Over 65,500 visitors from a staggering 51 countries all descended into Messe Essen’s showground back in April of this year, firmly putting Retro Classics Essen on the map as a must-visit exhibition for the following year. Thankfully, the event organisers barely let the paint dry on their vast array of displays, and went to work on ensuring the consecutive year’s event delivers even more than the last. "A" for Aston Martin to "P" for Porsche, "M" for Manta, all the way to "Z" for Zündapp, that quote from their own marketing campaigns sums up the true variety of classics and collector cars that will arrive in Essen in April of next year.
From the 14 to 18 April 2027, to be exact. That date will see the event return for its second edition, and the ambition hasn't shrunk one bit after a strong debut. The scope remains impeccably broad, pre-war classics sit alongside oldtimers and youngtimers, commercial vehicles get their own dedicated space, and the exclusive Neo Classics segment brings the modern era into the conversation too. It's less a car show in the traditional sense and more a working cross-section of automotive history, laid out across a full working week rather than trying to cram it all into a few days.
Doors open Wednesday 14 April from 1pm to 8pm, allowing keen visitors the chance to get in early and experience the hundreds of cars on display before the event really picks up. Thursday through Sunday, 10am to 6pm each day, giving visitors, buyers, sellers, collectors and restorers a chance to meet, exchange ideas, network, and find the things they didn't even know they were looking for. Anyone who's spent an afternoon wandering a proper parts hall will recognise that last bit as the whole point.
What's most appealing about the format is its variation, allowing for dealers, manufacturers, clubs, journalists and enthusiasts to all be folded into the same halls, rather than taped off into separate trade and public days, meaning the conversations happening on the stands are as much a part of the show as the cars themselves. It's this mix of commerce and community that's helped the fair earn its reputation, in short order, as the premier event for driving culture in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.
For anyone weighing up whether to make the trip, the maths is straightforward: book before 31 December 2026 and a visitor ticket costs €21, against €30 at the door. Given the scope of what's on offer, five days, every era, every corner of the car scene, that's an easy decision to make early!
