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Auto Classico Porto ... static display halls and outside action arena


Alfa Romeo SZ

Alfa Romeo SZ

 

Porto, 05 – 07.10.2018

The classic car movement is alive and well in Portugal, as the weekend of 05 – 07 October was classic car nirvana, apart from the conclusion of the Estoril Classics Week near Lisbon, there was the Auto Classico show being held in Porto, some three hours drive to the north. The 16th edition of the Auto Clássico show was held at its regular venue, the Exponor exhibition centre to the north of the city, attracting plenty of classic vehicle enthusiasts over the course of the weekend.

Apart from the static display halls there is an outside action arena, which changed location and layout this year, providing a better overall view of the circuit for spectators. This feature is a great attraction of the show, as there are classic and modern rally cars running against the clock, providing a great spectacle of car control (or not in some cases), together with the scream of competition engines and the “rifle shots” of the turbo waste gates on the modern cars, all at close quarters. Further entertainment was provided by the Portuguese stunt driver/rider Paulo Martinho, with spectacular high and low speed shows on a quad bike and in a Smart car. The paddock area for these cars was also accessible to the public, enabling them to really see the machinery close-up, ranging from a Renault Twingo, through Fiat Unos, Porsche 911 and 928, classic rally Ford Escorts to Mitsubishi Evos. Another attraction of this part of the show was the presence of 1981 World Rally Champion Ari Vatanen, with autograph sessions during the course of the weekend. 

The main entrance atrium had an eclectic display of classic cars, including an ex-Luigi Chinetti 1959 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II Convertible, an Aston Martin DB6 and a 1912 Grégoire 16/24 Raceabout. In the adjacent display area there was a wide variety of saloon and GT race cars on show, ranging from a Fiat 127 Abarth through Datsun 120Ys, Ford Escorts and VWs to a Porsche 911. In the main halls and interconnecting galleries there were a number of club stands, notably the Fiat club display, which was a study in yellow from a 600 to a Barchetta. However, the prominent displays in the main halls were the province of vendors, with a varied selection of cars of all ages and types on offer. There was also a further hall dedicated to classic car parking, and another that was predominantly for accessories, tools and scale models, together with engineering and restoration specialists.

 

Keith Bluemel         
10/2018