Classic car fair St. Gallen, a slightly different perspective
10/30/2018
As resourceful readers will have noticed, a new person has been helping to create content for Zwischengas for some time now. The solution to the puzzle: I've been doing an editorial internship at Zwischengas since July. Last Sunday I had the opportunity to visit a classic car show for the second time in my life and I was pleasantly surprised. The drive to St. Gallen turned out to be a little more arduous than expected, as Peter had decided to let it pour out of buckets.
Finally arrived and a little soaked from the long walk from the parking lot to the halls, I set off to explore the exhibition grounds. First I paid a visit to the parts market and strolled through the hall. There was everything from old toy cars and antique mopeds to Shell petrol pumps. I hadn't expected such a variety.
After a while, I had explored the parts landscape enough and made my way into the heart of the exhibition. As it was already late afternoon, the flow of visitors dried up a little and I had plenty of space to admire and photograph the beauties on display at my leisure.
I was particularly drawn to one particular stand. Placed there by Golden Classic Cars AG were four Corvettes of different vintages! Having grown up with such cars, I have developed a soft spot for American sports cars and am now the proud owner of a Pontiac Firebird myself.
I couldn't get enough of the curved lines and the beautifully maintained interior and a pleasant conversation with one of the exhibitors ensued. At some point, it was time to move on and take a closer look at the remaining classic cars. I also took a closer look at the visitors and was surprised to see one or two younger faces in the crowd. However, my peers were clearly in the minority.
I have often found that most people my age are unfortunately not interested in classic cars. In my opinion, there are several reasons for this: Nowadays, a car has many technical gadgets and aids that people no longer want to do without, and a certain basic level of comfort is a prerequisite. Secondly, there is the question of price. A well-restored classic car can easily cost 50,000 francs, an amount that is simply too expensive for young people's wallets.
Youngtimers are somewhat different, they are a lot cheaper, closer to today's driving comfort, but not yet so crammed with technology that an overhaul would be impossible. Meanwhile, some of my friends drive a Youngtimer, mostly of European design.
Back to the trade fair. I found the discussions about the originality of the individual classic cars a little strange. For certain people, a classic car seems to lose all value if not all parts are original. This includes, for example, newer music systems or new seats. I think we could be a little more tolerant here.
Nonetheless, such discussions are simply part and parcel of a classic car show. The scene meets, debates and enjoys the time together. I definitely enjoyed my visit and will definitely recommend future classic car shows to my generation.
