and there was also more time for petrolhead discussions - even across the Röstigraben if you wanted, as the French and German-speaking Swiss were once again relatively evenly represented in Fribourg.
Lots of "automobilia"
It was also noticeable during the tour: This is not a trade fair, but - as the organizers themselves describe it - a "stock exchange". A conspicuous number of stands offered model cars of all sizes, as well as literature, decorative objects, tin signs, antiques and all kinds of other things related to classic cars. The "automobilia" seemed to outweigh the conventional car parts.
Nevertheless, anyone who needed car or motorcycle parts, new tools, tires or insulation material could still find what they were looking for in Fribourg. Perhaps there were only two or three suppliers instead of a dozen. Large dealers with elaborate exhibition stands and high-price classics were hardly represented at all at Forum Fribourg. However, there were hardly any of these in Fribourg in the past.
However, some associations and clubs were once again on site in 2022. Despite the short lead time, the SHVF, FAM and VCCSR, for example, were brought together. There was also an exhibition of old tractors at the back of the hall. "We started the Lanz Bulldog yesterday and then the smoke alarm went off," says press officer Jean-Marc Kohler with a grin.
Bread and butter trolley
Just like in the old days: various vintage cars were offered for sale in the hall. This year, as in the outdoor area, the prices were mostly moderate, but some of them had a high rarity value. Among others, a "normal" Fiat Uno, a Fiat Panda 4x4, a Talbot-Matra Rancho or a Citroen GSA were looking for a new home. Special youngtimers such as a Ford Mondeo ST 200 were also on offer.
Speaking of rare: The visitor classic car parking lot was also home to rarities this year, such as a Toyota Crown, a Ford Fiesta Supersport from the first series or other vehicles that many may not have seen for years (or decades).
And, of course, anyone who didn't yet have a classic car could get into the classic car hobby in Fribourg for just a few thousand francs. According to Jean-Marc Kohler, this is entirely intentional: "In addition to a humane size, we are also aiming for humane prices. With the current focus, we believe the market is also closer to its roots."
Small is practising
When asked about the number of visitors, Jean-Marc Kohler is satisfied: "We had around 10,200 visitors in total over the two days. That's a good start for us. And more importantly, people were happy and we received a lot of positive feedback."
Incidentally, the many young visitors to the fair who were able to expand their toy car collections in Fribourg were also happy. Even if established classic car enthusiasts may turn up their noses at such children's activities, Jean-Marc Kohler sees this as an important way of promoting young talent: "See how much fun the kids have. And maybe one day they'll drive a real classic car".
A good conclusion, we think, and in the meantime we are curious to see what the Swiss Retro Mecanika 2023, which has already been announced by the organizers, will look like. The lead time will certainly be a little more generous this time and perhaps we'll still get one or two additional stands.
