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Crowds of visitors enjoying the exhibition of classics at FYCMA. Ñito Salas
Cars that never die
Vintage car show

Cars that never die

The Palacio de Ferias y Congresos hosted the 12th Retro Málaga vintage car show at the weekend, a range of vehicles not normally on public display

Monday, 27 January 2025, 13:23

The twelfth Retro Málaga vintage car show took place at Malaga's conference centre at the weekend with more than eleven thousand square metres of exhibition space and six thousand square metres of covered parking.

This is the most important annual classic car fair in the whole of southern Spain, with a multitude of exhibitions, competitions, rallies, tributes, commercial areas and, for the first time, a photographic collection showing the evolution and history of the automobile in Malaga.

"We have the opportunity to see things that you rarely get the chance to see. This exhibition is of interest both to motor enthusiasts and the general public," explained Nacho Román, general director of the conference centre (FYCMA), during the opening of the event, which took place on Friday and was attended by the mayor, Francisco de la Torre. Images of the first vehicle ever registered in Malaga were also on display.

Automobile and history in photographs

One of the great novelties of the twelfth Retro Málaga 2025 was the photographic exhibition The History of the Automobile in Malaga, curated by Francisco Muñoz. This initiative, which will continue in future editions, began with a first period from 1896 to 1910, when the Panhard Levassor arrived as the first car in Malaga. The Oldsmobile, which was the first car to carry the province's number plate in 1907, was also on display to visitors in the exhibition hall.

De Lorenzo, the unique creation of a physiotherapist

Another of the main attractions of this edition was 'De Lorenzo', a vehicle hand-built by a physiotherapist from Asturias. It is a story of hard work, unbreakable will and a great deal of passion for the world of classic cars. Its creator, Xuan de Lorenzo, took six years to build this jewel on wheels powered by the engine of a Pegaso Pedralbes. Xuan de Lorenzo began this challenge without any knowledge whatsoever, and day after day he learned more about the assembly of a car to end up building one of the most attractive vehicles at the fair.

Classic car park, an annual attraction

Visitors who came to this year's Retro Málaga in their own classic cars, as has been the case in previous years, had an exclusive car park to display their vehicles and discounts on entry to the venue. This area is one of the main attractions for visitors thanks to the wide variety of vehicles that are parked in the area. Various classic car clubs took advantage of the occasion to visit the fair and exhibit their cars in the dedicated car park. One of the most eagerly awaited, as in previous years, was that of the Ferrari club, which took place on Saturday morning.

The 'De Lorenzo', the unique creation of an enthusiast from Asturias. Ñito Salas

75 years of Seat

Retro Málaga dedicated a special space to the 75th anniversary of Seat, one of the most iconic brands in the Spanish automotive industry. Thanks to the collaboration of the Retrosport Club Costa del Sol, attendees could retrace the evolution of Seat from its pioneering models to the most recent innovations, with an exhibition that honoured its legacy and contribution to the industry in Spain.

The essentials

For the most enthusiastic automobile aficionados, any car present at this event was a must, but there are some that, either because of their significance for the brand or for the model itself, have become true myths on wheels.

An example of this is the Jaguar Xk 120, a model presented at the London Motor Show in 1948 that quickly ascended to the Olympus of sports cars. It was capable of one hundred and twenty miles per hour (hence its name) and raced in such iconic competitions as Le Mans. To reach that speed, the Jaguar was powered by a 3.4-litre inline six-cylinder engine. It became one of the fastest cars of its time. So much so, in fact, that 193 kilometres per hour was not fast enough and, in 1949, it broke its own record by reaching 213 on a Belgian motorway.

The same goes for the BMW 2000 CS, a car that belongs to the 'Neue Klasse' series. In other words, the cars that pulled the Bavarian company out of a crisis so deep that it was on the verge of bankruptcy. Manufactured between 1965 and 1969, BMW surprised the market with one of the most beautiful coupés of the time. Its bodywork was designed by Wilhelm Hofmeister, a master coachbuilder who went down in history for his famous 'Hofmeister kink', which refers to the characteristic BMW C-pillar crease that has become a trademark of the brand. Its performance was somewhat more modest than that of the Jaguar, with a two-litre (hence the name) inline four-cylinder with twin carburetors delivering 120 horsepower, allowing it to reach a top speed of 180 kilometres per hour. But there was much more to this car than its performance. The luxury inside put it in the upper echelon of sought-after vehicles. Highest quality materials such as wood, leather and chrome were used to shape the interior.

And how can we forget the Aston Martin DB4, a true supercar of which only 1,204 units were built between 1958 and 1963. Many people think that this is the very famous model driven by James Bond in the Goldfinger film, but no. That honour goes to its successor, the DB5. The Aston Martin DB4 is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cars ever built. To power this jewel on wheels it was given a three-point-seven-litre inline six-cylinder engine. Depending on the version, it was capable of producing between 240 and 302 horsepower for the GT version, reaching 225 kilometres per hour in the most high-performance versions. The DB4 has become a true collector's item due to its rarity. Today, a Zagato sells for over ten million euros.

José Enrique Elvira, director of Eventos Motor, with the mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre. Ñito Salas

Retro Málaga 2025 also had a whole section dedicated to the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Spanish make Seat. There are so many and everyone will surely have their favourite, although in SUR we have opted for the mythical Bocanegra (did you know that Seat never called it that? This is the nickname given to it by enthusiasts), one of the first models that did not use a Fiat design as an initial model.

The Bocanegra was developed entirely here in Spain. The truth is that at the time it went unnoticed and not many were sold, which has helped it to fetch a much higher price today. Built on the Seat 127 platform, the Bocanegra was a small, reactive, agile and, above all, very light car, weighing just 805 kilos.

At first it was powered by a 1,200cc engine capable of developing 67 horsepower, although the Seat 1430 sport version was later released, which increased it to 77 horsepower. With these power levels, one might think that this was a slow vehicle, but the truth is that the power-to-weight ratio was good enough to make the Bocanegra a mousy toy capable of bringing a lot of smiles to the driver's face.

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