The spectacular festival of exquisite automobiles
With the Classic & Prestige Salon, an absolute success format will start its 40th edition on December 2, 2022: It is regarded as the unsurpassed highlight of the largest annual motor show in Germany. In Halls 1 and 2 of the classic car organizer S.I.H.A., all lovers of exceptional, exclusive, powerful and sporty outstanding automobiles will find hundreds of highly varied exhibits on a lush 17,000 square meters of exhibition space.
The Classic & Prestige Salon thus not only shines with its great tradition, but has also been considered the most established classic car exhibition and sales salon for many years. In contrast to many other sectors, some categories of vehicles that are at home at the Classic & Prestige Salon are even experiencing a significant increase in demand. This trend has proven to be extremely robust, despite all the news and influences: the enthusiasm for exciting and unique automobiles is proving to be more alive than ever. This is also confirmed by the market observer classic-analytics with a current interim report: The ten most expensive classic cars of 2022 already add up to around 240 million euros by October alone.
At its 40th edition, the Classic & Prestige Salon is inviting visitors to celebrate several anniversaries. For example, the most legendary of all endurance classics, the 24 h of Le Mans, will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2023. As an eyewitness, the Technik Museum Sinsheim is bringing a 150-hp, extremely rare Triumph TRS to Essen as a preview of its successful race participation from 1961. With several models from different eras, the Classic & Prestige Salon is commemorating 70 years of the Mercedes-Benz SL, a model series that first appeared in sports car races in 1952 - and caused a sensation with countless successes from the very beginning.
For some, it is certainly surprising that AMG can already celebrate its 55th anniversary this year. In 1967, Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher founded their small company in Großaspach near Stuttgart. With the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG (2010), the Classic & Prestige Salon is showing the first model that AMG had developed itself from scratch as an independent automobile.
Every year, fans are delighted by the wide range and variety of automobiles on display. As an attraction, they experience the original yellow and blue star from the action comedy "Manta, Manta" (1991), signed by Til Schweiger - who played Bertie. With a trio of Honda NSX, Nissan S14 and Toyota GT86, three Japanese cult classics of automotive history will go to the starting line.
But the Classic & Prestige Salon also looks to the future. For example, the Swedish super sports car manufacturer Koenigsegg is celebrating a German premiere with the CC 850, and BRABUS from Bottrop is once again showing absolute highlights from its current and classic portfolio. Completely different, but no less fascinating, is the Sonnenwagen, already the third evolutionary stage of a solar car, which students from Aachen have sent to the starting line in various competitions - with success, as evidenced by winning the Italian championship and a double victory in the European Solar Challenge this year alone.
Dealers and visitors alike are once again eagerly awaiting the results of the international Concours d'Élégance, which is once again one of the highlights of the Classic & Prestige Salon. In this beauty contest, the jury of respected classic car experts from several countries will award a world cup to the most elegant automobile from the dealer lineup as "Best of Show”. In addition, prizes are awarded in various classes.
Charity campaigns have played a major role at the Classic & Prestige Salon for many years. This year, organizer S.I.H.A. is again enthusiastically supporting the KinderHerz foundation and Lebenshilfe Gießen with its unsurpassed popular classic car donation campaign. In return for a donation, it offers the chance to win one of twelve attractive classic cars with a bit of luck.
With its broad, exciting range and many attractions, the Classic & Prestige Salon secures its role as a top meeting place and absolute must-attend event for every automobile aficionado. Whether young beginners, active collectors or enthusiastic fans: For all of them, a visit offers fascinating hours, many surprising insights and the best opportunity to already take a first look at the upcoming world fair for classic automobiles - the 34th Techno-Classica Essen. It will open its doors from April 12 to 16, 2023.
Plan your visit to the trade fair!
