BEST CARS FROM STUTTGART SHOW
Stuttgart’s four-day classic show is bigger than ever – and its organisers say it’s still expanding
Arip-roaringly successful Retro Classics saw visitor numbers peak at 90,000 in what is being dubbed as the best show yet.
5000 square metres were added to the show, and this year a special exhibition – ‘Passione Italiana’ – showcased a selection of illustrious Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Maseratis. But the might of more familiar Italian classics like Fiat Dinos, Lancia Integrales, and Alfa Romeo 1300 Juniors stole much of the limelight, along with a one-off Lancia Fulvia and a supercharged Lamborghini tractor.
More than 1550 exhbitors and 3500 cars and motorcycles packed in to Stuttgart’s Messe. In a press conference before the event, show boss Karl-Ulrich Herrmann mused that German classic car values are levelling out. Clearly he didn’t tell the dealers – high mark ups filled the halls, including an array of € 250k (£216k) Porsche 911s.
Elsewhere, Youngtimers were out in full force. The atrium was brimming with modern classic BMWs, Mercedes and Porsches. Herrmann says that pre-war cars made up around 50 per cent of the cars on show in the first show – whereas this year it was closer to five per cent, reflecting Germany’s changing market.
BMW stole some of the limelight from Porsche and Mercedes-Benz this year. BMW’s Stuttgart division and a collection of clubs put on a dazzling and diverse display of cars, ranging from a well used 840, to a mint-condition, one-owner fromnew E3 2500, with plenty of 5-series and 3-series stunners in the mix too.
Such was the success of this year’s show that organisers are planning to add another exhibition hall to the event for 2018 in a bid to keep growing numbers of showgoers happy.