After a year of absence, the Classic Days returns to Rittergut Birkhof. Many fans of automotive heritage missed the Classic Days last year. After the attempt to establish this event in Düsseldorf unfortunately failed, the search for a suitable location proved difficult. But then Marcus Herfort found what he was looking for very close to the original location (Schloss Dyck). The Rittergut Birkhof, located in beautiful Korschenbroich in the Rhine district of Neuss, proved to be a real hit.
It quickly became clear to everyone involved: the owners and management of the Rittergut, the district of Neuss and the town of Korschenbroich, and the inventor and organizer of the Classic Days all have the same fuel in their blood. And when everyone wants the same, something good always comes of it. The Birkhof manor proved to be the perfect setting for the Classic Days. Great historic buildings in the middle of a green oasis and sufficient farmland around them, suitable for parking the fantastic classic cars.
The only question that remained was: Would the weather gods cooperate? While they had blown away the event with a storm in 2023, this time they were more accommodating. Although there were occasional showers on Friday and Saturday, they did not interfere too much with the event. On Sunday, the weather was perfect. Not too hot, but with glorious sunshine. This created a great atmosphere. There were lots of happy faces in the numerous cafés and on the picnic lawn. It was nice to see that the event has developed into a family event. Young and old alike marveled at the magnificent old cars from all eras of automotive history. That’s how it should be.
On the demonstration track (2.6 km) around and through the manor, visitors were able to admire the historic vehicles in action. “These cars need to be driven and should not disappear into museums,” “they are a testament to German engineering” and “represent the economic and cultural development of the last 100 years,” said Carsten Müller, Member of the German Bundestag (CDU) and newly re-elected chairman of the Parliamentary Group for Automotive Cultural Heritage in the German Bundestag, who gave the welcoming speech at the opening of the Classic Days on Friday together with Ansgar Heveling, Member of the German Bundestag (CDU) for the Rhine district of Neuss, and Marc Venten, Mayor of Korschenbroich (CDU).
The event began on Friday with a prologue rally that took participants to the Lower Rhine region. After approximately 62 km, they reached their intermediate destination, Gut Barbarastein, where they enjoyed a delicious lunch (pasta with strips of fillet). The co-drivers were treated to fine wine, while the drivers stuck to soft drinks. In the evening, everyone gathered again for a wonderful barbecue at the Birkhof manor. Marcus Herfort thanked his team and the sponsors and officials from the district and the town of Korschenbroich for their great support. It was an emotional moment when he remembered his wife, who had conceived and developed the Classic Days and who had passed away last year. He also remembered Jochen Mass, the former Formula 1 driver and Le Mans 24 Hours winner, who had attended many Classic Days and who had also passed away in May.
Saturday brought excitement to the day’s schedule with changing weather conditions. However, the drivers adapted to the weather conditions and fulfilled their responsibility for safety. Praise is due to the many volunteers who organized and ran the event so perfectly. The team consists of approximately 70 helpers who were active as marshals and parking attendants. The German Red Cross was on site with 25 personnel, three ambulances, and a medical station under the direction of Mr. Andreas Müller. Fortunately, no serious interventions were necessary.
On Sunday, everything was perfect, especially the weather. Sunshine all day long, but not too hot. The Classic Days showed themselves at their best. Everyone found their own highlights in the theme parks. Whether you went to see the US cars or visited the classic campers, the concours vehicles, the paddock with the racing cars, or the numerous brand clubs that had gathered for the occasion. Everywhere you went, there were “gasoline talks.” Talking shop about historic cars—simply wonderful! Add to that the omnipresent sound of engines and the smell of gasoline in the air! What could be better for classic car fans?
Conclusion: Everyone was delighted that the Classic Days are back. Now we are looking forward to the Classic Days 2026, true to the motto: “After Classic Days is before the next Classic Days!” After a well-deserved break, Marcus Herfort and his team will soon begin planning for next year and consider improvements to address the few remaining shortcomings. The only thing they can’t influence is the weather. So we all have to pray and ask for his mercy!
Photo-Credit: Günter Biener
