The performance show of the automotive classic world is imagined to be larger, more impressive and more varied in 2023, but trade fairs are now more difficult than ever across all sectors. Even if the freshly polished old and youngtimers in the ten Grugahallen are still desirable, the Techno Classica is almost as old as most of the vehicles that proudly present themselves with their owners on it. The car fans are overwhelmed in Essen – once again – and as you know it. 60 years of the Mercedes 600, 100 years of the MG, a wooden Morris, the cool Jensen Interceptor or an untinkered Austin Healy 100 BN2 with a unique racing history – the mobile material that can be admired at Techno Classica 2023 is admittedly a show. A few halls down is a white VW Beetle convertible in new condition for almost 90,000 euros or the favorite pagoda of AMG founder Werner Aufrecht in a pretty metallic green. Here a garage find, there a VW basic transporter of the type EA 489, the hard-working ant or a Citroen SM emergency doctor vehicle – here you can dream.
The major European classic car dealers are represented at the Gruga, as are some car brands with their classic car departments. More than ever, the fan clubs and interest groups are now in the foreground, because for them the Techno Classica is still a big deal. Many manufacturers have turned their backs on the classic car fair and those who still exhibit have mostly become noticeably smaller. And that in a classic market that is still booming despite all the noticeable fluctuations. The range of vehicles is gigantic with officially declared 2,700 vehicles – from the beige Mercedes 450 SL from 1973 to the grass-green Porsche 911 2.7 to the modern Morgan three-wheeler or a BMW 2002 Turbo – legends of automotive passion.
But as an international scene meeting point, the trade fair lacks the right clou to attract new, fresh visitors. The reason for the apparent stagnation of Techno Classica is by no means the reduced interest in the automotive gems of the past decades – on the contrary. It is the trade fair concept itself, because anyone who sees how the worldwide classic events have developed in recent years has long felt that a normal off-the-shelf trade fair is no longer what future classic car fans want to experience. Main problem: For many car enthusiasts, classic cars don’t belong in a boring hall with artificial light – parked close together with other classic cars, each of which is a real show in its own right. But many Techno Classica stands are a bit like an old shoe store with display areas and shelves like they were from the 1970s. It’s not the sheer mass of fancy vehicles that counts, it’s all about a contemporary staging that makes you want to see the desirable classics that depict a good piece of automotive history. How something like this can succeed has been shown for years by the Monterey Autoweek in August, the small but fine classic meeting on Amelia Island in Florida in March or the Concours d’Elegance, which together with the Fuori Concorso forms a Como Carweek – held every year in May – wants to molt.
Techno Classica wants to be a little bit of everything. Renowned scene meeting place, respected sales fair, international fan meeting place, high-volume parts market and, quite incidentally, the shining business card for large classic car dealers and the car manufacturers themselves – a concept that has not completely become obsolete, but urgently needs to be revised. In order to arouse real emotions, the classics that are well worth seeing and that are exhibited in Essen on the 120,000 square meters are no longer enough. What is missing are modern entertainment, auctions, shows on colorful stages, design talks, workshops and probably also an area where the cars can be admired in motion. Events such as the Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, the Porsche Reunion in Laguna Seca, the Goodwood Revival or the Le Mans Classic show how this works.
