Essen, Germany? Well, think of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, but east of Paris, France, about five hours and 300 miles. Then consider Retromobile, except Techno Classica is four times larger, staged in a million square feet in 20 expo halls plus outdoor display areas accommodating 2,500 cars, 1,000 manufacturers, brokers, vendors, and clubs for five days. This, the 19th Annual Techno Classica Essen describes itself as “The World’s Fair” of important and collectible automobiles and motorcycles ― attended by 154,000 enthusiasts!

The biggest exhibitors are manufacturers like Alfa, Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes, and Porsche ― represented by truckloads of their museum’s collections in grandiose exhibits, some in a hall all to themselves, some with concept and new model introductions.

"The prime dealers and brokers were all smiles but caught short ― too many customers for certain cars ...

This competitiveness and economic sunshine will raise all classics in favor here because the Euro is now king."      

Their counterparts are dioramas and displays of cars stages by 50 clubs, followed by even more elaborate dioramas presented by model makers. Competing for top honors are the concourse-worthy displays of the major broker/dealers, auction houses and event sponsors like the Tazio Nuvolari Museum. Then add the likes of Bosch and Bilstein with historical exhibits and technical support; restoration shops, a school, and guilds with live technique demos; tire, wheel, and watch manufacturers; tools, equipment, and used and restored parts, niche apparel and accessory vendors; vintage rally and tour operators; even the DB car train; and the small business man with collectibles ― all there to be noticed, to network, and do a little or a lot of retail to cover their costs or kick start their year.

BMW Isetta exposed to illustrate the club's body work seminars

Some of the many exhibit halls at Techno Classica,

all of which are very elaborately furnished

What’s hot? The Euro, the British pound, and fine cars. What’s cold here? American muscle cars.  Ask yourself, is a Hemi Cuda really worth that much more than a Porsche 911 RSR? Yes, they used to be in Arizona, sometimes in another State ― but anywhere else? However they still love American chrome and are starting to really appreciate Corvettes over here. The competence of the C-6 and victories at Le Mans finally did the trick, though the C-1 is still a nice joke.

They won’t pay an American’s premium for the big block or matching numbers though. The European Classic Corvette Collectors club displayed two coupes, a '67 built with the big tank and a ’64 built for Switzerland with some very rare parts and features ― body and chassis separated for restoration. Some of the other local clubs with displays of significant American cars include Buick, Cadillac, Cobra, Mustang, Thunderbird, and Studebaker marques. And there was the German Street Car & Bike Magazine ― with circulation over 20,000 ― with a display of a dozen cars replicating a drive-in circa 1963.

The prime dealers and brokers were all smiles but caught short ― too many customers for certain cars. Missed-buy opportunities are becoming frequent. This competitiveness and economic sunshine will raise all classics in favor here because the Euro is now king.

And what classics are in favor? The best bets still are on museum pieces and race cars, but I predict the coming surge will be with significant cars that are enjoyable conveyances for motoring in the myriad of rallies and tours they do so well over here. And this time around our object of desire is morphing into a solid hedge on the dollar too.

A web album with 51 photos and slide show function can be viewed online.

This report was edited then published as "Essen: Retromobile x 4" in Sports Car Market (July 2007, pages 46 and 47).

Alfa Romeo was one of a half dozen manufacturers that brought valuable cars from their museums