The veterans' rally to Neckarsulm 57 years ago
03/24/2014
Well over 50 years ago, enterprising veteran enthusiasts organized the first rallies, in 1956 to be precise, when the first rally to Neckarsulm was started. The early success called for a sequel, which was promptly tackled in 1957, with 44 cars, 167 motorcycles and 15 bicycles! It was a matter of honor that the participants arrived on the road, even though many of their vehicles were still from the previous century.
But let's take a look at the old report, which was printed in AR No. 27 from 1957:
"Great fun was had by the tens of thousands of spectators who came to see the second veterans' rally to'Neckarsulm, but even greater was the pleasure experienced by the drivers of the more than 200 old motor vehicles who came together for a sporting and social event in the romantic little southern German town of Rendez-vous.
One Swiss participant - surprisingly, our country had by far the largest contingent of foreigners - told us enthusiastically: "We had to carry out complete magnet revisions on our journey from Zurich to Stuttgart; we laid new fuel lines; we had to repair punctures, the music corps played at every turn, the population went along enthusiastically; that was ten times more fun than all the car slaloms and hill climbs put together!"
Especially in England, but more recently also in America, rallies with veteran cars play a not insignificant role, and the famous drive from London to Brighton attracts around three million spectators every year. After a two-wheeler museum was set up in the former Teutonic castle in Neckarsulm last year and a veteran rally was held to mark its inauguration, people in Germany have also taken a liking to this fun event, and the second event, held at Whitsun, has already met with great interest. Indirectly a symptom of the restlessness of our times ...
44 cars, 167 motorcycles and 15 bicycles, a total of 226 vehicles, were set in motion. With 20 competitors, Switzerland led the non-German contingent, with four vehicles each from Holland and Belgium, two from Spain and one from Italy coming to Neckarsulm. It was therefore not surprising that the Swiss won three out of eight classes in the overall standings of the sporting part (journey, special stage, hill climb and skill competition). Werner Klingler, Zurich, on a Drais wheel, Eduard Bühler, Uetikon a. S., on a Michauline two-wheeler, and Engler, Arbon, on a vehicle that was the main focus of many experts: the first Saurer from 1898. The Swiss also came out on top in the classification of the foreign clubs, with the Zurich section of the FMS winning, while SAR came third and the TWN Club Zurich fourth.
Wouldn't it be tempting to organize such events in our country, too, to rekindle the love of the automobile and put the contemplative in the foreground instead of the hasty?"
