Magazine Agorauto

Italy’s largest trade fair event returns to sizeable pre-Covid figures with attendance and sales exceeding the rosiest expectations. Padua takes the lead with the relaunch of the classic sector

4 days, 115,000 m2, 1600 exhibitors, 4 exhibitions and more than 5000 machines: these numbers, while interesting in absolute terms, are quite exceptional for the first major trade fair in the post-covid era. In fact, Padua brought together all of the “orphans” of the major international events which were cancelled in 2021, ranging from Retromobile Paris to Technoclassica Essen, breathing life into a unique alchemy of enthusiasm, vitality and healthy passion. And what’s more, it also gives the economy a helping hand: with a wealth of car sales, many of them to Italian collectors, new and old.

In fact, the trade fair also succeeded in its challenging aim of intercepting the trends of an increasingly varied and diverse public: racing cars and classics, youngtimers and instant classics, to catch the attention of even the youngest, who have been entrusted with the task of picking up where their parents left off, and giving a future to a sector which incorporates economics, culture, tradition but above all, passion.

““<em>This is the most stunning trade fair of the last ten years -</em> commented boss Mario Carlo Baccaglini – “Passion has overcome everything. Today, we can really say that Auto e Moto d’Epoca is an international reference point for all vintage car sectors, exhibitors, traders, collectors, and enthusiasts from Italy and around the world. ”.

The most intense moments included starting up the 1907 Fiat 130Hp, part of the collection of the National Automobile Museum in Turin and displayed at Padua as part of the “Italy Winning The Races” exhibition, dedicated to the Italian brands that have featured in the history of these competitions. A racing thoroughbred with a displacement of more than 16 litres, and a French Grand Prix winner, it aptly demonstrated how an object more than a century old can draw and thrill visitors of all ages, even children.

Keeping the Fiat company there were a Maserati 26B, Alfa Romeo P2, Lancia D50, Ferrari 500 F2 and a 156 “Sharknose”. To even things out, there was also an exhibition of motorcycles under the same title, representing Italy’s most successful brands.

In between, an impressive array of Bertone prototypes presented by the ASI as well as the ACI Storico exhibition dedicated to the golden years of the Italian Superturismo championship, leading lights of which breathed life into an exciting debate on Saturday, and the great Lancias of the World Endurance Championship, straight from the Fondazione Macaluso: the Beta Montecarlo Turbo, LC1 and LC2.

There are too many market highlights to list them all, but the forceful presence of the Cavallinos is worth noting: two 275 GTB, an incredible Ferrari 250 GT Drogo, the only 365 GTB/4 “Daytona” still in its original Mustard Yellow livery, the last 365 GT/4 2+2 produced, the last 365 ever, and the unforgettable 512 BB Le Mans in its “Ferrarelle” livery, formerly of Fabrizio Violati Scuderia Bellancauto, exhibited next to the meanest-looking 550 GTC.

Finally, the theme of electric mobility was everywhere to be seen, represented by the pioneering Zagato Zele and Fiat X1/23 from the 1970s, to the 1990 Mercedes 190 Elektro, straight from the company museum in Stuttgart, to the record-breaking ZER and Blizz Primatist prototypes and Romeo Ferraris’ stunning Alfa Romeo Giulia ECTR, along with the latest innovations from FCA, Mercedes, Bentley and McLaren, and restomods represented by Citroen 2 CVs and Meharis converted by Cassis Club experts.

Tags: Auto e Moto d'Epoca, Fiera di Padova, Intermeeting

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