Personal highlights of a varied year
12/31/2023
At the end of the year, we like to look back before archiving the old agenda and opening the new one. Yes, a lot happened in 2023. For example, a Ferrari 250 GTO went under the hammer once again, albeit a very special one. Nevertheless, the auction record of almost USD 52 million was achieved. However, some observers had expected more and this was also true for many other auctions in 2023. At most, there were price jumps for particularly sought-after younger super sports cars, but hardly any for cars from the 1960s or 1970s.
In terms of events, 2023 was a very rich year. And even though we remember the summer as being exceptionally dry and warm, a whole series of events literally fell through. In any case, I had to change my shoes before getting out of the Lotus at the British Car Meeting at the end of August, as the airfield in Mollis was practically under water. And I actually fitted the Elan roof for the first time in over two years!
But it was precisely these brand-independent meetings across age eras and vehicle categories that were the icing on the cake in 2023. It is always a great pleasure to be able to view a wide variety of cars at an event, and once again events such as the Classic Days Düsseldorf, the Lägern Classic, the Classic Gala Schwetzingen, the British Car Meetings in Mollis and on Lake Geneva, the newly invented lightweight meeting at Motorworld Kempthal and many others offered just that. Keep up the good work!
The trade fairs are also (almost?) back to their old size. We particularly liked the Bremen Classic Motorshow this year, but the Auto e Moto d'Epoca also proved that the move from Padua to Bologna had done it no harm, on the contrary!
And which cars that we were allowed to portray left particularly deep impressions? Almost every classic car was able to shine with special features, whether it was the beautiful shape, the special gearbox, the powerful-sounding engine, the sporty driving characteristics or simply the strength of character.
But I would still like to highlight two cars here. The first is the Renault 12 TL ( pictured above), a real bread-and-butter car of the seventies. If it hadn't been light blue, it might not have been noticed at all. But it proved to me once again that even an inconspicuous car can be a lot of fun. And the many thumbs up on the highway showed that other road users also saw it that way.
And then there was the Spyker C8, with which we ventured into the new millennium. The Spyker was much less intimidating and unfit for the road than we had feared; in fact, it was downright suitable for everyday use! In many respects it was reminiscent of the Lotus Elise, but with much more of everything ...
At the end of the year, you can also make a wish or a resolution for the future. There are plenty of ideas, such as a long-distance trip in a BMW Isetta, like those undertaken 60 years ago. Or a trip across the Alps in a pre-war car like 90 years ago. Or reenacting the Liège-Rome-Liège long-distance rally in the right car? All that's missing are the right vehicles and a little time ... (but you can have dreams)
