Contradictions in Essen

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It’s a good question: When will the electrification of our motoring world reach the classic car scene? It is of course just a matter of time for Teslas to become classics, but you will also know that electric cars have never been away. For the organization of Techno Classica Essen - the Titanic of classic car shows held yearly in Germany - it was reason to have a look at electric cars throughout motoring’s past. Wait for it - this is what they say about it themselves: In an special exhibition the classic world fair recalls an most extensive forgotten fact: Already in the years 1900 up to 1920 there was an astonishing great portion of cars with electric motors – just as from the year 1912 the petrol engine began to carry through finally in the car manufacturing after the invention of the electric starter. Previously the petrol cars had to be winded up by hand with great exertion.

We really do not know which German light was given the task to translate this piece into English, but at least he was incredibly un-Germanly unpunctuate in his job of translating. We also think we know what he or she means: Electric cars have been there for a long time and we will show you a display of them as they form one of this year’s themes. We hope to spot our favourite electric: the Zagato Zele, as shamelessly photoshopped over Jack Brabham’s Cooper-Climax of the official poster by Alfredo de la Maria above. ‘Grand Prix Monaco’ is, by the way, another Essen theme, perhaps to compensate for the petrol heads. Or to quote their own press release once again: In the centre of the classic world fair, in hall 6, the S.I.H.A. 2017 presents under the topic ‘Grand Prix Monaco 1957’ selected racing cars which have one common feature: They all started in the year 1957 at the Grand Prix of Monaco. Did you get it?

(Words Jeroen Booij) 

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