The world-famous Techno-Classica Essen is to hold its final event in 2025, because Retro Classics – the team behind the successful and long-running Stuttgart show, plus several smaller regional events – will take over the Essen show from 2026 onwards.
Techno-Classica Essen was for many years the largest and most prestigious classic car show in Europe – and it could put an argument forward for being the biggest in the world. Manufacturers would have entire halls dedicated to them, filled with rarely seen treats from heritage collections as well as strong support for their club scenes. Add in a truly European flavour to the dealer line-ups across the event’s many halls, plus the eccentric antics of the lively independent clubs packed into every nook and cranny of Messe Essen, and it was a true highlight of the international show scene, despite being somewhat out of the way for international travellers.
However, in recent years the event has struggled to maintain the allure of the past – although the problems are not all of its own making.
In recent years the event has struggled to maintain the allure of the past – although the problems are not all of its own making
This year saw 188,000 visitors from 41 nations, with 1250 exhibitors from 30 countries, according to current organiser Techno-Classica. However, when Magneto last visited in 2023, the event was somewhat behind that of its mid-2010s glory days. Other than a huge room dedicated to Mercedes-Benz, the manufacturer support was more muted. For instance, the Volkswagen Group’s stands were a lot smaller, whereas in 2016 an entire hall was taken over by all the brands. Given VW’s continuing financial problems with the stalling transition to making EVs profitable, plus the ripple effect of the VW emissions scandal that’s still playing out in courtrooms and impacting resources, this is perhaps understandable. Nonetheless, in 2023 manufacturer presence was noticeably toned down, or left to local dealerships to carry the flag.
UK dealers and visitors were also regulars in the pre-Covid era, but as Brexit regulations kicked into play during this time dealers have been reticent to return, with some notable exceptions – British restoration firms have come back, but not in overwhelming numbers. As for British visitors, the difficulty in bringing back cars younger than 30 years old might also be a stumbling block.
However, for us the biggest disappointment of our 2023 visit was the sad loss of the vibrant club scene stands. Ignore the boring cliches about Germans lacking a sense of humour – the eccentric nature of the club stands that filtered into every available space around Messe Essen made them the cherry on the top. While the central display, themed events and Europe’s dealers bringing the brightest and best made a visit highly worthwhile, it was the club displays that really added an extra level of personality over similar shows. That same silliness and fun could be found – as evidenced above – but to a much lesser degree.
Sadly, a lot of this is simply a hangover from the Covid era. Anecdotal conversations with other European events and club organisers reveal that Covid tragically claimed a large number of key, enthusiastic individuals, and health concerns continue to dissuade others from coming back to big shows such as Techno-Classica Essen. The falling numbers of people involved in clubs generally, across Europe, is another factor.
Perhaps the biggest problem for Techno-Classica Essen, however, has been continued success of Retro Classics Stuttgart. The rate of growth over the past ten years has been staggering, helped by slick organisation, extensive international PR efforts and, put simply, geographical location. Messe Stuttgart is five minutes’ walk from the airport and several quality hotels, and with Autoworld, the Porsche Museum and the Mercedes-Benz Museum all within easy reach, turning the show into a longer trip around the area has made it more appealing for international visitors.
Of course, a 40-minute train ride between Düsseldorf Airport and Essen isn’t the end of the world, but there are fewer automotive sights to see in the area, and Essen’s restrictive emissions zones rules make it challenging for those driving to the event to stay near the city centre.
These are just some of the challenges the Retro Classics team has to face when it starts running its first Essen Show on April 8-12, 2026. The final Techno-Classica Essen will take place on April 9-13, 2025. Techno-Classica will also cease to operate the Classic & Prestige Salon at the Essen Motor Show 2025 – Messe Essen will organise these halls alone from then on.
“We would like to thank the organiser of Techno-Classica for the many years of cooperation, and wish him all the best and much success for the future. At the same time, we have decided on a new partner for the period after the contract expires, who is already very successful in the market. Retro Classics is a trade fair at an absolute world level, and we are sure that the organiser will also transport this to Essen,” said Oliver P Kuhrt, managing director of Messe Essen. Meanwhile, Henning and Thilo Könicke, MDs of Retro Messen, said: “We are looking forward to a new chapter of success for Retro Classics, and have gained the ideal location for it. The potential in the Ruhr region, with its catchment area and its unique car culture, is huge.”
We’re expecting a lot of changes – but hopefully one thing that’s become a staple of the Techno-Classica Essen experience will remain constant: the unique experience of piping-hot currywurst while talking yourself out of a sudden rush of blood to the wallet over a temptingly priced ‘outside’ car…
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