From Thursday, January 12 to Sunday, January 15, 2023, MECC Maastricht will be the meeting place for classic car fans in the Benelux. After a two-year absence due to Corona, the trade fair is back. More than 1000 classic cars, youngtimers and supercars will be exhibited on 35,000 m² of exhibition space, with this edition in particular focusing on the Formula 1 history of Circuit Zandvoort. Under the theme "Dutch Grand Prix Classics", InterClassics presents F1 cars from 1950 to the present day, and of course Max Verstappen's winning car - the Red Bull RB16B - is not to be missed. These cars have been made available for the exhibition by various international museums and private collectors.
Fans of virtual racing will also have plenty to discover at Sim Expo. Sim Formula Europe will be presenting the latest technologies in the field of virtual racing in cooperation with international hardware and software developers. Visitors are invited to jump in and try out the systems for themselves. On Saturday, the world's best sim racing drivers will compete for prize money of 10,000 euros.
Dutch Grand Prix Classics
Since the success of Max Verstappen, the racing-loving Dutch have fallen under the spell of Formula 1. The return of the Dutch Grand Prix in 2021 is the icing on the cake. To celebrate this, InterClassics will pay tribute to these Dutch Grand Prix classics. The organization will present Formula 1 cars from every decade of the Dutch Grand Prix, the very first winning car will also be on display: a Talbot Lago T26C driven by Frenchman Louis Rosier.
Other highlights include the Ferrari 156 Sharknose and the Lotus 21 of F1 world champion Jim Clark, both of which stood on the F1 podium at Zandvoort in 1961. The poster of this issue shows a Lotus in the livery of John Player Special. InterClassics presents no less than two of these black and gold racing cars. One of them is the Lotus 87 of world champion Nigel Mansell.
Dutch pride
In addition to the car of national racing driver Max Verstappen, the Shadow DN9 of his compatriot Jan Lammers can also be seen. The car is remembered by many Dutch racing fans for its Samson tobacco advertisement, and the Louwman Museum in The Hague also made Carel Godin de Beaufort's Porsche 718/2 available for the exhibition. As was customary at the time, the car is dressed in the Dutch racing color orange.
Premiere
Visitors can look forward to the premiere of a very special Lancia Delta Integrale. The Dutch company Maturo Cars will be presenting a completely revised version of the popular rally car from the 1990s at the show. A trained eye will recognize the many advanced upgrades that make this Group A racing car a reliable rally and road car. The newly developed Stradale contributes to this.
Co-founder Marco Geeratz explains: "Many people think that a road car and the rally version are largely the same. The opposite is true! The reinforcements to make a car rally-ready are endless. The Maturo Integrale consists of more than two thousand specially made parts, partly because this car has almost twice as much power as the original. Many hours of development are needed to turn this into a competitive but enjoyable to drive road car."
Sim Racing Expo
Fans of virtual racing will get their money's worth at the Sim Expo organized by Sim Formula Europe right at the entrance. Here, visitors can take a seat in the setups of the leading simulator developers. On Saturday, the world's best sim racers will compete in the Sim Arena for prize money of 10,000 euros. One of the participants is Jarno Opmeer, the Dutchman is the official simulator tester for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. The race will be held on a virtual track through the streets of Maastricht. Fans at home can follow the race live both online and on the regional television station L1. Entry to the Sim Expo is free of charge.
The fair also offers everything to do with classic cars, from accessories to collector's items. As this is the first industry get-together of the year, clubs will once again make their appearance and invite many club friends to the New Year's reception.
Further information can be found on the organizer's website.
