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Reporting live from the first major show of 2026: Interclassics Maastricht
New year, new opportunities, as the saying goes. When the doors of Interclassics Maastricht opened on Thursday, that adage once again seemed to ring true. The fair in the south of the Netherlands has traditionally been regarded as a barometer for the market.
At the end of last year, sentiment was still somewhat subdued, but the popping of champagne corks on New Year’s Eve appeared to have swept away that caution. Visitors looked eager to buy and decidedly optimistic. Whether this will translate into successful auctions will only become clear after Scottsdale, but for now Interclassics appears to have delivered a strong opening to the new year.
For the pre-war car enthusiast, it can sometimes take a bit of searching to find the cars that truly ignite the passion – but fortunately, they are still out there. Altena Classic Cars, for instance, presents a magnificent 3-Litre Bentley, beautifully preserved and in exceptional condition. A truly impressive automobile.
Zwakman Motors is also back at the show for the first time in many years, bringing along two early SS models. Particularly striking is the splendid BSA with Swallow sidecar, paired with a body built by Upper Classics in New Zealand – a unique combination with a fascinating story.
The atmosphere at the fair is excellent, and the selection offers far more variety than just Porsches. At the same time, the growing presence of modern cars raises questions about the long-term future. Will classic car enthusiasts continue to return in years to come? We sincerely hope so.
The show runs until Sunday, January 18th. We hope to see you there.
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UPDATE. The jury has reached its decision and, in our view, it is more than justified. After many years in a private collection in Italy, this exceptional 8V – designed by Pinin Farina – is now in Dutch hands. It was presented to the public here for the very first time at the Fine Automobiles stand.
This is a 1955 Fiat 8V Berlinetta by Pinin Farina. The Fiat 8V (Otto Vu) was developed in the 1950s as Fiat’s technological flagship, intended to put the marque back on the map in international motorsport. Only 114 examples were built, nearly all featuring unique bodies by leading Italian coachbuilders such as Zagato, Vignale, Ghia and Pinin Farina. The Berlinettas built by Pinin Farina rank among the most elegant and rarest variants.
That this particular example has now found its way to the Netherlands is truly special and underlines the international level of the event.
This year’s PreWar winner was a magnificent Alvis Speed 25 with its original Charlesworth coachwork, from Altena Classic Cars. Although not our first choice, it is an elegant automobile with a truly show-worthy presence.
Published:
Friday January 16th, 2026
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Comments
Jakob Bonfils
19 January, 12:05
Lot of interesting cars, I just hope that one day people , that take pictures with their phone, begin to think of what they are doing.
Many of the photos are taken with the phone upright , giving a lot of ceiling and floor and the car somewhere in the middle.
Do you have your television mounted in the same way ??
Just turn the phone 90 degrees and then we have an image eg. of a nice car and not a lot of ceiling and spotlights and some boring carpet covered floor !
Try it, put some effort into taking pictures and not just pointing the bloody thing around !
Read more
Many of the photos are taken with the phone upright , giving a lot of ceiling and floor and the car somewhere in the middle.
Do you have your television mounted in the same way ??
Just turn the phone 90 degrees and then we have an image eg. of a nice car and not a lot of ceiling and spotlights and some boring carpet covered floor !
Try it, put some effort into taking pictures and not just pointing the bloody thing around !
Nigel Thomas
18 January, 12:03
Great to see the Alfa Romeo 8c but remember you will serious strapping or heavy duty belt to protect your vital organs from rattling about.
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Robert Ilian
18 January, 10:52
We had a wonderful time at Interclassics. Fabulous cars but indeed Prewar was not abundant. We enjoyed the Alfa Romeo 8c “dans son jus” and also the Dolomite Special hand built coach by a Dutch magician at metal sheet work.
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W.G. Wouterse
18 January, 10:23
It was a difficult decision, but still I decided not to go, I was afraid that the 'Japanese' character would attract too many modern cars, that is not my interest, of course they are classic and they have a certainly interested too... but my heart is more for older. Bottom line it was a prefect weekend to work in the garden, I don't expect to have missed much... except maybe som fun and surely some friends.
“Car racing began, minutes after the second car was built”
Willem
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“Car racing began, minutes after the second car was built”
Willem
However, the admission price of €40 was rather steep.
Reimund/Oldenburg
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Diese Messe ist für mich eine der schönsten und interessantesten Messen. Die Benelux Länder bieten mehr Abwechslung in der Produktpalette als zb. bei uns in Deutschland . Es war wiedermal traumhaft , auch die Freundlichkeit und die Kompetenz der Aussteller sowie das Gesamtpaket war mehr wie stimmig.
Allerdings war der Eintrittspreis mit 40.00 Euro schon happig.
Reimund/Oldenburg