Parc des Expositions in Reims: annual outing for Dirk and Johanna

Beide CitroënEnthusiasts lead busy lives, and their hobby regularly provides them with opportunities for fun activities, such as trips to France. It's a frequent change of pace, tumbling from one classic car adventure to the next.

Among colorful people

Dirk: “Reims is a paradise for enthusiasts. The grounds are immense, and thousands of visitors wander around for two days. Parts and cars are quite expensive, but the exhibitors also pay a hefty price for a spot. It's just as much about the good times; the more good moments, the better life, right?”

French cordiality

Perhaps it's more fun if Dirk and Johanna describe their own experience first: "For us, Reims marks the start of the classic car season. We're coming out of the winter season, and a sunny weekend like this finally shakes off the winter blues. When your trip odometer tells you you're approaching Reims and you see the first classic cars on the left and right, you know it's almost here; the classics are our compass to the terrain."

Once there, parking is an attraction in itself. Thousands of people are trying to find a spot, chaos reigns supreme. Wherever there's a square meter left, people try to park their sacred cow. It's French-style, but always cordial. Connecting with like-minded people ensures you speak the same language.

Scouring the stalls

Dirk: "Outside are the stalls for the true purists. Old vegetable crates full of unique parts, true French tradition. It's a fair with a huge variety of car, motorcycle, and moped parts, and where complete cars and projects are also sold.

We take the readers of Auto Motor Klassiek We would like to take a look at some of the special classic and vintage cars that we came across.”

DKW Schnelllaster F800 “3=6”

A three-cylinder, two-stroke DKW of approximately 900 cc with four gears, with which the owner had adventures throughout Europe: from the North Cape to Gibraltar. It's almost unbelievable that a camper from 1956 is still functional.

"Unique" is a word you should really use as little as possible with classic or vintage cars, but here we don't shy away from it. The appreciation from enthusiasts clearly gave the owner extra pride.

This also aligns with the classic definition of a historic vehicle: a mechanically propelled vehicle manufactured more than twenty years ago, preserved in historically accurate condition, and maintained by a private individual or organization. Because of its historical and technical value, it should no longer be a means of daily transportation.

Tough Haflinger

This Austrian all-wheel-drive off-road vehicle from Steyr-Puch was widely used by the Austrian army. Civilian versions were subsequently exported worldwide. Its compact design, low weight, and portal axles give the Haflinger surprisingly good off-road capabilities.

Citroën HY

"Brocante automobile" is the red flag. Or perhaps they actually mean "crispy"? You'd have to be a particularly hardworking restorer to take on this. But it's precisely that adventure that's so rewarding: using creativity and insight to solve problems and perhaps one day winning a prize at a classic car event with the result.

Porsche 356 – Begging to be saved?

Worn out, rusted through, almost as beautiful—in its own way—as a brand-new Porsche. Probably, after a long life, it ended up in a scrapyard somewhere and was subsequently forgotten. The end point seemed clear: slowly decay while nature reclaims the materials.

Yet, it was rediscovered by someone with a special feeling for these kinds of cars. Someone who felt this Porsche deserved to be saved, despite the advanced rust. It's a car with character that still exudes something special even today. It might even bring a lump to the throat of a true Porsche enthusiast. You could completely restore it, or you could leave it as is and give it the status of a work of art.

The atmosphere has a profound effect on you. It makes you contemplate the passing of time. However decay has struck, true beauty never fades.

Dirk: “The 1996 definition of the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment would actually be more appropriate here.”

A wreck is a motor vehicle with more than two wheels that is in a poor state of repair, clearly neglected, and not fitted with a license plate or registration certificate.

Experience classics

Dirk: “Johanna and I have a deep love for classic cars and vintage cars. That's why these kinds of trips to France are so important. It's an experience full of sentiment, a feeling you also get every month when you see the latest issue of Auto Motor Klassiek is back on the doorstep.”

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(More photos below…)