The European show season got off to its traditional start with the InterClassics Maastricht event just two weeks into the new year. AROnline had a look around.
Words: Alexander Boucke, Photography: Christina Lukaszewicz, Alexander Boucke
The best of the best in Maastricht
While some voices can be heard predicting a drop in interest in classic cars, the 27th InterClassics Maastricht proved otherwise: a record number of 34,473 visitors over four days was proudly reported by the show’s Manager, Eric Panis. More than 800 cars were on show – most of them offered for sale – and, in addition, there were more than 300 displays from classic car-related businesses and clubs.
The well-lit and heated halls of the convention centre, also known for housing one of the world’s best art fairs, are welcoming on these cool, mostly wet and dark winter days. Immediately after entering the show, the large variety of cars on display strikes you. From ordinary, but nearly extinct, family cars of the 1970s to supercars and one-offs, everything is present. Most cars on offer are in good or even exceptional condition, offering a wide range of usable or collectible classics from low five-figure to mid seven-figure prices. Gone are the days when a few hyped sports cars seemed to dominate the halls.
At the heart of this year’s show was a special exhibition dedicated to ‘Forgotten Classics’. It featured a selection of 24 styling or engineering masterpieces from long-gone brands such as Studebaker, Veritas, Spijker, Duesenberg or Minerva. The iconic 1950 Studebaker Champion Regal Deluxe Starlight Coupé designed by Raymond Loewy was rightly chosen as the eye-catcher for the show’s poster. We also found the 1930 Voisin C14 fascinating. The 90-year old car is all original, down to the delicate Art-Deco floral pattern interior cloths, just as it was found in the 1950s by the racing driver Giovanni ‘Johnny’ Lurani near Lake Como. The whole display was a brilliant time-line through automotive design trends from the 1920s to the late 1950s.
Unlike other car shows, the adjacent car parks are not a good place for classic car spotting – but, considering the season, the fact that they are very close to the entrance is nice. There is also a nearby train station, with connections to Amsterdam and Brussels. All in, the show is easy to reach and well worth the visit – as is the old town of Maastricht. Next year the InterClassics will open its doors again from 14-17 January.
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I accidentally put my comments on last year’s event. Anyone interested in checking out the comments, click on the 2019 event. Classic cars are a fantastic pastime!
Laurence, here is your original comment:
There is a trend – very much appreciated by me personally, to value original, un-restored cars. Many restorations are actually a rebuild leaving not many traces of the history of the car – comparable to completely tearing down an old building and re-building it from scratch, but only re-using the stones that seem pretty enough.
A fantastic display of unusual models. Thank you for telling us about it, and for the wonderful pictures
The mad Sbarro Super Eight looks mint – think it was up for sale back in 2018. do however love the delahaye