Retro Classics Stuttgart 2009

This year the 9th Retro Classics took place for the second time at the "Neue Messe" in Stuttgart, Germany. With round about 57000 people last year's record has been beaten, not at least because of the great fair concept with it's exciting exhibitions.

Beside the numerous classic and exclusive cars, the special Ferrari show with 29 cars was another reason to visit this year's Retro Classics. The precise arranged sparklers of different eras have been composed by Ferrari specialist Bjoern Schmidt.

Sign boards beside every car provided detailed informations about type, engine and history.

On display were classics like the 365 GTB/4 Daytona, a 275 GTB Shortnose, 250 GTE 2+2 and a 250 GT SWB. Furthermore extra rare cars like the fantastic dark blue 1951 212 Export with Touring body (0084E) and right alongside the 212/225 Sport Berlinetta Vignale (0170ET) found the way to the fair ground.

The Ferrari-newbie California could be compared with its legandary archetype in form of the first ever built 1960 250 GT California Spyder SWB (1795GT). This car spend most of it's time in the USA and came back last year to the European continent, to Germany.

With the 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet of the rare series 1 (0921GT), provided by the "Technikmuseum Sinsheim", and its successor of the Series 2 (3715GT), two more important spyder cars in the history of Ferrari were on display.

As a kind of highlight 2 race cars were arranged in the center of the exhibition.

On the one hand it was the Ferrari F40 GT CSAI with chassis number 80742. This car is one of only 7 F40 GT cars built by Michelotto. The official by Ferrai ordered race cars were built-on to CSAI (for "Commissione Sportiva Automobilistica Italiana")guidelines to compete in the Italian Series.

Mauro Brand and Oscar Larrauri won with this car every race of the 1993 championship and again the 1994 season with another 5 victories. After being raced in Japan and USA, the 590HP powerful F40LM will be raced in historical races in Germany by his new owner and Ferrari collector Tidi Schneller. We are looking forward to hear a brutal sound inferno on the racetrack.

On the other hand a flat red racer with the prancing horse made some visitors perplex. It was the so-called Alba-Ferrari with chassis number 02.

This car was built in 1983 by chassis engineer Giorgio Stirano for the pharmacist and passionate race driver Martino Finotto. The originally installed supercharged 1.9liter L4 CarmaFF Triebwerk mobilised about 420 HP.

The Alba race team launched the 1983 FIA Group C2 Championship with the other car, chassis number 01, changed after 5 races to number 02 and won the world championship. In 1984 the team was again very strong and won the title one more time.

In 1986 the successful Alba race car changed the owner and has been altered by Gaston Andre Racing for the IMSA GTP series. With an altered Ferrari 308 engine the prancing horse found it's way to the Alba race car. The 308 motor was fitted with Cosworth pistons, hot cams and a full dry sump system and produced approximately 340 hp at 8000 rpm. After being raced in different races in the USA by a lawyer, the car came to Germany last year and into the skilled hands of Tidi Schneller.

Beside the Ferrari show there were also a lot of Ferrari's to be seen. A big highlight was the Ferrari 375 MM with chassis number 0376AM exposed by Eberlein Kassel. The fact that this car is one of the last 8 still existing 375 MM with a marvellous history, like successful participations in the Carrera Panamericana, Daytona, Sebring and many more, make this car not only because of it's breathtaking design to one of the most desired Ferrari ever.

The jury of the Retro Classic's Concours d'Élegance appreciated these facts and elected the 375MM to the "Best of Show".

Unfortunately this year's Retro Classic - with about 50 Ferrari's on display - passed by way too fast. But anyway it delivered a very good beginning of the season 2009.

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