Essen Motor Show 2021 – Limited Edition

After the break year 2020 caused by the Corona pandemic, the Essen Motor Show returned in 2021. However, the pandemic continues to play a role, which is why the organizers deliberately speak of a “Limited Edition”. In contrast to the usual editions of this show, there will be a significant reduction in the number of tickets available, less action in the halls and, in fact, fewer exhibitors. The latter is quite understandable from the point of view of the exhibiting companies, since just a few days before the opening it wasn’t clear whether the EMS would take place at all or not. Now it is running and that is a good thing. In the following five picture galleries, we take you on a short tour of the fair.

Hall 1

In order to walk chronologically according to hall numbering, you have to enter the fair in Essen through the South Entrance. Here it starts with the Classic Salon, which brings together various classic car and sports car dealers. In addition, the Technikmuseum Sinsheim and Technikmuseum Speyer (technology museums in Germany) are showing some interesting exhibits. In the middle of the hall, as always, is the cube of SIHA, the exhibition organization of Techno Classica, which will (hopefully) start up again in March 2022. Around this cube this time are some sports cars from Ford as well as two Jaguar E-Types, a KTM X-Bow GT4 and a Koenigsegg Regera.

Hall 2

The Classic Salon continues in the adjacent Hall 2. Here you will also find various suppliers of clothing, accessories, model cars and spare parts. At the junction of the two halls, ADAC shows classic vehicles from the roadside assistance service. The main part, on the other hand, is filled by Chrome Cars from Jena with various special exhibitions. Among other things, the classic car dealer and collector is highlighting the sports car brand Lotus and numerous original movie cars. In addition to the Eleanor from “Gone in 60 Seconds”, it is probably mainly the cars from the “Fast’n’Furious” films that cause big eyes among the visitors here. Right next to them are other movie cars on a separate stand, including the Blues Brothers police car. In addition, the main theme of the Essen Motor Show – car tuning – is already spilling over into certain parts of the halls.

Hall 3

In order to get to the main hall of Messe Essen, this year one had to use the entrances via Hall 1 or 2 or directly the West Entrance. It isn’t possible to walk via the connecting Galeria as usual, because Hall 3 isn’t completely occupied for the first time. Nevertheless, as always, it offers a great cross-section of tuning companies, car brands and major parts suppliers such as Recaro, Sandtler, BBS and KW. Car manufacturers represented include Hyundai, Genesis (for the first time at a German auto show), Toyota and Lexus (via dealer Lackas), and Mercedes-Benz (via the Mercedes-Benz FanWorld). The rear part of the hall is traditionally taken over by ADAC with current racing cars from the 2021 season and a rollover simulator. Further forward in the hall, there is a special exhibition of classic racing cars from touring car and sports car racing series.

Hall 5

Hall 4, where a large drift and event area has traditionally been set up for many years, will remain closed in 2021, as will basement Hall 1A. This meant that the special exhibition “Tuning Experience” had to move by force and was given access to Hall 5 for this purpose. While on the one hand this enhances the private tuning project vehicles because you no longer have to descend into the basement, at the same time it takes away a bit of the family character that was previously given by the lower hall height. In our picture gallery we focus mainly on the refined classic cars that were found among the exhibits.

Halls 6, 7 and 8

Since 2019, Halls 6, 7 and 8 belong to the tuning companies. In addition to classic houses such as Brabus, AC Schnitzer or MTM, it is mainly younger companies that know how to pick up the audience with interesting projects. First and foremost, of course, JP Performance, HowDeep and Arlows. A tour of these halls reveals classic cars, modern supercars and wildly modified vehicles in abundance. In the middle of Hall 6, the German Bundeswehr (Armed Forces) also displays a self-propelled howitzer, which can also be viewed from the inside on request. At least on the preview day, one could still observe empty stands at some corners, which underlined the “Limited Edition” character of the Essen Motor Show 2021 in their own way.

Visit still possible until Sunday

The current Essen Motor Show is still running until Sunday, Dec. 5. It is important to mention that there are no tickets available at the entrances on site this year. Every visitor has to order his or her individualized ticket online in advance. In this way, the fair organization reduces the number of visitors per day to the level permitted by the authorities. For on-site access, proof of vaccination, recovery or negative testing (self-testing not permitted) is required.

Images: Christopher Sehlbach, Günter Weirich, Katrin Kierse and Matthias Kierse