On Saturday, August 17, 2019, the Hotel Freienhof in Thun hosted the Classic Driver Meeting on the town hall square. For the past six years, around 30 vehicles have gathered twice a year in the middle of Thun to present their vehicles and delight the public. The vehicles presented in the middle of the pedestrian zone stimulated interesting discussions with passers-by.
Classic cars in the middle of the city center
Ursula Flück-Arbeiter achieves the feat of organization anew every year. The city center of Thun has been car-free for around two years, but the authorities make an exception for this event.
The success of the meeting shows that environmental and noise protection are perfectly compatible with classic car meetings. Registration is a prerequisite for participation, as there is only room for a very limited number of vehicles on the Rathausplatz.
From very old to almost new
The oldest vehicle on the square was a red Marmon, which the owner had driven to the event on his own wheels. A VW T2 from the post office was reminiscent of times gone by, when postmen were not yet on the road in electric tricycles or modern minivans. The colorful mix of classic cars ranged from Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette to Lancia Fulvia and Austin Healey.
A BMW M3 (E30) and a DeLorean from the younger generation of classic cars took part. The Honda NSX (built 1990-2005) was not yet a classic car, but was still welcome as a future classic.
Involving the public
While the owners presented their vehicles, a public poll was conducted in which everyone could vote for their three favorites. The count in the evening showed that the Lancia Fulvia came third and the DeLoran second.
The surprising winner was the Cobra Replica from 1978, the least "original" vehicle of all, and also a rental car from a classic car rental company. But this also shows what people who don't have much to do with cars pay attention to. What counts is shape, color and sound. The price or whether everything is 100% original often plays a subordinate role.
