Motor show attracts thousands of visitors

Created: 09/26/2022, 08:00

By: Hans Moritz

Several hundred new cars could be admired at the Erding fairgrounds over the weekend.

The fair has existed since 1972. © Hans Moritz

The Erding Motor Show (AAE) has been one of the major motor shows in southern Bavaria for decades.

It was brought into being in 1972, of course, in an act of desperation. 

Erding - Egon J. Lechner had set up a shopping center in Erding West, literally on the green meadow, on what was then a lonely western bypass, today's Sigwolfstrasse.

The Rennweg wasn't even paved at that time.

Lechner simply wanted to "lure people out to me," recalls the founder, who brought the idea of ​​exhibiting new cars on the street with him from one of his trips to the USA.

It's been exactly 50 years now.

Later, the AAE took place in the city center, but even once in the underground car park of the district office.

For years it has had its permanent place on the Volksfestplatz.

50 years of AAE were celebrated there at the weekend - with hundreds of new cars, but also some vintage cars from the 70s.

Despite the rather moderate weather and rain showers, several thousand visitors flocked to the exhibition center on both days.

This year, the development of the automotive industry was more visible than in previous years - especially on the radiator grille.

Many are now closed - proof that electric drives in particular are on the rise.

Manfred Gramsamer, spokesman for the dealers, explained at the opening: "Our industry is in the greatest phase of change.

But we managed to keep up with them.” In times of disrupted supply chains, many dealers have problems getting new vehicles delivered at all.

For the AAE, of course, most of them had succeeded.

26 exhibitors showed 22 brands, plus a few automotive service providers.

Gramsamer broke a lance for the craft: “Despite all the progress, our most important resource remains the creative person.”

Mayor Max Gotz praised the AAE as "an integral part of the business location Erding".

The pressure on the automotive industry is currently sufficient.

"down to the smallest workshop".

But the shortage of skilled workers, Gotz continues, has long since affected the entire trade.

He sees the trend that everyone wants to go to high school as critical against the background of the functioning of the entire economy.

The mayor also said it was wrong to only rely on electromobility.

The infrastructure is far from designed for that.

“This cannot be implemented globally at all.” He spoke in favor of a mix of drives.

Deputy district administrator Franz Hofstetter explained that the AAE is proof of "how strong the automotive trade is in our district".

It is one of the "mainstays" of the local economy.

AAE's father and obstetrician, Egon Lechner and Günter Lassak, looked back on the early years.

The latter had organized the exhibition for the past few decades, and Lechner acknowledged that his comrade-in-arms had succeeded in bringing together the dealers who once eyed each other with envy.

That's the only reason why the AAE is such a big platform today, where you can see everything the industry currently has to offer.

In 1972 there were just 14 participants with 106 models with a total value of 750,000 marks.

Today the value is many times higher.

An AMG-Mercedes that Autohaus Nagel had with them alone cost over 200,000 euros.

When it wasn't raining, visitors flocked to the place.

Among them was Andreas Stein from Erding: “I really like it here.

I am looking for a van for my cleaning company.

My favorites are the new VW bus and its electric offshoot ID Buzz.

But I haven't found anything yet.” Annette Wagner from Moosburg professes to be a “fan of car exhibitions”.

She had been to the AAE more often.

"But I'm not looking at the moment, we already have four cars at home," she explained with a wink.

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The AAE is an important date for retailers, not least after a three-year break.

Ann-Kathrin Maier from the VW and Audi dealership Hans Maier explains: "Fortunately, we are not so badly affected by the shortage.

After the diesel and semiconductor crisis, we simply ordered a lot before the pandemic – 50 Audi and 80 VW.

And we always order more right away.” That's why there are enough new cars.

Hans-Joachim Jäger from the Mercedes car dealership Nagel says: "Our halls are not empty, but we cannot always deliver the desired vehicle immediately." Anyone who really wants it has to wait up to a year, especially for the smaller models.

For trucks it is even one and a half years.

Jäger has now noticed a drop in demand for annual cars.

"On the other hand, the sale of used vehicles in other European countries continues to go very well."

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