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Automotive Lifestyle
VINTAGE: Collector-Car Fair Is World’s Biggest
German city hosts massive old-car trade show featuring auto companies as well as top dealers and vendors.
Wouter Melissen  | http://www.ultimatecarpage.com  |  Posted April 19, 2010   Essen (GE)
Alfa Romeo displays two examples of the 1951 Formula 1 World Championship-winning 159 Alfettas, one with all its panels removed to show its construction. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
The annual Techno Classica show in Essen is the world's largest trade fair for classic cars and accessories. Each year the vast Messe Essen exhibition center is filled to capacity; there are even cars on display in the parking lots surrounding the dozen halls.

The BMW 328 MM Touring Berlinetta that won the 1940 Brescia Grand Prix is shown with the fifth-place 328 MM Roadster. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
The 2010 edition featured 1,100 exhibitors from over 30 countries. These ranged from major manufacturers to specialists in such obscure parts as trafficators. Over a four-day period, a staggering 170,000 visitors flocked to the German city.

Much of the first hall was filled by Mercedes-Benz and associated dealers and clubs. The German manufacturer used the occasion to celebrate 100 years of Mercedes sports cars. The centerpiece of the vast display was the company's latest sports car, the SLS AMG. It was surrounded by an impressive circle of older examples that included a very rare SSK, a 300 SL Gullwing and a CLK-GTR road car.

In addition to the production sports cars, Mercedes-Benz brought several concept cars, such as the C111 built in 1969 and fitted with a rotary engine and the C112 of 1991 vintage, which was the company's first serious attempt to build a supercar.

At the other end of the complex, BMW and MINI were also well represented. The two manufacturers marked the introduction of the latest generation 5-Series and Clubman with several past models.

The main theme of BMW display was the 70th anniversary of the win in the 1940 Brescia Grand Prix, which replaced the Mille Miglia that year. The victorious 328 MM Touring Berlinetta and the fifth placed 328 MM Roadster were proudly displayed. In addition, BMW brought a standard 328 and a perfect replica of the legendary Buegelfalte (Trouser Crease) roadster that had won its class in the Mille Miglia a few years earlier. Our eye was also firmly caught by the brightly liveried 320 Turbo Group 5 car, which was used in the 1979 season.

A rare Volkswagen-based Rometsch Beeskow cabriolet is featured on a turntable along with the coupe version. (PHoto: Wouter Melissen)
Volkswagen and its subsidiaries brought enough cars to fill an entire hall. Audi marked the 30th anniversary of the quattro with a display of road, racing and rally cars that had successfully employed the all-wheel drive system. Across the isle there was an interesting display of early Volkswagen Beetles and Porsche 356s with custom coachwork. Featured on turntables were coupe and cabriolet versions of the very rare Volkswagen-based Rometsch Beeskow.

Bugatti brought a Veyron and a Type 57 S Atalante in the same black-and-yellow color scheme as well as a bright-yellow EB 110 SS.

Celebrating the company's centenary, Alfa Romeo brought some of the finest machines from their Museo Storico to Techno Classica. Tucked away in the corner were two examples of the 1951 Formula 1 World Championship winning 159 Alfettas. One was fully clothed while the other had all it panels removed to enable the visitors to really appreciate the intricate and complicated design that had its origins nearly 15 years before the cars last won a race.

Also present was one of the hugely sophisticated 155 DTM cars that had so beautifully outrun the German manufacturers in their national championship.

The majority of the more-than one-million square-foot space was reserved for second-hand car dealers. What they had on offer ranged from mere wrecks to pristine classics and hugely sophisticated Formula 1 cars. Some decided to make the most of their allocated space by squeezing as much cars on the stands as possible, while others opted for quality over quantity.

An original Jaguar C-type sports racer leads the display mounted by British restoration and brokerage company Hall & Hall. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
Swiss broker Lukas Huni certainly fell in the latter category with his tasteful display of cars. Quite a few of these would have been familiar to those that had also visited the Retromobile show in Paris in January.

Among the newcomers was an immaculate Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France that had been delivered new to noted Hollywood film director John Sturgis. In the silver Ferrari he proved as capable behind the wheel as he was behind the camera, scoring numerous victories in 1958 and 1959 at such legendary tracks as Laguna Seca and Road America.

For their first appearance at the show, British restorers and traders Hall & Hall pulled out all the stops. Actually, we would have been disappointed if they had not. Rightfully placed on a slight pedestal was the Sokol Grand Prix car built by former Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz engineers for the son of Joseph Stalin immediately after World War II.

The car has often been dubbed wrongly as the Auto Union E-Type, but clear Mercedes-Benz input shows, especially in the engine and rear suspension. Not helping is the Auto Union label on its nose, which the Hall & Hall people had not had time for to remove.

Rare Formula 1 cars were prominently displayed and included the unique BRM P115 'H16', a Lotus 33 Climax and the 'tea-tray' March 711 Cosworth.

A Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France is one of the latest offerings displayed by Swiss broker Lukas Huni. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
Although RM Auctions is not strictly speaking a dealer, the company displayed its wares at Techno Classica. Among them were several of the most exciting lots to be sold at the upcoming Monaco sale. The star attraction was the actual 328 Buegelfalte Roadster of which BMW was displaying the exact replica. With an estimate of around $9 million, it is the most highly valued car in the auction.

Further cars of note lined up in the dealer jungle were the Benetton B188 Ford, Matra MS120C and Porsche 911 GT1, all brought by newly established company Art & Revs, The Fine Automobiles Gallery. American dealer Hyman brought what we presume is a very late Duesenberg, but unfortunately no further information was available on the stand.

The same hall also housed the Movendi stand, which sported two beautiful OSCAs: an MT4 that came 10th in the 1954 Mille Miglia and a later Zagato-bodied 1600 GT.

There were years that the Techno Classica was all quantity at the expense of the quality, but that certainly was not the case in 2010. While the much smaller Retromobile show often provides something special around every corner, this year's Techno Classica had at least a handful of spectacular cars in every hall. This was due in part to the remarkably strong manufacturer presence and some very impressive dealer displays.

For a 100-shot slideshow, see Techno Classica photo gallery.

Read more articles like this at Ultimatecarpage.com.

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Wouter Melissen

UltimateCarPage.com

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