“We are not simply a fair for old metal, but for driving culture”
When, six years ago, Retro Classics moved to Stuttgart’s new exhibition halls, many visitors and exhibitors thought, "This has huge potential". And that suspicion was soon confirmed, with the show selling out every year and bringing more than 1,300 exhibitors and 3,000 vehicles to the 100,000-square-metre exhibition centre. In 2013, there were almost 76,000 visitors to the Stuttgart show.
And what special treats are on offer at Retro Classics this year, to inspire the automotive-savvy audience? For starters, how about the almost-forgotten Stuttgart motorcycle brands Gutbrod and UT? Thomas Schmid of the General Motorcycle Sports Club Leonberg will be bringing around 40 motorcycles and he tells us: “The oldest examples are from the 1920s, some with wooden frames.”
From Erdmann & Rossi to Figoni & Falaschi
Another highlight is the exhibition of luxury German cars from coachbuilder Erdmann & Rossi, manufactured before the war for various royal houses. At Retro Classics, you can see some of the remaining examples, such as the Rolls-Royce Wraith produced from 1938 to 1939, as well as a 1937-built Maybach ‘swing-axle’ SW 38 Cabriolet and a 1929 Mercedes-Benz 630 K. There are also 22 rare automobiles illustrating the famous French car brands: Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye, Talbot, Salmson, Voisin, Hispano-Suiza, Hotchkiss, Lorraine-Dietrich, Panhard et Levassor and Facel-Vega. The exhibits include a blue-on-blue Delahaye 135M from Figoni et Falaschi.
But at Retro Classics, you won’t just find the classics of yesterday, but also those of today and tomorrow. “We are not simply a fair for old metal, but for driving culture,” emphasises show founder Karl Ulrich Herrmann. For example, the special exhibition titled ‘World of Design’ features brand- and product-specific designs that are helping to develop the classics of tomorrow. Meanwhile, in the NeoClassics exhibition area you will see modern classics, sitting next to leading luxury brands and supercar specialists such as VOS (‘Vision of Speed’).
For the younger customer, American classics are proving to be of increasing interest – hence there is an entire hall (5) dedicated to products from the U.S. And then there's Spain, since the Iberian peninsula has so much more to offer than simply sun, sea and Rioja... and so Retro Classics 2014 will be highlighting how a Spanish holiday could be the perfect solution for classic drivers seeking a new and exciting destination.
Photos: Retro Promotion
