A new classic car center has been built in Andelfingen, between Winterthur and Schaffhausen. The car showroom was officially opened on November 1, 2021. It offers a whole range of services, namely event capacities and rooms, long-term parking spaces for classic cars, restaurant and accommodation services (hotel rooms) and even a smokers' lounge. A workshop is also housed inside the car hall, which is aimed at external classic car owners and, of course, users of the rental spaces in the building.
Events for car enthusiasts and so-called "Experience Drives" are also to be organized, where classic car novices as well as experienced classic car drivers can enjoy the pleasure of driving various old cars in comparison in the beautiful surroundings of the Autohalle.
The workshop in the Autohalle
To find out more about the services offered in the workshop, we spoke to workshop manager Adrian Schwarzer (AS) in person.
Zwischengas: How long has the workshop been open?
Adrian Schwarzer: The workshop opened for our customers on November 1. We have been preparing and repairing our own vehicles since the beginning, as long as we are not busy with customer orders.
ZG: What services do you offer?
AS: These are mainly the following services:
- Reconditioning & care of interior and exterior
- General service work (brakes, oil, exhaust gas test, carburetor adjustment, MFK, etc.)
- Repair and overhaul of the entire mechanical system
- Restoration work
- Mechanical processing & reconditioning of old parts
- Vehicle transportation with closed trailer
AS: Our garage stands for high-quality service on all classic vehicles. This requires good networking with brand representatives and cooperation with reliable partners. Thanks to the existing mix of know-how among our employees, we can carry out practically any work on the vehicle. The modern infrastructure and proximity to industry partners also allows us to mechanically process spare parts or even reproduce parts that are no longer available. This is particularly interesting for customers with pre-war vehicles or if a special conversion is required.
ZG: Are you also planning to offer complete restorations?
AS: Yes, that is clearly a focus of our workshop. We carry out mechanical work in-house. In cooperation with our partners, we can also offer complete bodywork and paintwork.
ZG: What makes and models do you specialize in, which eras does the workshop team feel most comfortable with?
AS: We are not limited to specific brands. Our motto is "We repair classic vehicles". This includes not only cars, but also everything from agricultural vehicles to small trucks. We feel at home in all eras, our love is for all cars from pre-war vehicles to classic cars.
ZG: What work and services complement the other services offered by the Autohalle particularly well?
AS: We would mention the following work in particular:
- Winterizing service for parking lot tenants and general customers
- Moving trips for parking lot tenants
- Season start provision for parking lot tenants and general customers
- Vehicle preparation for parking lot tenants and general customers
ZG: Are the workshop services already available to car park tenants?
AS: Yes, this has been the case since the opening on November 1, 2021.
ZG: Can third parties already make appointment requests today?
AS: Yes, work planning is in full swing.
ZG: Are there already defined hourly rates?
AS: Following a needs analysis, we use hourly rates that are adjusted according to the activity.
Long-term parking and vehicle storage
A second important pillar of the Autohalle are the long-term parking spaces, where classic car owners can store their cars but have access to them at all times. We spoke to Autohalle CEO Simon Schmid about the characteristics of this service.
Zwischengas: How well booked are the long-term parking spaces at the moment?
Simon Schmid: Over 80 of the existing 100 parking spaces are already rented out.
ZG: Are there different types of parking spaces?
SS: There are basically three categories, parking spaces (parking spaces, oversized parking spaces and parking spaces in a semi-automatic parking system. There are also so-called "Collector's Corners", where an enthusiast can place his collection (from 4 spaces).
ZG: How much does a parking space cost and what is included in the price?
SS: Prices start from CHF 190/month. All spaces offer constant room temperature, constant humidity, electricity and state-of-the-art security measures such as video surveillance and the latest access system. In cooperation with the affiliated workshop and our network of classic car brand specialists, we offer various service modules such as professional long-term storage, maintenance, repair and preparation of the vehicles. Every tenant has access to their vehicle at all times with a personal badge.
ZG: How does access control work, how uncomplicated is the collection/drop-off process?
SS: With a personal badge, every tenant has access to their vehicle at all times.
ZG: Is "winter-only storage" also possible?
SS: No, this is not possible.
ZG: How well is the Autohalle connected to public transport if you bring a car without picking one up?
SS: Andelfingen train station is a 15-minute walk away. From Winterthur, for example, you can be in Andelfingen in just 12 minutes by S-Bahn.
You can findmore information about the Autohalle Andelfingen on their website.
