Major visitor growth for Classic Expo

Last weekend, several thousand classic vehicle enthusiasts flocked to the exhibition centre in Salzburg for the latest edition of the Classic Expo – the international classic car fair – a show dedicated entirely to automotive history.

Summing up, Managing Director DI (FH) Alexander Kribus, MBA, states: “The show started very promisingly on Friday, and by Sunday evening the event had attracted around 23,000 visitors. The almost 15-percent increase in visitor presence compared to the previous year speaks for itself. Over the years, the Classic Expo has become firmly established within the classic car community. The Salzburg event is now a regular annual fixture among connoisseurs, collectors and hobby mechanics.”

A full house and full halls

This year, almost 400 exhibitors filled ten halls and completely booked out the entire exhibition venue. The show serving ‘the rustiest hobby in the world’ offered everything from luxury dealers to parts suppliers. Elmar Adelsberger from Georg Pappas Automobil GmbH reports: "We can provide a very positive summary of this year’s show. We see that the demand for full and for partial restorations is growing. This year, in terms of orders received, the Classic Expo has been our most successful trade fair.”

Sven Bössow, Managing Director of the Hans-Peter Porsche Traumwerk in Anger, Germany, attended for the first time: “I was very positively surprised. The exhibitors were great, there were rare vehicles not seen like this at other fairs, and a high-quality, interested and knowledgeable audience.”

The Owner of Löhlein Classics, Till von der Hellen, summed up the Austrian nature of the event: “Totally casual!”, and especially appreciated the positive mood and straightforwardness of exhibitors, visitors and the fair team.

The Classic Expo is now a well-established and internationally successful sales platform. There were dealers from Great Britain and Holland present, and some exhibitors travelled several thousand kilometres to attend the classic car fair in Salzburg.

Oliver Bulant, operations manager at Classic Kastberger, praises the show in an international context: "I’ve been involved in various constellations since the show’s beginnings, most recently with a break of five years. In the last 20 years I’ve exhibited internationally, from Essen, Stuttgart, Padua to Paris. It’s always been a great pleasure here, not least because of the perfect, exhibitor-friendly organisation in the run-up to – and on site during – the event. Thank you! We’re always happy to come back!”

There were surprisingly large crowds at this year’s private sales segment as private sellers and their vintage cars filled two expo halls with over 200 vehicles for sale.

Successful auction

A major highlight at the fair was the Saturday afternoon Dorotheum auction. The renowned auction house reported the resale of over 85% percent of the cars up for bids. According to the classic car expert Reinhard Granner: “The fact that so many exhibitis were bought again this year shows demand remains consistently high. Despite the upheavals in current world affairs, the market is stable.” Two keenly-contested sales were a Maserati 3500 GTI from 1962, and a 1940 BMW 327 Coupé. A bright yellow 1957 Lamborghini DL30 CTL was one of the more exotic sales at the auction. The tractor with a chain drive was one of probably only 10 built with the road kit.

Vintage excitement all weekend

In addition to countless exhibits, the Classic Expo provided a fittingly-themed and entertaining side-events programme. Informative presentations and expert discussions were held to deal with all kinds of everyday questions and specific issues faced by classic car owners. Presenting ‘Practical and interesting facts about classic cars and historic vehicles’ the legal department at ÖAMTC Salzburg provided information on topics such as self-imports, vehicle type approval and how professionals get cars ready for winter. The Austrian Motor Veterans Association’s (ÖMVV) youth promotion programme dedicated its ‘StarterMotor’ initiative to the latest generation of classic car enthusiasts, and there were also discussions on trends and innovations in collectors' vehicles.

Since ‘old flames never die’, planning is already underway to light the candles for the 20th anniversary edition of the Classic Expo fair on 18th – 20th October 2024.

SAVE THE DATE

Classic Expo 18 – 20 October 2024