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Techno Classica 2012 - Trade fair of superlatives in Essen

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Created on March 23, 2012

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

120

Bruno von Rotz

120

Porsche 911 Carrera RS (1972) - racing version of the famous homologation car on the Porsche stand - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - the unique compilation of 21 Pegaso sports cars on the SIHA stand

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - the unique compilation of 21 Pegaso sports cars on the SIHA stand

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Pegaso Z 102 (1954) - with Touring body, originally painted green - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Pegaso Z 102 (1953) - unique styling of this touring variant, which was called "Thrill" - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Pegaso Z 102 (1951) - early coupé - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Pegaso Z 102 (1953) - open sports car with Saoutchik body - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Pegaso Z 102 (1953) - Saoutchik coupé - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Pegaso Z 102 (1953) - built as an aerodynamically optimized racing sports car during restoration, originally a Saoutchik Coupé - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Pegaso Z 102 (1955) - second series car with touring body - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Pegaso Z 102 (1953) - the winged horse as a trademark - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - the unique compilation of 21 Pegaso sports cars on the SIHA stand

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Pegaso Z 102 (1955) - Touring Superleggera Coupé - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Pegaso Z 102 (1954) - Touring Coupé - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Pegaso Z 102 (1954) - racing version with Serra body - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Pegaso Z 102 (1956) - later convertible with Serra body - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Pegaso Z 102 (1955) - Touring Superleggera Coupé of the second series - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Pegaso Z 102 (1956) - view of the cockpit of an open version, offered by a Spanish dealer - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - Pegaso chassis in the SIHA special exhibition

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - View of the incomplete cockpit of a Pegaso sports car

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - Wire model of a Pegaso Spider at the SIHA special exhibition

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - View of the Pegaso engine in the SIHA special exhibition

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - the famous Pegaso lettering

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - Vehicles as far as the eye can see

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - impressive AC collection

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Alfa Romeo TZ 2 (1965) - beautiful sports car on the Alfa stand - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Alfa Romeo 1750 GTam (1970) - rare sports version on the Alfa stand - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Alfa Romeo SS Prototipo Bertone (1965) - beautiful, unique piece designed by Bertone on the Alfa stand to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Giulia - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Alfa Romeo Alfetta (1972) - an early Alfetta saloon with a 1.8-litre engine also pays its respects at the Alfa stand to celebrate its 40th birthday - at Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Alfa Romeo Giulia (1965) - The Classic Alfa Romeo Club is also celebrating 50 years of the Giulia - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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ATS 2500 GTS (1963) - offered by Coys - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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ATS 2500 GTS (1963) - on offer from Coys - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Audi Sport Quattro E2 "Pikes Peak" (1987) - 598 hp, 1000 kg - in under 11 minutes Walter Röhrl was able to conquer the famous route up the 4301 m high Pikes Peak in Colorado in 1987 - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Auto Union Type D Bergrennwagen (1938) - with this Bergrennwagen many victories could be achieved on the mountain - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Auto Union Type D Bergrennwagen (1938) - View into the cockpit of the Bergrennwagen - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Auto Union Type D Bergrennwagen (1938) - Bergrennwagen with upward protruding exhausts - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Auto Union Type D Bergrennwagen (1938) - Twin tires on the Bergrennwagen - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Bentley R-Type Continental (1954) - this car with chassis number BC16C was delivered to Switzerland on January 21, 1954 and is now owned by Bentley - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Bentley R-Type Continental (1954) - one of 209 Continental Coupés built between 1952 and 1955, chassis BC-16-C - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - colorful classic line-up at BMW

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BMW 2002 Turbo (1973) - on the BMW stand - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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BMW 3-series (1975) - soon to be forty years of the BMW 3-series - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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BMW M1 (1980) - ZF parts for the legendary mid-engine sports car from BMW - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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BMW M3 E30 DTM (1992) - BMW celebrates its re-entry into the DTM with an old M3 coupé by Ravaglia - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Borgward Isabella (1961) - two beautiful Isabella convertibles on the stand of a restoration company - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Borgward RS 1500 (1958) - Advertising for classic car event - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Bugatti Type 13 Brescia (1912) - on the Bugatti stand - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Bugatti Type 13 Brescia (1912) - well-equipped interior - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Bugatti Type 35 (1928) - the ultimate pre-war racer - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Bugatti Type SC Atalante (1938) - beautiful coupé on the Bugatti stand - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - Chevrolet Corvette C3 in typical colors of the time

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Cisitalia 202 Coupé (1950) - new acquisition of the Autostadt - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Cisitalia 202 Coupé (1950) - VW Autostadt showed some of the new acquisitions of recent months, including the Cisitalia and the DeLorean - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Citroën 2 CV (1960) - a Citroën as an art object on the Citroën stand - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - a whole range of Citroën DS on offer

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Cord B12 S/C Sedan (1937) - always impressive design, new acquisition of the Autostadt - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Elva GT 160 (1964) - beautiful and rare sports car on the CCS stand - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - Facel-Vega body ready for assembly

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Fiat 1100 TV Padovan Aerodynamica (1949) - rare aluminum streamlined coupé seen at E. Thiesen - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Ford Taunus (1952) - 60 years of the globe Taunus is celebrated at the Ford stand - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Ford Sierra (1982) - the Ford Sierra has also reached classic car age - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Ford Taunus 12M P4 TS Coupé (1965) - this beautiful coupé with 1.5-liter V4 engine is largely original - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - racing glass vehicles on the stand of the Glas-Club International

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Heinkel cabin (1956) - the three-liter car from the past - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Lamborghini Countach LP 400 (1974) - Countach with chassis number 001 on the Volkswagen Group stand - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Lamborghini Countach LP 400 (1974) - the legendary early Countach - in retrospect the most beautiful Countach of the entire series - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Lamborghini Countach LP 400 (1974) - Countach in front, the legendary 12-cylinder in between, the LM02 behind - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Lamborghini LM 02 (1985) - on the sales area - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Lancia Flavia (1962) - Lancia Flavia twice, once as a barn find, once as a shining classic - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Lloyd TL 500 (1953) - practical commercial vehicle from the fifties - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Maserati SM Rally Bandama (1972) - Group V prototype, under Waaldegaard 3rd in the TAP Rally - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - beautiful presentation of the spare parts that can ultimately turn a Mercedes SL into an almost new car again

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - Advertising for original parts at Mercedes-Benz

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - 60 years of the Mercedes-Benz SL celebrated on a grand scale at the Mercedes stand

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Mercedes-Benz 230 SL (1963) - 60 years of the SL celebrated at Mercedes - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1952) - chassis number 2 on the Mercedes stand - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1952) - the sports prototype in front of its production brother - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1952) - sleek rear end of the sports prototype - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (1959) - beautiful red convertible - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1955) - the super classic, as an aluminum coupé on the Mercedes stand - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1988) - not only the old, but also later models of the SL series are shown in the right light on the Mercedes stand - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Mercedes-Benz 500 SL (1991) - Lady Diana's R129 - the only non-British car in the royal family at the time - at Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Mercedes-Benz 500 SL (1981) - never used rally weapon from Stuttgart - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - various Mercedes classic cars on the company stand

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Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (1958) - racing version of the 190 SL under construction - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (1960) - one of numerous SLs at a dealer - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (1960) - what color would they like - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - with a whole number of 300 SLs on site - HK-Engineering

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - when the Mercedes-Benz SSK thirsts for a new machine

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MG J2 (1932) - rare pre-war MG - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - Mini stand with Clubman and other models

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Mini Marcos (1968) - quirky looking, but really fast - seen on the BMW Mini stand at Techno Classica Essen 2012

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GTM (1985) - Mini-based kit car on the BMW stand - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Opel Calibra (1992) - even the first Calibras are already over 20 years old - nice addition to the Opel stand - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Opel GT (1970) - the Opel GT is of course a must at the Opel stand - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Opel Manta (1970) - Manta under restoration at the Opel stand - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Osca MT 4 (1952) - at Hall and Hall - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Peugeot 104 (1972) - 40 years of the Peugeot 104 and a beautiful 504 convertible - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Porsche 356 (1958) - a rare 356 coupé from California in unrestored condition - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Porsche 550 RS Spyder (1957) - a racing Porsche under construction - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Porsche 906 Carrera 6 (1966) - Chassis 906 104 is offered by PS Automobile for Euro 900,000 - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 (1972) - the original RS should of course not be missing on the Porsche for the car's 40th birthday - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Porsche 911 Carrera RS (1972) - the famous duck tail - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Porsche 911 Carrera RSR Turbo (1974) - the duck tail with a huge rear wing - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Porsche 911 RSR Turbo (1974) - 2.1 liters displacement, over 400 hp and a huge rear wing - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - Porsche 911 in all colors, even unpainted

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - early Porsche rally coupé at Hall & Hall

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Riley Brooklands Speed M (1927) - on a befitting means of transportation - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - beautiful Skoda convertible from the fifties

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Skoda 420 Rapid (1934) - 26 hp, 90 km/h fast, 480 produced - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Volvo Amazon station wagon (1962) - Volvo celebrates 40 years of the Amazon station wagon - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Volvo Amazon station wagon (1964) - an original station wagon with only one owner and 48,000 km in the rare color 'slate blue' - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Volvo Amazon station wagon (1968) - red was never a common color for the station wagon, but it was for fire engines - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Volvo Amazon station wagon (1969) - this station wagon was in service as a police car from 1969 to 1976 - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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VW Beetle (2003) - the last Beetle sedan produced - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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VW Type 11 Pickup Beutler (1951) - the Swiss coachbuilder Beutler designed this beautiful Beetle-based pickup - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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VW Bus (1960) - newly restored pickup from Volkswagen Classic - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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VW Scirocco L (1979) - already really rare, offered by private owners - at the Techno Classica Essen 2012

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - Ford Thunderbird in various versions

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Techno Classica Essen 2012 - Impressions - a wild mix of newer and older vehicles waiting for new owners

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There was no shortage of superlatives at the press conference before the start of Techno Classica 2012, and rightly so, as the subsequent tour of the halls showed.

The classic car industry, if you can call it that, is still on the upswing and the trade fair organizers are benefiting too. 1,200 exhibitors presented their vehicles, products or services in 20 exhibition halls, which was once again a considerable increase on the previous year. 400 exhibitors even had to be turned away, but this should no longer be necessary in future years thanks to a further increase in hall capacity. The target was 180,000 visitors, who should of course come from as many countries as possible in line with the international aspirations of the world's largest classic car fair. In actual fact, however, 181,400 visitors attended, which was roughly the same level as the previous year.

The trend towards old automobiles is also supported by the fact that values have once again risen considerably over the past year, with the VDA putting the increase at 9.3 percent. The fact that the two classic cars that rose most in value were the Citroën 2 CV and the Renault R4 also partly explains the "low" average price level of the German classic car, which is around EUR 13,800.

One-off Pegaso special exhibition

According to current knowledge, the Pegaso company produced 86 sports cars, or rather chassis, between 1951 and 1958. According to experts, around 65 to 69 of these vehicles still exist, of which a good 45 are said to still be in presentable condition. SIHA, the organizer of Techno Classica, brought together almost half of them. Unique and probably never to be seen again in this form. Vehicles from the various coachbuilders Serra, Touring and Saoutchik were represented, as were convertible, coupé and sports versions. There was even an undisguised chassis and a body gauge to marvel at. If only the light around the SIHA stand had been a little better ....

Impressive presence of German car manufacturers

The German car manufacturers were even more impressive in Essen than in previous years. The stands now definitely meet the format and also the design requirements that can otherwise be experienced at the major international vehicle trade fairs.

The three in transition at BMW

At the center of the BMW stand was the BMW three-seater, which began in 1975 with the E21 and then flourished via the E30, E36, E46, E90 to the F30. The Munich-based company presented an exhibit from each model series. The 40th anniversary of Motorsport GmbH was also celebrated and documented with examples of its impressive history. To mark BMW's re-entry into the DTM, a 20-year-old E30 M3 stood next to the current DTM car.

Kit cars at Mini

At Mini, the BMW makers came up with something special: in addition to the obligatory Mini classic cars, they also presented three kit cars from Midas, Mini Marcos and GTM on the stand. Fans could have thought of a few other rarities that were at least as interesting as Unipower or Ogle, but even so, the presence of these plastic cars was refreshing.

Porsche in the slipstream of the Carrera RS

Forty years of the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 is the order of the day this year, and hardly anyone has overlooked that. Accordingly, the famous sports car with the duck tail naturally also paid its respects in Essen, accompanied by two racing siblings, the Carrera RSR and the Carrera RSR 2.1 liter Turbo.

60 years of the SL at Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz probably had the largest factory stand this year, with the 300 SL taking center stage, celebrating its 60th birthday - the premiere was on March 12, 1952 - and was represented with the perfectly restored chassis number 2. The birthday boy was accompanied by all his descendants right up to the recently presented new SL.

The "sculpture", which showed an SL suspended in the air and made up of individual parts from various model series to promote the classic car spare parts business, was also beautiful to look at.

Ford and the globe

Ford celebrated four anniversaries at once. The Taunus with the globe is 60 years old, the Taunus 12 M (P4) is celebrating its 50th birthday, the Ford Granada has also been on the road for 40 years, and, believe it or not, the Sierra can now also be put on the road as a classic car. All of these vehicles were represented with several exhibits in some cases, supplemented by other beautiful Ford models such as the Escort and Capri.

Colorful variety at Opel

Opel is 150 years old, and the company was already selling bicycles and other goods before it started producing cars. In Essen, the Rüsselsheim-based company presented a whole bouquet of vehicles, from the GT to the Opel Calibra, from the Laubfrosch to the Monza.

Rarities at the Volkswagen Group stands

The presence of the Volkswagen Group alone should have justified a visit to Essen. Highlights of the various brand exhibitions were the Lamborghini Countach LP 400 (original prototype), the Bugatti 57 SC Atalante, the Bentley R-Type Continental from 1952, the Auto Union Type C Bergrennwagen, the Auto Sport Quattro S1 'Pikes Peak' or the Cisitalia 202 Gran Sport from 1947, which the Zeithaus of the Autostadt had just acquired alongside a De Lorean DMC 12 or a VW Beetle pickup from Beutler from 1951.

Skoda also showed examples from its long automotive history, with the "Popular Type 420" and its predecessors taking center stage.

Rarities at Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo was once again represented with beautiful vehicles: a P3, a Giulia TI Super (50 years of the Giulia!), a TZ2, the Giulia SS Prototipo by Bertone (1965) and the Alfetta from 1972 (40 years of the Alfetta saloon) showed what the brand with the snake in its logo was capable of in the past.

Volvo celebrated 50 years of the Amazon station wagon and a bare aluminum body of the 275 GTB/2 could be admired on the Ferrari stand.

2,500 vehicles for sale

Those who had brought enough cash with them paid particular attention to the dealer stands. There were 2,500 vehicles on offer, with interesting classic and modern classics in almost all price ranges. Investors could get rid of their money in the halls and in the open-air areas from dealers, the Coys auction house and private sellers. Anyone looking for an ATS 2500 GTS, a Lamborghini LM 02 or a Volkswagen Scirocco L was sure to find what they were looking for.

What sticks in the mind

After walking through the 20 exhibition halls, some people were probably left scratching their heads. What had been particularly impressive? What would they still remember in twelve months' time? Was it the green Lamborghini Countach LP 400, the second 300 SL built or the Pegaso Z 102 Touring "Thrill" from 1953?

Ask me again in twelve months' time ... and take a virtual tour of the 2012 exhibition with the Zwischengas photo gallery!

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