AMK Classic Car Day at De Kar: just go, just look, just old junk in the wild

Sometimes an event doesn't need to be bigger, tighter, or slicker to be appealing. Sometimes it is just enough to have a parking lot, a decent cup of coffee, some like-minded people, and a line of classics you can walk through without any hassle. That is exactly why the AMK Oldtimer Day on Saturday, March 28, at roadside restaurant De Kar in Klarenbeek is such a welcome addition to the calendar. The format is clear once again: from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, the focus there is on classic cars, motorcycles, and other vehicles with character, without concours stress and without excessive protocol. This is the second edition of the event. 

That “second edition” is not just a detail, by the way. The first AMK Oldtimer Day, on October 4, 2025, at the same location, proved to be an instant hit. Despite the yellow weather warning and certainly not postcard-perfect weather, the turnout was good, and the prevailing sentiment was that it was exactly right: no jury tables, no hectic schedules, but a relaxed day full of stories, technology, recognition, and encounters between people who need only half a glance at a fender. At the time, there was a strong emphasis on a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, and it is precisely words like that that stick, because they usually say more than any brochure text. 

For this spring edition, the formula seems to have been cleverly extended. Participants can park on the grounds of De Kar starting at 10 a.m. Not just to look and move on, but to linger a bit. Another walk past the cars. Just a quick chat about that difficult parts supply situation. One more coffee. Or something stronger, depending on how the day goes and who you run into.

De Kar is a fitting place for that, by the way. Precisely because it is a location where all sorts of people mingle: families, businesses, truckers, lunch crowds, and people just dropping in for coffee. The place profiles itself as old-fashioned and cozy, open seven days a week, with a terrace, a famous meatball, and enough space so you don't have to be bumper to bumper. For a classic car day, that is actually better than a gleaming event hall. Classics belong outside, with a bit of wind around the car and conversations that arise naturally. 

What makes this day particularly appealing is that the threshold remains low. The event website explicitly states that visitors can drop by for free. There is even a free ticket offering a free second coffee, and these kinds of little touches fit well with the atmosphere AMK is apparently aiming for here.

There is something else nice about this day as well. The year-of-model limit is 2000, so the field won't just be filled with pre-war pride or chrome from the sixties, but likely also with cars and motorcycles just starting to feel the status of a “classic.” That often makes for a more enjoyable scene than a strictly defined vintage car event. A neat Brit next to a used German youngtimer, a French eccentric near a motorcycle where you can still just smell the scent of this morning’s ride… that mixed field makes a day like this livelier. And if the first edition showed anything, it is precisely that mix of vehicles and stories that carries the event.

So, anyone in the mood for an unadorned Saturday, but with vintage technology, sophisticated banter, and the comforting realization that not everything in life needs to be curated, can simply head to Klarenbeek at the end of this week. Not because they have to. Precisely because it doesn't seem to require any fuss. And that is exactly where the charm lies.

Information

The AMK Classic Car Day is on Saturday, March 28, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at roadside restaurant De Kar, Zutphenseweg 17, 7382 AJ in Klarenbeek. Participation is free. Visitors are welcome free of charge. A free ticket for “2nd coffee free” is also listed on the website.