HEARTWARMING IN THE HEATWAVE
CLASSIC DAYS
One of the most charismatic events on the German classic car scene, Classic Days, was back this August after a seemingly eternal two year hiatus, caused by… well, you know what.
This new edition also marked a change of location, the whole alternate reality circus that constitutes the Classic Days’ world having moved into a new home, away from its usual Schloss Dyck and its ample grounds, to an outdoor section of the Dusseldorf Messe, baptised Green Park for the event - as the organisers put it, in that place you are actually closer to London than to Berlin so it made perfect sense.
On my first visit to Classic Days, many years ago, it struck me as some sort of German version of the Goodwood Revival, although on a smaller scale and with more space allocated to the various participating car clubs. It was always a fun event to go to and I am happy to have noticed how, over the years, it really came into its own and now has a completely different, unique character. I think the transformation really started with the inclusion of the camping cars, a few editions ago. This delightful part of German car culture infused a renewed spirit to the gathering, something that, in time, became the overarching concept of the event. It now feels like it is channelling a cultivated ephemeral vibe, a classic car Burning Man of sorts - although, rest assured, nothing gets burned at the end, quite the contrary, you can bet all the participants will leave orderly and with all their possessions. On other events you are transported in time, here you step into another dimension. It has that fairground attitude. Granted, its purest incarnation is in the camping cars section, that now significantly grew in size, where everyone sets up camp and dresses up all the caravans and the space in between in the cutest possible way, with an unparalleled attention to detail. And then you notice the bumper cars. And the puppet theatre, set up for the kids. And the steampunk inspired cafes. And the retro futuristic travel machines, meandering through the crowd, much to everyone’s delight. Most of all, almost everyone there seemed to have stepped into character, many of them dressing in a slightly surreal fashion, most of them being stylishly dressed up for the occasion. You can’t help but feel taken by this attitude. At Classic Days you don’t relive the past, you escape into an alternate timeline. This year the event was even home to a DeLorean reunion, seemingly intent to complete the surreal theme.
Classic Days came back with scores of positive energy and a new, even more confident identity. In the midst of an unforgiving heatwave, somehow paradoxically, we found refreshment in the heartwarming attitude of the people we encountered there, people so charming that you couldn’t help but feel a little cool yourself.
