Techno Classica Essen March 26 - 30 2008.

VIP, Preview day March 26.

20th TECHNO-CLASSICA ESSEN from 26 to 30 March 2008:
The Classic Fair of the Superlatives

Political and Cultural Platform of the Classic Car Scene

Associations as the global vintage car organisation FIVA and DEUVET use the TECHNO-CLASSICA as a platform for profiling; the German Framework Road points out their vintage car programmes and as well does the German Museum Road and lots of individual museums.

What a turbulent year for owners of vintage cars! The discussion on particulate matter has caused many owners of vintage cars to demonstrate on the streets and it took the associations a lot of convincing. Meanwhile the scene can breathe a sigh of relief for the most part - for the time being, the vintage car associations were jointly able to avoid the threat of the vintage car scene due to the ban on driving in green zones. The German Federal Council has finally approved the exemptions from the ban of driving due to particulate matter for vintage cars with H license plate and red 07 license plate. But many young classic cars still have to stay outide.

This current example demonstrates the importance of the work of associations and in politics, giving high significance also to the TECHNO CLASSICA. Thus, the stands of the Federal Association of German Motor Veteran Clubs (DEUVET) and the vintage car world organisation, the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA) are accommodated in the very centre of the fair in hall 6, just like the AvD - ideational responsible for the TECHNO CLASSICA - and the ADAC in hall 3. Both automobile clubs mentioned last are future or new members of the FIVA and also lobbying for the interests of owners of vintage and veteran cars. The ASI, Automotoclub Storico Italiano, is also represented as Italian counterpart of the DEUVET and with 252 associated clubs acting on the behalf of more than 60,000 members.

The automobile museums are participating to the positive image of historic vehicles at another level. There are more of 200 of them just in Germany, from the automobile museums of the big vehicle manufacturers up to the small collections in the country. While the first are presenting at the company stands, the more than 40 privately owned German automobile and technology museums organised in the association German Museum Street are presenting themselves at a joint exhibition stand of the association. Also the German Framework Road points out their vintage car programmes - after all, owners of classic cars like to combine their holidays with their hobby and enjoy driving to historic places with their vintage car: such an old vehicle looks better in front of a medieval half-timbered house than in front of a post-modern concrete block.