As of: March 26, 2024, 11:00 a.m
By: Markus Ostermaier
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Press
Split
There were plenty of historic classic cars on display at the Buch sports grounds on Saturday.
The participants of the Coppa d'Europa had to go there for a time stamp check.
© Ostermaier
Cold winds and frequent downpours dominated Saturday afternoon.
Nevertheless, there were a striking number of international vintage cars to be seen on the streets in the Erdinger district - and of course not by chance.
Buch am Buchrain – The 18th edition of the Coppa d'Europa led through various municipal streets from Isen to Langenpreising.
The Buch am Buchrain sports field was a stopover for checking the time stamps for all 111 starting numbers.
The Coppa d'Europa is a must-attend event in the classic car industry and for rally fans.
The international multi-day event has existed since 2005 and always runs through several Central European countries.
The organizer is the RREvents Foundation, whose co-founder René Smeets is also acting as the Coppa competition director this year.
He comes from Maasbracht in the Netherlands and speaks perfect German because of the close proximity to the German border.
Smeets explains how extensive the organization of the Coppa d'Europa is: the preparations last a total of nine months and around 40 people are involved.
A significant amount of time is invested in the route, which changes every year.
“We don’t drive on motorways, but rather on small country roads and routes that are rarely used but are also challenging.” Navigation devices are also taboo.
“We travel the old-fashioned way with maps.”
The participants are also personally challenged to find the right paths, as competition secretary Jan Timmers, who comes from Deurne in the Netherlands, adds.
All vehicles receive a map in which only certain points are marked.
These can be time checks by the organizers, but sometimes the participants also have to find a stamp station or solve tasks themselves.
“The vehicles always drive one minute apart and are not allowed to drive in columns,” explains Timmers.
Otherwise there are penalty points.
The rally drivers have to find their own route using a map, as the Dutch competition representatives Renè Smeets (l.) and Jan Timmers show.
© Ostermaier
The Coppa started this year on March 21st in Maastricht in the Netherlands.
The three-day rally led through five other countries: Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Austria and Germany, where the final stop was in Bad Gögging on Saturday evening.
The 111 participants come from twelve nations, including England, Scandinavia and Switzerland.
Smeets in Buch couldn't say how many actually reached the Erdinger district on the third day of the rally.
“Cars sometimes break down along the way.
These are all old vehicles.” The conditions of participation for the Coppa for historic vehicles stipulate that the automobiles must be built before 1986.
But how did the Coppa d'Europa actually come about?
When putting together the route, the organizers were looking for a parking space that could be used for a time checkpoint.
This is how Smeets and his colleagues became aware of the parking spaces at the Bucher sports club.
During a test drive, they happened to meet a club member who put them in touch with SV chairman Ralph Naleder.
He was very happy about the request - the collaboration was quickly over and done with.
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Things were less dry on the day of the event when the first classic car passed through the Buch municipal area and received the coveted stamp at the sports field at 2:21 p.m.
“The only bad thing was that the weather wasn’t on our side,” says Nagleder.
Nevertheless, some classic car fans came to the site to examine and photograph the historic vehicles such as Porsche, Mustang, Corvette, Jaguar, Mercedes and Alfa Romeo.
“There were really great cars there.
Some brand lovers were really looking forward to certain vehicles,” says Naleder.
After the stop in Buch, the rally vehicles continued towards Walpertskirchen and then through the communities of Bockhorn, Fraunberg, Wartenberg and Langenpreising.
In total, the classic cars covered a distance of 1,476 kilometers over the three days.
The organizers are very satisfied with their rally.
“Everything went well and we saw beautiful areas and landscapes,” reports Smeets, who thanks the bookers for their hospitality and good cooperation.
“We were very happy that we were able to be a stopover at the rally,” says Nagleder on behalf of the SV.
“Everyone I spoke to was very enthusiastic.” He would be happy if his club could support a rally again – “perhaps in better weather conditions.”