Messe Essen has decided on a new partner for classic vehicles: From 2026, RETRO CLASSICS ESSEN, organized by RETRO Messen, will take place annually in Essen. This means that there will also be a format for driving culture at Messe Essen in the future. The new trade fair format is intended to attract series manufacturers to the Ruhr region and offer exhibitors and visitors a top-quality platform. RETRO CLASSICS already takes place in Stuttgart, among other places, and the event there is regarded as one of the world's most important trade fairs for driving culture. In Essen, RETRO CLASSICS will take place for the first time from April 8 to 12, 2026. Techno-Classica Essen will open next year from April 9 to 13 at Messe Essen.
“We would like to thank the organizer 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 organizer will also transport this to Essen,” explains Oliver P. Kuhrt, Managing Director of Messe Essen. The enthusiasm for the forthcoming cooperation is mutual: “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,” explain Henning and Thilo Könicke, Managing Directors of RETRO Messen.
International must-attend event to kick off the classic car season
RETRO CLASSICS in Stuttgart has long been regarded by the classic car industry and classic car scene as a must-attend international event to kick off the driving culture season. In addition to a comprehensive range of vehicles, the concept impresses with a first-class supporting program, a huge vehicle sales market, an extensive market for parts, automobilia and model cars as well as spectacular special shows.
There is another change at the Essen Motor Show: here, too, the cooperation with the organizer of Techno-Classica Essen, which stages the Classic & Prestige Salon in Halls 1 and 2, will come to an end after the Essen Motor Show 2025. From 2026, Messe Essen will market these two halls on its own and draw on its extensive network in the automotive and tuning scene.