No, the "friends of nostalgic cars" did not let the fog and (initially) slightly damp weather hold them back. On the contrary. They stormed to Triengen with everything that was waiting in the garage at home to celebrate a classic car day among comrades.
The rush was so great that even meadows outside the actual event site had to be used to cope with the crowds.
It must have been many hundreds of cars that gathered at Triengen airfield to bathe in nostalgia.
A long tradition
The FNA's annual meetings have a long tradition and are an old-timer in themselves. It is therefore understandable that the age limit is now set at 30 years. However, this was quite different when you could still drive to the FNA meeting in a 14-year-old Fiat 850 Spider without being looked at askew.
The event is getting on in years with its loyal visitors, but is still very popular, as the large crowds prove. The perfect location at the airfield in Triengen, which is not only relatively central in Switzerland, but also includes a steam train and historic aircraft, certainly contributes to this.
The fact that a whole host of tractors also attend the rural meeting is of course also fitting.
Everyday cars from the past
The majority of the cars that could be seen at the FNA meeting in Triengen on September 28, 2025 were everyday cars from the past. The VW Beetle was, of course, very much in evidence as always, but so were other cars that were on our roads in large numbers 40 or 70 years ago.
Examples include the Citroën Légère, the Simca 1100, the Renault Dauphine, the Opel Kadett and the Mini.
The Renault Twingo of the nineties and the Renault 4 CV of the late fifties were almost archetypal.
Of course, the popular British roadsters and inexpensive sports cars were not missing either, which were very much used as first vehicles at the time.
However, less stylish everyday cars from the USA also find their way back to Triengen every year. The American delegation was once again one of the largest country representations and revealed once again that there were not only road cruisers on the other side of the Atlantic, but also compact cars, sports cars and estate cars.
Almost overlooked rarities
Amongst the many one-off everyday cars that fathers and grandfathers could easily name to their offspring and descendants in Triengen, there were also many genuine rarities among the visitors' vehicles.
The Ferrari F40, which just missed the age guillotine, was certainly very eye-catching and was certainly not only noticed by many because of its sound backdrop.
However, many visitors simply walked past the Siata 308S from the 1950s, although there are far fewer examples of this beautiful convertible with a Fiat Otto Vu engine than of the F40.
The rare six-cylinder Riley with a four-door body also seemed to meet with little interest. Many of these cars, if they survived, eventually had to make way for a conversion with a sports car body. At the time, it was quite common to drive the four-door car to the Monte Carlo Rally. The Zwischengas editorial team would certainly give a lot for a test drive in this wonderfully patinated example (wink, wink!).
Other examples would be the Maserati Sebring-Mexico pairing or a Simca Ariane 4 or a Lancia Fulvia Sport Zagato.
Those who stayed on the grounds all day were sure to see other exotic cars.
Socializing written in capital letters
However, many visitors came not only to look at cars or show off their cars, but also to meet like-minded people.
The large festival restaurant offered plenty of space for petrolhead conversations and you could also meet up with acquaintances while strolling through the rows of vehicles.
The extensive picture gallery accompanying this article provides a further insight into the atmosphere and range of vehicles on offer in Triengen.
