From November 20 to 24, 2019, Motorworld Classics Berlin will be transformed into a hotspot for motorsport fans. The special motorsport show will feature exceptional racing cars and rare formula cars. One highlight is the Melkus RS1000, the so-called "Ferrari of the East", which is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. Motorworld Classics Berlin will also be welcoming European Rally Champion Armin Schwarz as a special guest - he will be bringing his impressive Trophy Truck from off-road racing, with which he won the Baja 1000 last year.
The Melkus RS1000 celebrates its 50th birthday
The Melkus company from Dresden shows that beautiful sports cars were also built in East Germany with a great deal of love and commitment. In 1969, Heinz Melkus launched the legendary and hand-built RS1000, the first and only road-legal racing car in the GDR. Only 101 of these vehicles were produced.
Around 90 cars still exist today. The GDR cult car with a mid-engine and fiberglass-reinforced polyester body is particularly notable for its gullwing doors and its extremely low position with only ten centimetres of ground clearance. The engine and chassis came from the Wartburg 353. The standard version of the two-seater has 75 hp and a top speed of around 165 km/h. The racing version has around 100 hp and a top speed of around 200 km/h. Even today, around three original RS1000s are still built to order every year.
In 2009, Melkus presented the new interpretation, the RS2000, of which 18 were built.
Armin Schwarz with Trophy Truck
As a special guest, Motorworld Classics Berlin will be welcoming German rally driver Armin Schwarz on November 22 and 23 at 12 noon and 3 p.m. respectively. Visitors can also look forward to seeing one of his impressive Trophy Trucks, which the rally driver will be bringing along to the special show.
Armin Schwarz has long been a familiar face in rally and off-road racing - both nationally and internationally. Last year, he celebrated victory in the Legends Class at the Baja 1000 in Mexico, which is one of the longest and toughest car and motorcycle races in the world. In 1987 and 1988, Armin Schwarz became German Rally Champion, in 1991 he celebrated his greatest success as winner of the Rally Spain, and in 1996 he also became European Champion.
Schleizer Dreieck with MT 77
The Schleizer Dreieck race track is also represented at the special show and has some interesting vehicles on display, including an MT 77, also from Melkus.
The car was developed and built in 1977 by racing drivers Ulli Melkus and Hartmut Thaßler, whose vehicle will be on display with the legendary starting number 92. The car's name is made up of the initials of the two drivers, the 77 stands for the year of release. The aerodynamics of the bodywork were almost revolutionary for its time and the means and possibilities available in the GDR at the time. It was powered by the modified engine of the Lada 1300, which had been upgraded to approx. 140 hp. The gearbox came from the Wartburg 311. The MT 77 won numerous GDR championship titles.
DTM racing cars and classic car trackdays
The Motorsport Arena Oschersleben is also present as a race track. It has two real eye-catchers with it, provided by Mücke Motorsport Classic: an Alfa Romeo 155 V6 TI DTM. The 420 hp racing car was driven by racing driver Christian Danner in 1994. A Ford Capri RS3100 Cosworth from 1974, which Niki Lauda and Klaus Ludwig also drove during their active time, will also be on display.
The company "Oldtimer Trackdays" will also be presenting itself. If you want to take your classic car to the racetrack, this is the right place for you. Oldtimer Trackdays offers owners of classic cars and youngtimers the opportunity to enjoy a sporty drive on selected racetracks. They are bringing a classic Mini Cooper and a prototype racing car to Berlin.
Three wheels and four world records
Udo Wollbrink's three-wheeled cycle car, a genuine world record vehicle, will be on display at the special show. He, two Czechs and an Englishman made motorsport history with this extraordinary racing vehicle in 1989 on the race track in Most, Czech Republic. The four men set a total of four world records with their vehicle, which reached speeds of up to 160 km/h - the six-hour, 12-hour, 24-hour and 1000-kilometer world records. Even if it was close: they crossed the finish line on just one cylinder and with only a glass of gas in the tank.
Further information
Further information can be found on the Motorworld Classics website.
