javier romagosa
TEXT: JAVIER ROMAGOSA / PHOTOS: RETROMOVIL, MANAGE MOTOR AND UNAI ONA
The classic car show Retromobile held its first edition between the 17th and 19th at IFEMA, the Madrid fairgrounds. It was the new commitment of the company Eventos del Motor, responsible for a good part of the Spanish regional fairs -as is the case of the Malaga, Vigo o Bilbao, among others- and international events such as AutoClassico Porto, in Portugal.
A big stake for which he has wanted to position himself at the height of Classic Auto Madrid, International hall that for the last eight years has been the only one held in the capital. Almost all fans see this competition as something positive that will result in a higher quality of both initiatives, but we have our doubts that, given the proximity of dates -ClassicAuto is held at the end of February-, they can coexist. It is a question that time and convenience will undoubtedly be in charge of solving.
Before continuing to read this chronicle, the reader should bear in mind that Engine Events, like ERMevents -ClassicAuto organizing company and Auto Retro Barcelona, among other events- they are advertisers of 'The Escudería'; also, how much Manage Engine how this magazine came to Retromobile as exhibitors and also as official information coverage of the fair. Saying this is important for a correct journalistic ethics, especially when it is the editor of the medium who writes these lines.
Morgan bodied by Serra. Weird and pretty, right? Hit play!
Retromóvil Madrid 2017, let's get down to business
With the presentation and the pertinent contextualization done, we are going to get down to business. In the first place, we have to reflect that Retromóvil was held in Hall 12 of IFEMA, whose 16.000 square meters were occupied by around 200 exhibitors; that is, it is a living room something smaller than its competitor, which advertises 20.000 m2 and approximately 300 stands. On the other hand, there are those who criticize IFEMA for its coldness, and who praise it for its proximity to the Madrid-Barajas airport; and there are those who question the Glass Pavilion of the Casa de Campo -where ClassicAuto is celebrated- because of its antiquity or those who adore it precisely for the same reason. I am not going to get wet about which location seems better to me because both have their advantages and disadvantages and, after all, they fulfill their function of packaging.
Because what really matters is the display material that is inside. Retromóvil has been able to compensate its less space with some cars that alone justified the general admission of 12 euros. In my opinion, being able to contemplate a Hispano-Suiza Alfonso XIII, a Bugatti Brescia or a Ferrari Daytona properly lit - which are the cars that I like - was worth the ride; but there were also two Pegasus Z-102, two Porsche 911 2.7 RS Carrera, a Citroën 2CV Sahara, a Ford RS200, a Ferrari 308 Vetroresina, a Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa, a Lamborghini Countach, a Porsche 356 A Speedster, two Ferrari 512BB, an F40, a 330 GT, a BMW 327 or two Aston Martin, DB2 / 4 and DB4, among others ...
Tributes for all tastes
For those in love with rarities Retromobile offering A tribute a Peter Sierra, our best bodybuilder, with around 10 units: Three convertibles on a Seat 1400 base in different states of conservation, a Corver convertible on a 600 base, a majestic Rolls-Royce from the Salamanca museum or a Dodge Bulevar sports car, which shone next to the stars of this monographic exhibition, a Morgan and a Pegaso sport. Some we had seen before, others were unpublished; together they represented a good example of the Catalan master's work.
Other thematic exhibitions, As you can see in the photos, they celebrated the 70th anniversary of Ferrari and the Porsche 356, the 90th anniversary of Volvo or the 50th anniversary of the Alpine A110. For lovers of the popular classic, the 60th anniversary of the 600 was celebrated and, above all, of the Seat 124, whose stand was absolutely delicious and which had three exceptional units, among which I highlight here the ex-Zanini coupe. Both events had their corresponding support meeting in the parking lot reserved for concentrations.
Club Zone, Car Corral and Motorcycles
Other pots that in my opinion represented a must they were the Gilbern GT or the Hillman Imp racing that we had on our stand;), and also the Lancia Ardea, the Citroën SM, the Jaguar XK 140 Coupé or the Alfa Romeo off-road that was in the area of clubs and car corral, the latter a very rare piece and that was in an irresistible state of oxidation. For its part, the parking for classics gave me some joy or other thanks to a Facel Vega Facelia that I loved, immersed in an atmosphere of popular in quantity, at least the time I could go out.
Regarding motorcycles, the truth is that I am sorry to leave them for the end of the menu. I don't know much about these precious machines; I have a Montesa Enduro and I spent some years of my childhood between Royal Enfield, BSA, Dunelt, Norton or well-aged Triumphs, but the truth is that I no longer remember anything. I can only say, without wishing to be exhaustive, that, from what has been stated in Retromobile, I found a couple of Harleys first hour, an Indian, a Rudge or a very strange Sanglas de campo.
Spare parts, magazines, miniatures, conferences ...
As for the spare parts The same thing happens to me as with motorcycles, since I was not looking for parts and I do not know for sure what is on offer; but I have the feeling that there were quite a few merchandise stalls, as well as stands related to books, magazines and miniatures. Thus, in general, and again without the intention of being rigorous, it seemed to me that there were enough jobs and very few positions that we usually describe as 'filler'.
During the show they were presented Four books, namely 'Seat, the power of communication', 'Ángel Nieto, the curves of life', 'The Automobile in the History of Spain' y 'African crossing in Seat 600'. All of them gave place to conferences, among which we highlight, for its pleasantness, that of Ramón Roca, author of the third volume reviewed. Likewise, the Spain Classic Rally, new alternative from asphalt to dusty Spain Classic Raid.
In conclusion, a loving slap on the wrist for the organizer: The Volvo expo should have been better, especially if it had a central place at the show; And please, we want to see more industrial and farm classics than just a Porsche tractor. And also an open question to visitors and exhibitors: What did you think of the room? The comments section below is at your disposal ...
