This incredibly beautiful journey of the Classic Days began at Schloss Dyck in 2006. Unfortunately, I missed the first edition. But from 2007 onwards, I was always there, and a little later I also became one of the official photographers for the organisers led by Marcus Herfort.
Despite two changes of venue and a name change – from Schloss Dyck to Green Park in Düsseldorf for two years, before finally discovering a new historic location in 2025, the Rittergut Birkhof.
It is a venue that is more than befitting the occasion, with tree-lined avenues, mature trees, sunny clearings and, last but not least, a wonderful circuit where, year after year, special and, in some cases, very rare classic cars do their laps, much to the delight of the numerous spectators.
The Classic Days have always been a meeting place for numerous legendary drivers. I had the pleasure of meeting Sir Stirling Moss, David Piper, Hans Herrmann, Jochen Mass and many others there. This year’s Grand Meeting once again featured some very special guests.
Kurt Ahrens was there. Derek Bell and Giacomo Agostini were in attendance. The 15-time motorcycling world champion was attending the Grand Meeting for the first time, whilst Derek Bell was there for the second time. This impressively demonstrates the immense, and indeed international, appeal of this unique event. Vanina Ickx and Freddie Hunt also graced the occasion with their presence.
Of course, Horst Lichter was a must-see. The TV star turned up on his MV Agusta and, like Giacomo Agostini, was a guest at the MV Agusta meet. I’ve never seen so many wonderful motorbikes from this iconic Italian brand. Amongst others, the original racing machine from one of Agostini’s fifteen world championships was on display, which was, of course, ridden by the Maestro himself during the demonstration runs.
At the entrances, there are road signs of this sort, bearing the message in large letters that visitors are leaving the ‘real world’ and entering the ‘Grand Meeting’ – a sort of ‘parallel universe’, a slice of motoring culture and a journey back in time to bygone eras.
To mark the opening of the Grand Meeting, there was a ‘drivers’ parade’ of a rather different kind. A few laps were completed in fiery red Porsche tractors, with Horst Lichter, Kurt Ahrens and Giacomo Agostini, amongst others, at the wheel.
Audi Tradition provided a very special piece of motoring history in the form of the Auto Union Type 52. This unique high-performance sports car is a completely hand-built replica of an Auto Union model that, in its day, never progressed beyond the stage of drawings and designs, and has therefore only now been brought to life. I will go into more detail about this marvel of craftsmanship in a separate report.
There were once again some real treats to marvel at on the circuit. In the Porsche special race, a green-and-white Porsche 917 KH – originally owned by David Piper – took to the track. There was also a white Porsche 908 KH with a green ‘nose tip’.
In addition, a magnificent snow-white Porsche 356 with a very special body was driven there. One might describe it as a long-tail version. The rear end was indeed fitted with an extension resembling a teardrop shape. Officially, it is called the Porsche 356 Split-Window Long-Tail Coupé. It was a record-breaking project from 1951. This car brings yet another one-off to the Rittergut Birkhof and the Grand Meeting. The streamlined Porsche had never before been seen in public and was therefore a very special eye-catcher. The current issue of ‘Motor Klassik’ features a detailed report on this fantastic Porsche.
Naturally, the other circuit races were also packed with rare vehicles. At Rittergut Birkhof, too, the circuit runs partly through the festival grounds, so spectators are right up close and can capture all the excitement on their mobile phones and cameras to take home with them.
I was there all three days; Friday is all about the arrival of the various vehicles, making it a very interesting day. On Saturday, I spent basically the whole day by the track taking photos of the cars in action. You’re always a bit on your own then, focused on your work. On Sunday, I strolled around the festival grounds, with my camera in hand, of course. But on that day, I was able to experience the wonderful atmosphere of the Grand Meeting at first hand. Everywhere you looked, people were engrossed in conversations about Benzions; the dealers seemed satisfied; and, without exception, you saw happy faces from the very young to the very old. The idea behind the Grand Meeting brings together generations of like-minded people. Everyone who was there enjoyed this parallel world – a journey back to a different, beautiful and, in a sense, carefree time.
It is thanks to Marcus Herfort’s team that, despite occasional setbacks, two relocations and a name change, none of the magic of the first Classic Days in 2006 has been lost. A great idea really does seem to be stronger than any difficulty that needed to be overcome. In any case, for me it’s one of the best events of the year.
I’m already looking forward to next year and the next Grand Meeting.
Anyone who was there will no doubt have picked up a copy of the programme. I took the cover photo last year – it was the first time I’d managed to have one of my photos featured on the cover. That was an added delight for me, on top of the honour of having photographed the event for the organisers for about 15 years now.
