Automotive Treasures at the Fourth Schloss Bensberg Classics

WOLFSBURG, GERMANY – September 3, 2012: For the fourth time, the Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg will become the setting of one of the highest-quality events for classic cars: highlights are the Concours d’Elégance with some of the world’s most valuable and refined vehicles, as well as a star-studded Rallye Historique. In addition, this year will offer two special exhibitions influenced by the history of motor sport. The event, supported by Volkswagen, will be presenting one-of-a-kind classics and countless icons from motor sport history from 7 to 9 September 2012.

On Saturday, 8 September 2012, the Schloss Bensberg Classics will open for the public with the Rallye Historique through the Bergisches Land. Around 90 teams will drive the charming route in automotive classics. It has also become tradition that numerous well-known personalities take the wheel for this challenging journey. This time, actors Jürgen Prochnow, Helmut Zierl, Herbert Knaup, Erol Sander, Thomas Heinze, Elena Uhlig and Fritz Karl will face the special stage. Amongst other, they will have to compete with two great racing legends in the form of Jacky Ickx, multiple winner at Le Mans and two-time Formula 1 runner-up, and Hans-Joachim Stuck, who also began in Formula 1 in the 1970s, won Le Mans twice and was champion of the German Touring Car Championship (DTM). The celebrity drivers can be seen live and up close in the Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg’s inner courtyard: at the start of the Rallye at 10.30 a.m. – and when they cross the finishing line from 4.30 p.m. Entry is free on Saturday.

The highlight of the event is the Concours d’Elégance on Sunday, 9 September 2012: against the imposing backdrop of the Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg, 40 selected rarities will be presented in 16 categories, including countless one-offs, prototypes and design studies. ‘Very important cars only’ – this isn’t just the official motto for the event, but also the benchmark for selecting the field of participants. We can expect, amongst others, a Ferrari 250 GTO, one of the most valuable cars in the world, and the extravagant Aston Martin DBS Ogle. A multitude of classics from the Volkswagen Group brands will also be represented, including the Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet Graber, the Bentley S1 DHC H.J. Mulliner, the Porsche 356 B 2000 GS (Carrera 2), the Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2 and the 1962 Volkswagen Type 1 Coupé Study.

A high-calibre jury led by Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen, former chairman of Bentley Motors and president of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S., will assess the vehicles and select the winners. Alongside renowned Italian car designers Fabrizio Giugiaro and Andrea Zagato, Stefan Sielaff, head of the Volkswagen Design Center Potsdam, will also be present on the jury.

The fourth Schloss Bensberg Classics will be offering something entirely new with two special exhibitions showcasing the history of motor sport. Five icons of the track will be presented under the slogan ‘Porsche – racing success of the 1960s’, including the 917 PA Spyder and the 908 Long Tail Coupé. And the second exhibition, ‘Legendary rally vehicles’, will set the hearts of car-lovers racing: those travelling to Bensberg include Björn Waldegaard’s Porsche 911 SC Safari and the Audi Sport Quattro S1, in which Walter Röhrl won the Rallye Sanremo. The classics will be flanked by the new Polo R WRC, which will be taking part in the World Rally Championship as of 2013.

Even the automotive present will be on show at the Schloss Bensberg Classics, allowing a fascinating direct comparison to icons from the past: brands of the Volkswagen Group will be presenting particularly luxurious and sporty current vehicles in Bensberg – must-sees include the Audi S8 and R8, the Bentley Mulsanne and Continental GTC, the Bugatti Veyron Grand Vitesse, the Lamborghini Aventador and Gallardo Spyder, the Porsche Panamera and 911 Cabrio, as well as the Volkswagen Phaeton and Beetle Turbo.

The Schloss Bensberg Classics have been hosted by the Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg since 2009, and have received significant support from the Volkswagen Group. The magnificent atmosphere of the baroque Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg, the exclusive selection of unique historical vehicles and countless VIPs from the worlds of economics, sport and culture lend this event a vibrancy that cannot be experienced anywhere else in this form. Further information regarding the fourth Schloss Bensberg Classics can be found at www.sbc2012.de