16 Years Classic Expo: Start into Classic Car Autumn!

From 16 to 18 October Messezentrum Salzburg will drive into autumn with the International Classic Car Fair. The comprehensive Covid-19 prevention concept, which has been especially developed for this purpose and closely coordinated with the health authorities, is designed to ensure the highest possible level of safety.

On an area of approximately 40,000m², an Austro-Daimler special show, renowned dealers with exclusive exhibits as well as a top-class classic car auction of Dorotheum auction house will be some of the main attractions. Numerous private sellers offer their youngtimers and classic cars for sale and two halls of “Parts Market” invite friends of historic vehicles to browse. As a side event of the Classic Expo, the popular Salt & Oil Rally already started on Thursday, 15 October. From then the daily starting point is 8 am at the Salzburg Exhibition Center, until Saturday, 17 October. This year marks the highest number of starters ever.

For Alexander Kribus, the Managing Director of Messezentrum Salzburg GmbH, the safety of all parties involved - exhibitors, visitors, partners and employees - is the top priority when organising the International Classic Car Fair: "We can guarantee this safety, in close cooperation with the authorities, by taking all possible measures as organisers. This is achieved, for example, by the obligation to wear a mask, the spacious planning of the exhibition areas and aisles as well as the steering of visitors at the entrance and exit, an excellent infrastructure for air circulation, a tight network of disinfection facilities and a flawless hygiene concept. All this contributes to safety," says Kribus.

"The 16th Classic Expo, with around 300 exhibitors including private sellers on 40,000m², is very well booked, thanks to the Covid-19 prevention concept developed in close cooperation with the health authorities. Thus we can – with special thanks to the measures developed - guarantee the known quality of exhibitors, dealers and private sellers at the Classic Expo," says Maria Kneidl, Classic Expo Project Manager of Messezentrum Salzburg GmbH.

Dorotheum Auction "Classic Vehicles”

In addition to the extensive range of dealer and private vehicles, Dorotheum auction house will again be auctioning off classic vehicles this year. On Saturday, 17 October, 75 cars and 4 two-wheelers will come under the hammer. Several rarities stand out, a Steyr 120 Super Cabriolet, built in 1936, with an estimated value of between 110,000 and 140,000 Euro, and a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, a sports car of a century, built in 1959, equipped with a rare hardtop, with an starting price of 850,000 Euro.

Another eye-catcher comes from the Alfa Romeo collection of a Salzburg businessman - an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Zagato, in the Coda-Tronca version with its characteristic rear end and the extremely rare colour "Celeste". It is one of only about 50 cars built, with an estimated value of up to 700,000 Euros. Five collector's items from the early years of BMW, built between 1928 and 1933, will also be put up for auction, as well as a Lotus Elan, built in 1966, in the same sponsor colours as those of Jochen Rindt's Formula 1 car. The tragic background to the rarity of this car: the Formula 1 winner had an accident with a sports car of this type on 5 September, 1970 in the Royal Park of Monza during training session for the Italian Grand Prix.

Special Exhibition "110 Years of Austro Daimler”

One of the great pioneers in the development of the automobile at the beginning of the 20th century was Ferdinand Porsche, whose innovations advanced mobility. In memory of him, Ernst Piech, grandson of the visionary, founded the “Ferdinand Porsche Erlebniswelten fahr(T)raum” in Mattsee, which now hosts this year's Classic Expo special show with lovingly restored milestones of automotive history. Ferdinand Porsche, the "forefather" of Porsche and VW developed his first cars with Lohner in Vienna and Austro Daimler in Wiener Neustadt. A revolutionary detail that has been forgotten today, even then electric and hybrid engines were installed. Ferdinand Porsche made history with the Austro Daimler "Prinz Heinrich". This is regarded worldwide as the first real sports car. Porsche used a particularly light aircraft engine for this vehicle, with very high power, and in 1911 it set a world speed record of 172 kilometers per hour. The "Kaiserwagen" from 1912 is another one of Ferdinand Porsche's highlights.

Further Inquiries:

Mag. Veronika Krenn

Messezentrum Salzburg GmbH
Am Messezentrum 1
5020 Salzburg, AUSTRIA
T +43 662 24 04 36
M +43 664 88 30 96 50
F +43 662 24 04 20
krenn@messezentrum-salzburg.at