Retro Classics is celebrating its 25th anniversary in Stuttgart from February 19 to 22, 2026 and is presenting itself in a particularly diverse way to mark its milestone birthday. Big names, striking brand anniversaries and emotional special shows will once again make the trade fair the central meeting point for classic car fans, collectors and automobile enthusiasts.
Anniversaries and special shows
The special show "Hans im Glück - HH 97" in the central atrium at the East Entrance will be an emotional focal point. It commemorates the life's work of Hans Herrmann, one of the most important German racing drivers of the post-war era and Le Mans winner in 1970. With the support of the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche museums, his motorsport legacy will be impressively honored.
In Premium Hall 1, the focus is on the motorsport DNA of the Porsche brand with "Raceborn - 75 Years of Porsche Motorsport". This area is complemented by two fixed program items for the anniversary: on Thursday, 19 February, the Retro Night invites visitors to celebrate together from 6 pm. On Saturday, February 21, at 3 p.m., the Classicbid Live Auction will provide excitement when selected classic cars are auctioned off. In the gallery of Hall 1 and in Hall 8, the popular vehicle sales fair also offers a large selection of classic and modern classics.
A stark contrast follows with the diversity in Hall 3: American automotive culture with classic trucks, dragsters, elegant coupés and well-known movie cars meets modern performance in the special Corvette show by Geiger Cars. At the same time, the "JDM Tuning & Motorsport" exhibition will be drawing a bow to Japanese cult vehicles of the 1990s and bringing fresh scene impulses to the trade fair with Supra, Skyline, NSX and Evo.
Motorsport history on two wheels takes center stage in Hall 5. The special show "Racing motorcycles of the Solitude era" presents historic machines from more than a century of racing. The theme is complemented by an authentically staged historical accident scene by the Stuttgart Police Historical Association, which provides a thought-provoking look at traffic history.
Major brand anniversaries will characterize the presentation in Hall 7, with the BMW Classic & Type Clubs celebrating 40 years of the BMW M3, 50 years of the BMW 6 Series, 60 years of the BMW 02 and 110 years of BMW. The anniversary panorama is complemented by 40 years of the Opel Omega A and 60 years of the Opel Rekord C. The large parts market in Hall 9 rounds off the offer for collectors and mechanics.
Anniversary Hall 10 will provide the emotional finale with the large special exhibition "Colors of Racing". Here, over 30 original historic racing cars tell motorsport history through color - from national racing colors such as silver, Rosso Corsa or British Racing Green to iconic sponsor liveries. Rally, short and long-distance vehicles, accompanied by drivers, talk rounds and autograph sessions, bring the exhibition to life. Part of the hall will also showcase selected historic commercial vehicles, including some from the Auwärter automobile park.
The anniversary will be rounded off by the popular classic car parking on P27 at the West Entrance, which will make even the journey with your own classic car an experience. Retro Classics 2026 combines history, technology and emotion - and impressively demonstrates why it has been setting standards for 25 years.
Further information on the Retro Classics website.
