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Retro Classic Stuttgart 2015

The narrator will carry around twenty-five visits to Techno Classica Essen and at least ten to Retro Classics Stuttgart. Since its inception fifteen years ago, Retro Classics has continued to improve, getting closer and closer to Techno Classica in terms of quantity of cars exhibited, quality and careful presentation, as well as the number of visitors.

All these years I have been referring to Retro Classics as an exhibition almost as good, almost as interesting or almost as big as Techno Classica. With the careful evolution and planning of Retro Classics it was clear that the "almost" was going to be lost one day or another.

That moment has come. The recent Retro Classics exhibition in Stuttgart, which took place from March 26 to 29, 2015, is at a height that no longer has anything to envy Techno Classica. On the contrary, the facilities at the Stuttgart fair, located right next door to the city's airport, are much more modern, rational and better conceived than those of its namesake in Essen.

retro classic stuttgart
The reasons for Retro Classics are weighty, of course

Conversely, will we ever say that Techno Classica is almost as interesting as Retro Classics? Time will tell. For now, the Essen fair has approved a project for the total renovation of its facilities for the remodeling of its oldest pavilions. Possibly, the threat from Stuttgart influenced the decision.

For the moment, we will leave the thing in tables, But it is evident that Techno Classica has lost its monopoly of the classical salon in Germany, and by extension in the world, since Stuttgart is increasingly attended by an international audience, not limiting itself, as in its first editions, to being an event predominantly national.

Surely some readers would like to ask me the following question: if I had to choose between visiting only one of the two salons per season, which one would I choose? My answer is that I have never liked to choose and that the maxim always prevails "All or nothing." However, a wise decision would be to visit both of them every other year.

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As we will see next week, Techno Classica also has interesting machinery

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Good connections

Retro Classics has the great advantage that, as I said, Stuttgart airport is right next to the main entrance, while those who come to Techno Classica using the plane have to land in Düsseldorf and continue by train or taxi to Essen.

In favor of Techno Classica they continue to be much higher sales figures to those of any other classic salon in the world, as well as the fact of the largest influx of international public. Proof of this is that the informative posters in Techno Classica are written, with few exceptions, in German and English, while in Retro Classics they are only in the first of these languages ​​except in exhibitions in large museums, such as Porsche or Mercedes Benz.

Another advantage that Retro Classics offers to visitors arriving by car is the ease of parking. In addition to the surface car parks located around the fair and the airport, there is a curious architectural work, worth mentioning, which consists of a gigantic and modern car park building that crosses the highway from side to side, right in front of the main entrance of the fair. Meanwhile, at Techno Classica, those who do not arrive first thing in the morning will have to look for parking very far away, from which it is not possible to go on foot to the hall entrance, being necessary to continue by bus, yes, free.

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The Stuttgart fair was clearly planned and carried out to receive its thousands of visitors in the best conditions, with wide traffic areas between the different pavilions, numerous ticket offices and access points to avoid queues and waiting, the possibility of going out to garden areas from the outside, well-attended restaurants and stalls serving sandwiches and drinks, as well as numerous and spacious toilets in all pavilions - nothing to do, remember, with the outdated Rétromobile toilets.

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What could be seen

Here is the detail of the itinerary that the visitor could take on condition that they wear comfortable shoes and be in good shape to face the many kilometers of travel:

Atrium: Unknown Porsche and Neoclassical Projects.

Pavilion No 1: Internationally prestigious merchants, restaurateurs, accessories, selected fashion, performance of musical groups.

Mezzanine: National merchants, clubs, private exhibitors.

Pavilion No 2: It is renamed "ICS", intended for a conference center.

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retro classic 2015
One of the most extraordinary car parks I have seen in Europe welcomes the Retro Classics visitor

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Pavilion No 3: International merchants. Restorations and accessories.

Hall No. 4: Deservedly named the Porsche Pavilion. Meeting of Porsche Clubs. 30th anniversary of the BMW M5. Exhibition of photos «Stars & Sports Cars».

Pavilion No 5: Cars from the United States and accessories. US fashion.

Pavilion No 6: Baptized as the Oskar Lapp Pavilion. Classic car market. Automania, models, motor literature.

Hall No 7: Mercedes-Benz and clubs. Mercedes-Benz Classic Center. British clubs.

Hall No 8: Motorcycles, trucks, buses.

Hall No 9: 10.500 square meters for spare parts and accessories.

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Mercedes Benz, Das Beste oder Nichts!

Despite the fact that due to space requirements this article will focus from now on the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche brands, the reader should not get the wrong impression that in Retro Classics the other brands are scarce. On the contrary, all the pavilions and exhibition and sales stands are abundantly congested by the most diverse brands, known or unknown, popular or elite, but talking about all of them would take us hours.

One of the favorite cars of the Stuttgart public it's the Mercedes-Benz 300SL, That's right. In its two versions, Gullwing (gull wings) or roadster, the 300SL offers a bulletproof quality and a classicism confirmed by the passage of time. Whoever intends to purchase a 300SL should not do so without going through Stuttgart, in case they want the best. The same disinterested advice works in the case of Porsche, as we'll see later.

Regarding 300SL there is a magic word that is Kienle Its motto is "Das Beste oder Nichts!", which translated into Spanish means "The best or nothing." Indeed, the specialist in the brand Klaus Kienle, based in the vicinity of Stuttgart, offers restorations that have nothing to envy to the cars when they left the factory new.

Those interested, however, should be prepared to shell out a good bundle of money for the car of their dreams. Those who think that a million euros is enough can gradually abandon that idea.

Other specialists at similar levels that could be cited are mechanical, which had one of the best decorated stalls in which old movies were shown on a large mural. As the reader will appreciate, at the time of taking the photo, Albert Neubauer was on the screen. The specialist Arthur Bechtel he was not far behind either and of course HK Engineering he dazzled again with the copies of his exhibition.

retro classic 2015
The 300SL colophon, directly from the Mercedes-Benz Museum collection

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When the visitor thinks that he has already seen everything about 300SL and that it is impossible to find anything better, he is wrong because, shortly afterwards, he will enter the official area of ​​Mercedes-Benz, whose museum always displays some of its pieces . This year the icing on the cake was the blue MB 300SL from 1955, which was presented alongside the experimental C 111 from 1970, in its beautiful orange color.

There were few cars of the brand that appeared in a dilapidated state, to restore. Thanks to the price that good specimens have reached, it is now possible to face restoration work that was not profitable before; This has encouraged fans to "hunt" in car cemeteries, which are no longer called that but have changed their name to "car collections" or "finds." What has been said here is also valid for the section that we will see next about Porsche.

In the chapter on historical cars, a spectacular 1936 Autobahnkurier stood out, of whose history unfortunately nothing was said. The well-known Spanish ophthalmologist Dr Barraquer had one of the few that were manufactured. Disappointment came with the rumor that the car on display was nothing more than a replica.

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The Porsche Universe

At Retro Classics, the visitor encounters a whole Porsche universe. We could say that it is a state within a state, as was once said in Germany about Volkswagen or in Italy about FIAT.

The world of Porsche it would be enough to spend the whole day without seeing anything else, which is why the visitor is advised not to linger too long in the Porsche Pavilion (number 4) or they will not leave there all day. Taking into account that Pavilion No 1 would need several hours to be visited in detail, the reader can get an idea that arriving in Stuttgart with the intention of seeing everything from 9 in the morning to 6 in the afternoon (hours of the show's opening) is an unrealizable mission.

In this article I will cite a very small part, although I hope it is the most interesting, of the Porsches that you could admire, even buy, provided you had a bag of tennis rackets or golf clubs full of money.

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In the order of the route, the first thing that the visitor found this year was the Atrium, with six Porsche projects of which some of them never went beyond the prototype state.

It was curious to admire the body study for the 959, entirely made of plastic and with annotations by the designers' hand indicating the corrections to be made. At the Porsche Museum booth there was a production 959, which we can compare with the prototype. Observe in the photos that the public can get as close as they want to the exposed cars, without barriers or impediments to keep them away.

Another project to highlight is the so-called 1973 Langzeit-Auto (long-life car), with a rear engine, of course. The planned 4 cc 2.500-cylinder could launch the car at a speed of 160 km / h. The conservative figures were in benefit of the life of the mechanical components.

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retro classic 2015
Devin, the poor man's Porsche 550?

The Mirbach firm exhibited two curiosities: a 1955 Glöckler Porsche and a 1957 Devin Porsche, destined to be cheap versions of the Porsche 550. In a nearby stall was a Formula 804 1 (1962) that recalled the brand's adventure in Scorable Grand Prix for the F1 world championship.

The Porsche Museum also brought to Retro Classics the gift that the factory employees gave to Ferry Porsche when he turned 80, a nice concept car based on the 964 but with a unique body baptized Panamericana in which some saw the origin of the Panamera. As required, the car is green, as were all Ferry Porsche personal cars.

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Other brands

The Ferrari 250 GT Boano has always been considered a second-row car and was not one of the most economically sought after. However, it is a surprise to see that its price now stands at 1.250.000,00 euros. Two Boanos were located a few meters from each other.

Abroad, a large area is reserved for individuals who wish to put their cars up for sale. An Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint was for sale for 14.000,00 euros, including a ton of oxide.

As the positions are so many and so careful, it is difficult to highlight one in particular. As an example, just look at the Lotus 11 in a very appropriate setting.

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What do you think?

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Written by mario laguna

Mario Laguna, author of the book "The Pegaso Adventure", scholar and observer of the history of motor racing, brands and characters. Regular visitor to automobile competitions, whether of current or historical categories, international contests of elegance, lecturer ... Read more

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