From December 2 to 10, 2023, Essen will once again become a mecca for the tuning and classic car industry as well as for people who love exclusive, high-performance and historically unique automobiles.
Essen Motor Show celebrates 75 years of NASCAR
NASCAR is as much a part of the USA as burgers, cowboys and country music. In 2023, the US motorsport association will be celebrating its 75th birthday. It all began on December 14, 1947, when a groundbreaking meeting of US racing personalities took place on the roof of the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach. This meeting led to the founding of the "National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing" - NASCAR for short - on February 21, 1948. Today, NASCAR is the number one motorsport in the USA in three national series that are watched by millions of people every week. There are also international series such as the European NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.
Messe Essen is taking the 75th anniversary of NASCAR as an opportunity to present a major special at the Essen Motor Show 2023 from December 2 to 10 (Preview Day December 1). In Hall 3, against the backdrop of the Daytona International Speedway, fans can look forward to a colorful selection of extraordinary vehicles from this exceptional motorsport event. These include models from real American racing legends. "Happy birthday, NASCAR! I am delighted that we are celebrating the anniversary at the Essen Motor Show exclusively in Germany," explains Ralf Sawatzki, Project Manager of the Essen Motor Show.
One of the highlights of the special will be the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Monte Carlo of Jeff Gordon, who is regarded as one of the most successful NASCAR drivers in the USA. Gordon drove the car in five races of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in the 1996 season and in another four races in his 1997 championship season. The Hendrick team's car was nicknamed the "Rainbow Warrior" by fans due to its eye-catching livery.
Another eye-catcher in Hall 3 is the Olympia Beer Dodge Charger, in which French automotive journalist Christophe Schwarz drove the Le Mans Classic in 2006. The story behind it begins in 1976, when NASCAR legend Herschel McGriff and his son Doug took part in the 24-hour race at Le Mans in France in a 1972 Dodge Charger sponsored by Olympia Beer. In 2003, Schwarz discovered a photo of this vehicle, but it is still missing today. Instead, a 1974 Charger was found in Oregon that actually had the same specifications as the Olympia Charger. Schwarz celebrated this find by taking the Tribute Charger for a spin at Le Mans 30 years after the McGriffs.
In addition to well-known vehicles from Chevrolet and Dodge, fans in Essen can also expect to see several models from Ford. Among them is the 2010 Ford Fusion driven by Matt Kenseth. This NASCAR racing car is an original Roush Fenway Racing Ford from the 2010 season. The white car in the original Valvoline livery comes with a 351 ci V8 and four-speed manual gearbox and bears the starting number 17. In the 2010 Sprint Cup season, this chassis made three race appearances with Matt Kenseth at the wheel in Atlanta (2nd), Talladega (28th) and Phoenix (7th).
A Chevrolet Camaro from Marko Stipp Motorsport, the first German team in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series (NWES), will also compete in the special. Ex-racing driver Marko Stipp, who has already driven a EuroNASCAR car himself, will enter two Chevrolet Camaros: #46 and #48. In the 2023 season, the car was driven by Miguel Gomes, Yevgen Sokolovskiy, Tuomas Pöntinen and Jack Davidson. The latter won the Rookie Trophy in the EuroNASCAR 2 Championship. The Scot thus secured Marko Stipp Motorsport its first title in one of the two main divisions of the NWES.
The special celebrating 75 years of NASCAR comprises a total of 16 cars.
41st edition of the Classic & Prestige Salon
On a generous 17,000 square meters of exhibition space in Halls 1 and 2, the Classic & Prestige Salon will present several hundred extraordinary exhibits that will surprise even connoisseurs and experts with their diversity. The Classic & Prestige Salon is backed by S.I.H.A., by far the most experienced organizer in the industry.
In its 41st edition, the Classic & Prestige Salon once again manages the feat of looking beyond many borders and thus showcasing the entire exciting spectrum of automotive passion. As the most established classic car exhibition and sales salon, it has an excellent reputation. It also features numerous youngtimers, super sports cars and prestige automobiles.
Younger fans in particular are especially fascinated by the Japan Mile. The focus of interest here includes a Toyota GT86 Aero from 2015. The iconic road conversion benefits from a 200 hp four-cylinder boxer engine, an exhaust system with titanium tailpipes and carbon body parts. Next to it is a fascinating Toyota Supra Mk4 from 1993 in impressively immaculate collector's condition. This Japanese sports car was continuously optimized up until 2002. Today, it boasts a completely revised 280 hp twin-turbo engine, motorsport wheels from Rays and a three-inch exhaust system. This unique exhibit will be on site at the press conference as a photo object.
This also applies to two important classic cars. A Lagonda M45 T7 Open Tourer from 1935 and an Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport Cabriolet, built in 1949 and exclusively coachbuilt by Pinin Farina, provide a glittering insight into the glorious era of exclusive automobile construction. Both will be competing as ambassadors of the Classic Gala Schwetzingen, an international Concours d'Elegance that takes place every year in late summer.
At the 41st edition of the Classic & Prestige Salon, exhibitors and visitors alike are once again awaiting the results of the International Concours d'Élégance, one of the highlights of the event. A jury of renowned classic car experts from several countries will select the most elegant automobile from the wide range of vehicles on display from dealers to be named "Best of Show". In addition to this world trophy, prizes are awarded in various classes.
A number of active fan organizations will also be exhibiting at the Classic & Prestige Salon: The 1st German Saab Club e. V., the Abarth 124 CSA Register, the AMC Duisburg 1950 e. V., the Kadett B & Olympia A Club Deutschland e. V. 1987 and the Oldtimer Stammtisch Dortmund-Unna await visitors at their stands with numerous interesting exhibits.motorsport will also be presented in its great diversity at the Classic & Prestige Salon. One outstanding representative is the legendary Jägermeister Collection, which will be appearing in Hall 1 as part of this year's special S.I.H.A. exhibition. RUB Motorsport, the dedicated team from Ruhr-Universität Bochum, will be presenting an instructive insight into the international Formula Student.
The Sinsheim Speyer Technology Museums, on the other hand, are commemorating "One hundred years of the 24 Hours of Le Mans" by celebrating this major anniversary in Hall 1. With a Lotus Evora from 2011, they draw attention to their current special exhibition, which runs until next year. Visitors will also get a glimpse of a hot topic that will attract fans to the Technik Museum Sinsheim in 2024: classic tuning. Under the motto "Fascination Tuning: VW vs. Opel - The Carsting", the legendary rivals will compete against each other in a sporty preliminary round at the Classic & Prestige Salon.
Tickets are available in the online shop
Around 500 exhibitors will be present at the Essen Motor Show. Tickets and more information on the festival for sporty vehicles are available on the Essen Motor Show website; a day ticket costs 20 euros.
