It takes at least two views to make a landscape. I can quite accept that loads of folk go, happily pay, etc etc. I will be quite straight out and say the event is to expensive for me to attend, for what it offers me in return. So unless I was called on to show a vehicle to forward overall interest in Microcars, A Dart for instance, I will be content for others to populate it. My bud, attending his first one, now agrees, wishes he had taken my advice, and will not be returning.
The core question I asked is why the huge entrance differential in many British events, to those abroad? Is there more going on, like a State subsidy? I do not know. But just like Beauleau, there are many people who will not go, as there that feel they cannot miss it. Myself v Richard and Mike, for instance, The organising side would probably say 'use it, or loss it'. Rather a good argument, but not always the winning one, if tested.
Note - Just advised elsewhere that Retromobile 2017, entrance is Euro 18. Again substantially cheaper than an equivalent British show. Below a generalised report, so not my words.
Retromobile Paris is arguably the most prestigious classic car show in Europe and is a must see for classic car enthusiasts. With cheap air fares and the show’s close proximity to Orly Airport, a day trip for old car loving Brits is relatively easy.
The show is held at the vast Paris Expo exhibition centre near Porte De Versailles on the Paris inner ring road. Whilst certainly a big show, as it is all in one hall, it felt no bigger than the NEC Classic Car Show, and felt smaller than the big German shows at Stuttgart and Essen. I arrived an hour after the show opened at 11 and was done by 5pm. You would certainly struggle to see either of the two German shows in the same time.
This year Retromobile celebrated its 40th year with an excellent mix of automobilia and autojumble sellers, high-end car dealers, club exhibitors, museums and manufacturers. In common with the German shows, local manufacturers used the event to showcase their heritage collections as well as some of their new cars. PSA put on an excellent show of Peugots and Citroens, and foreign manufacturers represented included Daimler-Benz, Skoda and Porsche. Again, like the German shows the exhibiting car dealers were very high end indeed, with several displaying inventories worth in excess of £10 million. Not something you see at the NEC classic car show!
However the Belgium event looks very well priced for anyone who thought about going. And you know there will be a welcome when you get there, as Micro friends are there doing their thing. The Belgium contingent has supported British events in the past. Jean Do, well what can one say? He is not shy and retiring! So I would imagine rather a good time to be had.
It might be interesting for car show fanciers to check this event out to see how other folk do it. For it might be like the Vetarama, Mannheim, you find the foreign event bigger and so much better organised than Beaulieu - who continue to claim title to be Europe’s biggest Autojumble. Tosh. Sadly I have not been to an InterClassic, so I cannot speak from experience. But I have been to a number of Essan, Antwerp, Retromobile, Paris and so on. Very educational, cars you never even see here. Some of the stand presentations are fantastic. But then I like foreign cars as much as British cars. So I am fully occupied at any show and am not reduced to having to know a load of people there, though that helps a lot, if you can socialise.
Of course the imaginative thing to do would be to advertise out National Rally at some of these venues - I will go away now.
