The combination of the words 'Vienna' and 'Classic' may suggest a series of concerts, but the event is actually a two-day get-together of classic car enthusiasts. It has been held annually for more than 35 years and involves a range of diverse touristic and car-related activities.
A major highlight - for the public as well as the participants - is a parade of the vehicles along Vienna's Ringstrasse, which is closed off for the purpose. The cars go round the circuit twice.
This year the event took place on the weekend of 24th/25th August and there was hardly a cloud in the sky when the parade got underway late on Saturday afternoon. Just over 200 vehicles were involved. The shot below shows the start of the first lap.
My wife and I had also been to the 2022 event and we liked the fact that, prior to the parade itself, many of the cars were parked at a central location near the starting point. We had a great time just wandering around the area, admiring the vehicles and talking to a few of the owners. Two of my personal favourites from 2022 are pictured below:
This year, unfortunately, there was no such preview area. At least none was announced publicly and we could not find one, despite asking around.
Our photos from 2024, therefore, are all of moving vehicles - which can be a bit of a challenge. We had three cameras going. Even though, quite a few shots turned out to be blurred or flawed beyond salvage in other ways. Overall, my wife probably had the highest rate of success.
Anyway, there were lots of wonderful vehicles and, between us, we managed to capture a fair few of them, many in close-ups. The selection here will hopefully give you a flavour of the event.
The shot below shows a 1927 Lea Francis P-Type tourer.
The car in the next two photos is even older: a Willys Knight 66 from 1925.
According to the official list the Bentley B90 below is from 1934.
This Mercedes 170SD was produced in 1956:
The dark red tourer next to the grey Mercedes 200 (from 1967) is a 1949 MG TC:
One of the oldest vehicles to take part in the event was this blue Dort Touring from 1923:
I had never heard of a 'Standard', but apparently this is their Flying 12 DHC from 1939:
The Model A Ford (this one from 1931) was more easily recognisable:
The next model is a Citroen Torpedo A10HP from 1921, making it the oldest of all the vehicles participating:
The starting number 15 belonged to another Lea Francis P-type (from 1929).
The green MG in the next two photos is a TC from 1948.
Surprisingly for such events, there were only two Rolls Royce models. This blue one is a Corniche Cabrio from 1974:
However, there was no shortage of Mercedes classics and they all were in superb condition. The one below is the legendary 'gull wing' 300S (1955).
Leaving the doors open probably contravened several safety regulations, but it was a hot day and the doors, of course, are what the car is famous for.
The next three shots show different Jaguars: an E-Type Series 1 (1966), an XK 140 FHC (1956), and an MK 2 (1960).
Another nice old British car is this red Austin Healey 100/4 BN1 from 1955:
Instantly recognisable (for people of a certain age) is this 1958 Mercedes 220S:
Much the same applies to the Volvo PV444 from 1956:
The Austrian Postal Service bus behind the Volvo did not have a starting number (i.e. no official listing), but it appears to be a Gräf & Stift 120-ON from the 1940s.
The vehicles in the following three photos are all American: a Pontiac Bonneville Cabrio (1965), a Cadillac Series 62 (1954), and a Ford Thunderbird (1956).
We noticed in 2022 that there was a sizeable contingent of VW transporters/mini-buses from the 1960s and 70s. We recognised several of them at this year's event.
There were a few other goods vehicles as well. I particularly liked this 1929 Ford:
The bright yellow panel van below is a Citroen H78 (1978):
The large beige lorry did not have a starting number on it. However, it is clearly a Steyr Diesel, probably a 480 model from the 1950s.
From the very large, we move to the rather small - the starting numbers 170 and 187 belonged to an Autobianchi Bianchina Cabrio (1967) and a BMW Isetta (1963), respectively.
The Isetta was originally designed and manufactured by an Italian company (Iso SpA), but made under license in several other countries. BMW changed the powerplant from the original two-stroke to a four-stroke engine and was successful in achieving sales in excess of 160,000. The car in the photo, in all likelihood, was one of the last to come off the production line.
When I mentioned earlier that we had three cameras in use, I was referring just to myself and my wife. We had met up with Paul Heymont earlier in the day and went to the Ringstrasse parade together. He suggested that a video might usefully supplement our stills and the results prove him right - the link is here:
(As you can see on the video, the road is closed to ordinary traffic - but the trams still run!)
If you have even a mild interest in classic cars, you will certainly enjoy this display. I hope, though, that the organisers of the 2025 event will re-instate the idea of a preview slot/venue prior to the parade itself.
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