Bremen Classic Motor Show 2023. Record number of visitors, patience rewarded

After three years of waiting, the time has finally come. The Bremen Classic Motor Show was open to the public again. The organizers had filled the COVID-19 gap in 2021 and 2022 with online shows, and they were successful. But nothing beats visiting an event yourself, especially when it comes to that traditionally wonderful fair in Bremen. Expectations were extra high for this year after the long wait. And these came true.

Whoever followed the themes (online) in recent years will not have been surprised at first. The main themes had been known for some time. The Auto Sonderschau of the 2023 Bremen Classic Motorshow was again called Biedermann und Brandstifter. With that difference: the audience could now enjoy the loafers and their peppery brothers live. Moreover, the organization did not announce all duos in advance. That is why the surprise was all the greater when the Peugeot 205 GR and the 205 Turbo 16 appeared on the surface. You don't often see the latest version of the 205, which is forty years old this year. Only 200 units of the T16 were built for homologation purposes. The Renault 5 TL and the 5 Turbo also caught the eye. Personally, we lingered a little longer on the Capri duo (1.5 V4 and RS2600) and the BMW 2002 Turbo, which was parked next to the savings model 1502.

Wonderful engine history

The engine main show was also one to get through a ring. Two-stroke and four-stroke engines were arranged in sets of two. The heritage of Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha made for fine Japanese combinations in two classes. We also saw, for example (in random order) copies of Moto Morini, Moto Guzzi, Simson, NSU, DKW, Scott and Maico. The engines formed interesting pairs in their cc class, which also represented the developments and the specific 'stroke' choices of engine builders in the past. The Custom Classic Motorcycle Lounge was also worth a visit, with the Triumph T120 Tiger (750 cc) from 1948 as the absolute highlight. On the other hand, we also visited the stand of Silberhorn from Nürnberg, a brand new museum that brought a beautiful MARS, as well as a beautiful BMW Wartburg. This museum should be on the enthusiast's bucket list from now on, it also owns the largest private BMW collection in the world.

The Japanese are growing in number and prestige

With that, we return to the cars. Because outside the main theme there was a wide variety of beautiful classics to see. The Europeans were the main part, but luckily there were also Japanese classic cars. Yes, they were still clearly undernumbered, but the visitors couldn't ignore it. Left and right we saw beautiful Hondas, and icons of Toyota (Celica and Landcruiser) and Datsun (the 240 Z at CC-Cars), for example, also passed in review. The Celica was on the stand where the 1400-page collection of Japanese cars was promoted, really a beautiful document.

Beautiful offer, beautiful stands, brand love at clubs

Much was familiar. The German brands (and yes - also the historic Bremer brands from the Borgward group) were of course well represented. In hall 6 we again saw a nice American theme (V8 Pick Ups), and we came across beautiful stands across the board, such as that of Robert Wagner from Veenoord, who had brought some really beautiful material. And that was actually true for everyone. It was striking with how much enthusiasm the various clubs put their favorite classics in the spotlight. Special mention should be made of the representatives of the British brand clubs, who, as always, appropriately highlight the beautiful British heritage.

Beautiful Restomod at Heemann

And to what extent attention was again paid to restoration work. Very special in that context was the restomod from Heemann, which has been converting a Lada 1200 into a Lada 1200 RS3 quattro for years, with a 2.5 TFSI engine and four-wheel drive. And that really is a labor-intensive Restomod project, which was massively appreciated by our Facebook followers. We also saw how the Beetle Club from Wolfsburg traditionally worked on an air-cooled VW. And on the Audi club stand we saw the bodywork of the Audi 100 Coupé S. Further on in the exhibition complex we saw the same car in top condition.

Cult and exclusivity

So there was plenty to enjoy, more than even. Because we have not even mentioned the two-wheeler exhibition in the ÖVB Arena, the endless number of stands with parts, the range in the Parkhaus, automobilia, miniatures and other classic-related parts and the countless catering outlets. That was also well done during the first live show since 2020. The whole thing was old-fashioned good for a very relaxed atmosphere, where cult and exclusivity go hand in hand.

Organization surprises itself

The organization looked back with satisfaction. “Actually, we came in cold after two online editions,” said project leader Frank Ruge. “But in all respects we can look back on a successful return. The exhibitors were satisfied, the sales results were excellent and, moreover, we welcomed a record number of 46.407 visitors through the gates. The number of 730 exhibitors was also high, surpassed only twice in the history of the event.” Claudia Nötzelmann, division manager associated with M3B Gmbh and responsible for the Bremen Classic Motorshow, was surprised. “On Friday, the possibility of a visitor record was already emerging, there were already more people than on Friday in 2020. That was a great relief, also because we wanted to continue the pre-Corona success.”

Patience rewarded

It was already clear in advance that this would work. Modesty is a virtue, but the organizers' cold feet were really unfounded. Classics have been in demand for years, and during the corona years they only became more popular. In addition, the organization kept in touch with the broad constituency by organizing two excellent online shows during the lockdowns of 2021 and 2022. And after three years, the audience was ready to be present live. A record number of visitors and countless exhibitors saw their patience rewarded. Also, because the organization succeeded with verve in using a tried and tested recipe: offering a surprising, diverse and well-coordinated range within a familiar, recognizable structure. This is already promising for the next edition, which will be held from 2 to 4 February 2024. To be continued. And then we'll be there again. That's for sure.

Coming Friday: our Top Ten in Bremen

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