The news has been circulating in forums and on club websites for a few days now. Retro Classics Cologne, planned for November 14 to 17, 2019, has been canceled.
Exhibitors were already informed of this on June 23, 2019.
Scheduling difficulties
Project manager Thomas Hientz from Retro Classics let us know:
"Unfortunately, due to ongoing scheduling difficulties, it is not possible for us to hold Retro Classics Cologne at an adequate level of quality this year.
In 2019, we could only be offered a date on which the Sunday would once again fall on a public holiday - Memorial Day. This would again entail considerable restrictions in terms of Sunday sales and opening hours for visitors.
The district government still does not agree to a complete opening of the trade fair on this Sunday. Under these circumstances, we unfortunately had to decide to cancel the event completely in the interests of the exhibitors, as no corresponding permits are issued for new trade fairs without grandfathering. Trade fairs that have been established for years are allowed to take place. We were not given a reason for this. This is contrary to our philosophy, because "where it says 'retro' on it, there must be 'retro' in it"!
We very much regret this step, as we are still convinced of Cologne as a trade fair location. We will of course keep you informed about further developments for the coming year."
No direct replacement
Of course, it is a shame that the trade fair in Cologne, the home of Ford Germany, can no longer take place. Retro Classics Bavaria in Nuremberg is still available as an alternative, but for many exhibitors this is probably not an option for reasons of distance.
