This is a big bang in the German classic car trade fair scene: Messe Essen has decided on a new partner for classic vehicles: From 2026, "Retro Classics Essen", organized by Retro Messen, will be held annually in Essen.
This means that there will also be a format for driving culture at Messe Essen in the future. The new trade fair format is intended to attract series manufacturers to the Ruhr region and offer exhibitors and visitors a top-quality platform.
Retro Classics has already been taking place in Stuttgart and Nuremberg for many years; Retro Classic Stuttgart is regarded as one of the world's most important trade fairs for driving culture.
Retro Classics will be held in Essen for the first time from April 8 to 12, 2026. In 2025, Techno Classica Essen will be held for the last time in its usual format from April 9 to 13.
Change after decades
"We would like to thank the organizer of Techno Classica for the many years of cooperation and wish him all the best and much success for the future. At the same time, we have decided on a new partner for the period after the contract expires, one that is already very successful in the market. Retro Classics is a trade fair at an absolute world level and we are sure that the organizer will also transport this to Essen," explains Oliver P. Kuhrt, Managing Director of Messe Essen.
The enthusiasm for the forthcoming cooperation is mutual: "We are looking forward to a new chapter of success for Retro Classics and have gained the ideal location for it. The potential in the Ruhr region with its catchment area and its unique car culture is huge," explain Henning and Thilo Könicke, Managing Directors of Retro Messen.
Many questions
The change in 2026 is already being hotly debated in the scene. Will there be any changes to the orientation of the trade fair? Can the international exhibitors be kept on board? Will the cars at the trade fair be younger? Will the last Techno Classica in 2025 be a highlight? What changes are the retro trade fair organizers planning to make to the exhibition concept? It will be interesting to see what happens next.
Impact also on the Essen Motor Show
There is another change at the Essen Motor Show: Here, too, the cooperation with the organizer of Techno-Classica Essen, which is staging the Classic & Prestige Salon in Halls 1 and 2, will come to an end after the Essen Motor Show 2025.
From 2026, Messe Essen will market these two halls itself and draw on its extensive network in the automotive and tuning scene.
Further information can be found on the Messe Essen website.
