Auto Retro Barcelona 2010 closes its doors with almost 59,000 visitors and record sales

Barcelona (ACN).- With almost 58,900 visitors, a similar number to last year, five days of intensive activities came to an end on Wednesday. The international exhibition, that showcases the automobile, motorcycle, aviation and nautical industry took place this week for the 27^th time. More than 30,000 square metres of Barcelona's exhibition centre in the Montjuïc area were occupied by almost 600 vehicles from eight different countries. According to Fermín Sulé, the President of Auto Retro, the trade fair 'widely' exceeded the expected number of vehicle sales.

Prominent pilots like Javier Sanglas, Miguel Molons, Vicenç Aguilera, Jaime Puig and Joan Fernández were recognized last weekend when the event commenced. On top of that, 200 classic cars and two four-wheel drive Rallys were showcased.

During the trade fair, championships took place including a 1st Grand Prix organised by the Barcelona’s beer company, Moritz. The company also organised a competition called the Moritz SEAT 600, an homage to the Spanish SEAT version of the FIAT model .

Record sales  

With regard to the commercial side, organizers recognised a large number of recorded sales, mostly in two and four wheel vehicles. Selling is the main reason for hosting this trade fair so the selling of classic car parts and accessories are the real key to the show. According to the organisers, the key to the success of the show lies in the diversity of the products on offer. They attract high quality exhibitors and visitors from all around the globe.

For this reason, the founder and the President of the trade fair, Fermín Sulé, hailed the Auto Retro Barcelona 2010 as a great success. According to Sulé, the affluence of last years has continued and this years event 'widely' surpassed the number of vehicle sales, something that proves, in his words, that, 'the classical world is not just one to be enjoyed, but also a source of invest'. Sulé also stresses the participation of the two main sponsors, Moritz and Safety Engineering. 'We believe that the future of Auto Retro is prosperous without much growth but with a constant rise and continuous progress', Sulé says before recognizing the importance of the exhibitors and the public as the most crucial supporters.

Alfa Romeo celebrates its hundredth anniversary

The 27^th Auto Retro Barcelona trade fair had the honour of commemorating the centenary of the Italian brand Alfa Romeo, with a retrospective coordinated by Alfa Romeo Club Catalonia that show cased 14 of their most iconic brand models produced in the last century.

Among the exhibitions on display, there was a particular one from the motorcycle brand,  Sanglas. Twenty units of exhibition panels and posters were used to inform viewers about the creation and the development of the Catalan brand, Manlleu. Selex, the Barcelona car manufacturer also celebrated its 50^th birthday and gathered samples of their products as well as a large group of former pilots. In the same way, the space occupied by Retro Náutica show cased an exhibition about the Barcelona shipyard, Laraya.