From 2026 Techno Classica will be replaced by Retro Classic Essen

I wonder if this will be an improvement.

Press release:
New public exhibition for classic vehicles

Messe Essen brings RETRO CLASSICS to Essen

Stuttgart's successful format will also take off in the Ruhr region from 2026
Messe Essen has decided on a new partner for classic vehicles: From 2026,
RETRO CLASSICS ESSEN, organized by RETRO Messen, will take place
annually in Essen. This means that there will also be a format for driving
culture at Messe Essen in the future. The new trade fair format is intended
to attract series manufacturers to the Ruhr region and offer exhibitors and
visitors a top-quality platform. RETRO CLASSICS already takes place in
Stuttgart, among other places, and the event there is regarded as one of the
world's most important trade fairs for driving culture. In Essen, RETRO
CLASSICS will take place for the first time from April 8 to 12, 2026. Techno-
Classica Essen will open next year from April 9 to 13 at Messe Essen.
“We would like to thank the organizer of Techno-Classica for the many years
of cooperation and wish him all the best and much success for the future. At
the same time, we have decided on a new partner for the period after the
contract expires, who is already very successful in the market. RETRO
CLASSICS is a trade fair at an absolute world level and we are sure that the
organizer will also transport this to Essen,” explains Oliver P. Kuhrt, Managing
Director of Messe Essen. The enthusiasm for the forthcoming cooperation is
mutual: “We are looking forward to a new chapter of success for RETRO
CLASSICS and have gained the ideal location for it. The potential in the Ruhr
region with its catchment area and its unique car culture is huge,” explain
Henning and Thilo Könicke, Managing Directors of RETRO Messen.

nternational must-attend event to kick off the classic car season
RETRO CLASSICS in Stuttgart has long been regarded by the classic car
industry and classic car scene as a must-attend international event to kick off
the driving culture season. In addition to a comprehensive range of vehicles,
the concept impresses with a first-class supporting program, a huge vehicle
sales market, an extensive market for parts, automobilia and model cars as
well as spectacular special shows.
There is another change at the Essen Motor Show: here, too, the cooperation
with the organizer of Techno-Classica Essen, which stages the Classic & Prestige
Salon in Halls 1 and 2, will come to an end after the Essen Motor Show 2025.
From 2026, Messe Essen will market these two halls on its own and draw on its
extensive network in the automotive and tuning scene.