Cars for the young? (from Retro Classics Stuttgart)
Anyone strolling through this year's Retro Classics, typically starting with Hall 1, then 3, 5, 7, 9 and back via Halls 6 and 4, will only discover something at the very end that actually deserves more attention.
On the way back to the atrium, you come across a group of cars that at first seem to have little in common. Except perhaps that the cars are almost all German-made.
If you take a closer look and look at the individual sales signs and notes, you will soon notice that (almost?) all of these cars are marked with prices under EUR 10,000.
The 1988 Mercedes-Benz 190E from the first series with five-speed gearbox and right-hand mirrors is said to cost EUR 6500.
The 1983 Ford Sierra XR4i with a 150 hp V6 engine and five-speed gearbox is asking EUR 9950.
For EUR 9800 (picture above) you become the owner of a Mercedes-Benz 280 SE from 1978, automatic transmission, power steering, sunroof and aluminum wheels included.
EUR 9999 will allow you to take over an Audi Coupé GT 5S with a five-cylinder two-liter engine and 115 hp from 1982.
EUR 8500 will open the doors to a 1966 Ford Taunus 17M P5 with a 1.5-liter V4 engine, trailer hitch, new MOT and "beautiful patina".
And for EUR 9900 you can also buy a BMW 750i V12 from 1988, but you need to know that the car has been deregistered since 2011.
A VW Beetle or a Porsche 924 is also within reach, as are other cars such as a BMW Z3 (in James Bond color).
This small and probably random line-up could have been labeled "For the next generation", but maybe I just didn't see the sign.
A visit to Stuttgart is not only worthwhile because of these cars; with 90,000 square meters of exhibition space, Retro Classics, which is open until Sunday (2 March 2025), is ultimately one of the really big classic car fairs.
P.S. Of course, there is also a comprehensive review of Retro Classics Stuttgart.
