On April 16, the 33rd edition of Techno Classica in Essen closed its doors. In eight exhibition halls, more than 1100 exhibitors and over 200 club presentations showcased several thousand cars from over a century. Dealers from around 30 nations were on site, and among the many Mercedes-Benz 300 SLs and Porsche 911s, there were a few lesser-known cars to be seen.
There were also some anniversaries such as 60 years of Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz 600, "Pagoden-SL" or Porsche 911. Half a century separates us today from the first VW Passat and the BMW 2002 Turbo.
Anniversaries everywhere
Lamborghini presented outstanding models from six decades in a special exhibition at SIHA. In addition to the almost obligatory Miura P 400 S, one of 1217 Espada cars built and an even rarer Islero, of which only 225 exist, completed the exhibition.
At Mercedes-Benz, the only German manufacturer with a truly worthy manufacturer's stand, was the last Mercedes-Benz 600 built in 1981. After its presentation at the IAA in 1963, the "Great Mercedes" was regarded as "the exclusive vehicle of great representation". In addition to its monstrous appearance, its air suspension and versatile, fascinating comfort hydraulics in particular caused quite a stir.
Things were a little more down-to-earth in Hall 3: As part of the move away from the air-cooled boxer at the rear, the VW Passat appeared half a century ago with a water-cooled front engine and drive. The design of the first Passat by Giorgetto Giugiaro was balanced and coherent, clear and calm. The Passat with chassis number 2, which was shown in Essen in subtle orange, is considered to be the oldest surviving example in the world.
The BMW 2002 Turbo also celebrated its premiere in the fall of 1973. Not only did it produce 170 hp and was the first German production vehicle with a turbocharger, it also looked really aggressive. Unfortunately, the technically conceived idea of the Munich-based company burned out in the context of major political and economic upheavals, as the first oil crisis became even stronger than the "zwo loch loch zwo" Turbo.
Racing cars and reconstructions
Skoda showed a reconstruction of the 1100 OHC, a racing coupé from 1960 with a GRP body and a chassis made of a thin-walled lattice frame made of steel tubes. The search for parts became a puzzle even for the manufacturer. The racy bodywork by Jaroslav Kindl had to be made from scratch.
At just 25 years old, the Audi TT was a very young jubilarian at the motor show, while the Bugatti Type 35 C from 1928 was already on the grid at the first of the soon to be 80 Monaco Grand Prix. The car appeared unrestored with an incredible history and, with its fantastic patina, certainly became one of the most sought-after pieces of the entire exhibition.
The best of the best
Every year, it is certainly the most exciting question: which vehicle will win the "Best of Show" trophy? This year's winner has the power to surprise: The Pegaso Z-102 GT Berlinetta with factory bodywork by Enasa (Empresa Nacional de Autocamiones SA, owner of Pegaso) from 1951. Wilfredo Ricart, a visionary Spanish engineer from Alfa Romeo's development center, was responsible for the Pegaso. After this prototype of the Z-102 was presented as a convertible at the Paris and Madrid Motor Shows in 1951, series production began in 1952. Prototype construction continued, however, and the convertible on chassis 0102 became a Berlinetta. In 1953, this vehicle then took part in various Concours d'Elegance. It won first prize in Deauville and Enghien-les-Bains. The car was involved in a serious accident in 1954, but was rebuilt and sold for the very first time in 1955.
The Bugatti prototype of the Type 57 Atalante also made it onto the shortlist, representing the preliminary stage of the later world-famous coupé with a few design changes. The only unrestored Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Touring still in existence was also a contender for the title. It left the factory in 1948 for France, where it is said to have spent its entire life before leaving the "Hexagon" for the first time recently.
Cheerful club stands
Once again, most of the club stands spared no effort and showed a lot of things worth seeing in a sometimes funny ambience. For example, the pool atmosphere at Opel. This stand of the Commodore B Club together with the Kadett B and Olympia A Club deservedly won the international "Club Grand Prix". At the Fiat Club stand, visitors could admire the rarity of a Vignale Wonderful based on a 1200 Granluce.
There was a lot on offer not only in the halls, but also outside, with a Mercedes Benz 200 D from Recklinghausen on standby at all times as a cab. For 24,900 euros, you could even have called it your own. However, you can still drive a cab very often for that kind of money.
Classic cars as an economic factor
Classic cars are still of great economic importance, as the latest figures from Germany show. Cars over 30 years old have a total value of 31 billion euros. Around 40 percent of German classic cars are worth less than 10,000 euros, 20 percent between 10,000 and 50,000 euros. Only every 50th classic car exceeds the 100,000 euro mark, reports Gerd Heinemann, Managing Director of BBE Automotive.
Experts from Classics Analytics confirm: The classic car market has retained its stability even after Corona and under the pressure of the international political situation and has remained predictable - this could be the reason why so many visitors made a purchase at the trade fair.
Yes, let's look forward to the 34th Techno Classica and hope that by then one or two factories will once again commit to their tradition.
