Classic car fans will get their money's worth at Motorworld Classics Berlin from November 20 to 24, 2019: the special show on Berlin automobile construction will present automotive masterpieces that rolled off the production line in the capital during the "Golden Twenties". Because what many people don't know: Berlin was once home to the country's largest car manufacturing companies. Highlights include an Ego 4/14 PS from 1922 and a 1920 BOB Sport - the last in the world.
Silicon Valley from and in Germany
"At the beginning of the 1920s, Berlin was the Silicon Valley of automotive engineering - in terms of technology, just like the internet or computer industry today, the whole world looked to the capital. It's hard to imagine that there were 200 vehicle companies here alone, not counting the engine and motorcycle manufacturers," explains Ulf Schulz, Project Manager of Motorworld Classics Berlin. In cooperation with the German Museum of Technology in Berlin and the PS.Speicher Einbeck, the special show will present historic cars and motorcycles from this period, most of which are not normally accessible to the public.
The last Ego 4/14 PS and other rarities
One of the stars of the exhibition is an Ego 4/14 PS from the Berlin Ego-Werke from 1922. The brand achieved greater fame in 1923 when the legendary racing driver Rudolf Caracciola drove his first victory in the Avus race in an Ego. The car on display at Motorworld Classics Berlin is the only remaining example in the world. Another absolute rarity is the AGA Type A 16/20 PS from the Berliner Aktiengesellschaft für Automobilbau, also from the 1920s. The production of AGA cars reached relatively high numbers, and the cars from the Lichtenberg factories with their distinctive pointed radiators, angular doors and angular fenders flew the flag throughout Germany.
Other highlights include a NAG Type C4, which was launched in 1920 by the Berlin car manufacturer NAG, and an old D-wheel cab from Deutsche Industriewerke, which was based in Berlin-Spandau at the time - in the 1920s, these cab motorcycles were part of Berlin's cityscape.
Also the last of its kind: BOB Sport
In cooperation with PS.Speicher Einbeck, the special exhibition will showcase other rarities such as a BOB Sport from 1920. The car, which was manufactured by the BOB Automobilgesellschaft in Berlin-Charlottenburg between 1920 and 1925 and had a four-cylinder engine from Siemens & Halske, achieved numerous successes in the small car races on the Avus at the time. This example is probably the only surviving BOB in the world.
Another eye-catcher brought along by PS.Speicher is a motorcycle: a 1929 Württembergia 350 Blackburne OHV. Given the brand name and the brand logo, nobody thinks of Berlin as the production site for these motorcycles. However, the four-strokes equipped with British Blackburne engines from 1929 were built in the middle of the capital, around two kilometers from today's Tiergarten.
International location with automotive history
Motorworld Classics Berlin is much more than just a car show with exhibits from the past. With the unique ambience of the historic halls of Messe Berlin, the look and feel of the good old days and an entertainment program, it is a lifestyle event for the whole family and a journey into the past. In addition to the Berlin automotive industry, highlights include other special shows on the themes of motorsport and US cars & lifestyle. Two-wheeler enthusiasts can once again look forward to special motorcycle highlights in 2019, and the popular parts market, where spare parts, accessories and automobilia are on offer, will also take place again. For the first time this year, Motorworld Classics Berlin will open its doors at the same time as the BOOT & FUN BERLIN boat and leisure trade fair, offering visitors the best of both worlds: Mobility on land and on water.
The location of Motorworld Classics Berlin can actually look back on a great automotive history. Germany's first international motor car exhibition was held in the capital in 1899. In addition, Berlin and Brandenburg were once home to the largest automobile manufacturing companies in the country and there were many small, innovative automobile manufacturers and coachbuilders here. In the Roaring Twenties, motorcycles were also in demand as an inexpensive alternative to the automobile. More than a hundred motorcycle factories were founded in Berlin at this time.
Further information
Further information can be found on the Motorworld Classics website.
