The Bremen Classic Motorshow will feature two special shows from February 2 to 4, 2024: Lancia and mopeds
Lancia - performance, luxury, passion
Visitors to the Bremen Classic Motorshow can look forward to twelve legendary Lancia automobiles from the over 100-year history of the legendary car manufacturer from Turin. The Lancia designs from the 1920s to 1960s, which were technically ahead of their time, as well as the models that achieved numerous victories in motorsport between 1974 and 1994, will be on display in Hall 5: a magnificent selection of the Italian brand that you rarely get to see!
The Lambda and Astura models represent the two decades before the Second World War. The Lambda, launched in 1923, in particular, shows why Lancia was also known as the "brand of engineers". Equipped with independent front suspension and hydraulic shock absorbers, the Lambda was one of the first production vehicles with a self-supporting body and was celebrated for its progressive design.
Equipped with many technical innovations, the Aurelia (from 1950) and the Flaminia (from 1957) were named after historic roads. The stars and starlets of the 1950s and 1960s loved to be seen behind the wheel of these two models.
The wedge-shaped Stratos and the 037 in the road version will also be on show in Bremen. With the rally versions Stratos HF and the revised Rally 037 model, the Lancias were very successful in the one-make world championship. Walter Röhrl described the 037 model as his favorite car. The Lancia Delta Integrale, which can also be admired in Bremen, is still regarded as the most successful rally car of all time. With different drivers, the Delta Integrale won the one-make world championship six times in a row.
Class 4 mopeds - a shot glass full of dynamism
For many, it was the entry into mobility: mopeds with 50cc and the class 4 driving license meant the first great freedom and miles of adventure on two wheels in the 1970s. The exhibition is being created in cooperation with the PS.SPEICHER and several North German collectors.
Until the end of the seventies, the high-speed 50cc machines with buzzing cooling fins and shrill two-stroke sound could still be seen and heard on every corner. They sped along the streets of towns and villages with their mostly half-strong riders. The "unleashed mopeds" were the most exciting motorized vehicles for those born between 1940 and 1965. Whether in the schoolyard, at a disco or at school - anyone who rode up on a "Class IV" 50 had made it. "For many people, these machines were their introduction to motorized transportation," says Frank Ruge, project manager of the Bremen Classic Motorshow. "That's why the models still evoke so many memories and emotions today."
After a period of oblivion in the 1980s and 1990s, the turn of the millennium saw a renaissance of the small powerhouses among collectors. Today, connoisseurs are once again enjoying the technical brilliance and motorcycle-like design of the slim "Rennerle". The mopeds were already unique; never again has there been a vehicle class for young people whose only limitation was engine capacity. With an engine size of just 50cc, the regulators believed that teens couldn't ride too fast anyway. Wrong thinking!
The competition from mopeds not only spurred on the engine designers, but also the sales staff, sportsmen and test riders of both brands to optimize the bikes every year. As a result, the mopeds became serious smaller motorcycles that could compete with much larger machines in terms of robustness and performance. The "big three" in particular - the manufacturers Hercules/Sachs, Zündapp and Kreidler - also fought for market leadership on race courses or off-road tracks.
Historically, there were also the cheaper models from the mail-order companies, the exotic models from Swabia and the imports from Japan and Austria. The special show therefore also includes mopeds from Garelli, Maico, Yamaha, Honda and Puch. For teens with special tastes, there were mopeds in the form of scooters, represented in Bremen by the Vespa 50 RS. The GDR also jumped on the bandwagon. The Classic Motorshow in Bremen shows the Sperber from Simson as an example.
Once upon a time, a moped was the only way for 16- and 17-year-olds to legally ride faster than 40 km/h. No wonder that even young fans of rebellious singers Peter Kraus and Ted Herold lusted after Kreidler Florett and Gritzner Monza. Almost 20 years later, the young listeners of Sweet and Led Zeppelin were riding Hercules K 50 RL and Zündapp KS 50. The special motorcycle exhibition at the Bremen Classic Motorshow brings these decades back to life.
Of course, there will be much more to see at the Bremen Classic Motorshow, the special shows are just the icing on the cake.
Further information can be found on the website of the classic car show.
