Anyone who keeps their classic car calendar out of habit will head to the wrong place twice this year. The Techno Classica is no longer in Essen — it’s now called Techno Classica Salon, takes place at Messe Dortmund, and has moved from spring to September. And the Classic Days are no longer at Schloss Dyck, but at Rittergut Birkhof near Korschenbroich.
This overview gathers what’s still coming up for BMW classic car drivers for the rest of 2026 and what’s already confirmed for 2027. Every date here is backed by the organiser’s website. What isn’t confirmed is listed in a separate section at the end — not mixed in with an estimated date.
As of: 8 August 2026. No guarantee of accuracy — please check with the organiser before travelling.
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Happening now: 40 years of M3 at the Nürburgring
As this article is published, the BELMOT Oldtimer-Grand-Prix is taking place at the Nürburgring — 7 to 9 August 2026, the 53rd edition. For BMW drivers, this is the date this year: In the AMG Arena, under the title “BMW M3 — 40 Years” up to 150 vehicles.
Also part of the supporting programme: the CLASS ONE Revival with DTM vehicles from the Class 1 era, supported by BMW Classic, the Tourenwagen Golden Ära, Super Touring Revival with at least twenty vehicles from 1992 to 2000, and the DRM RevivalOn 8 and 9 August, the BMW brand club meeting will also take place there.
If you’re reading this and live within reach: go.
What’s still coming up in 2026
| Date | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| until 31 Aug | BMW Art Cars — 20 Artists, 50 Years · all 20 Art Cars in one place for the first time, free admission | BMW Welt Munich |
| 15 Aug · 5 Sep · 19 Sep | Wheels & Weisswürscht — open classic car breakfast, 9am–2pm | BMW Group Classic, Munich |
| 22–23 Aug | Kölner Kurs, historic racing machines | Nürburgring GP |
| 28–30 Aug | Classic Gala Schwetzingen · Concours in the Schlossgarten | Schwetzingen |
| 28–30 Aug | Spa Historic Competition (Youngtimer Trophy) | Spa-Francorchamps |
| 4–6 Sep | Tourenwagen Legenden as part of ADAC GT Masters | Salzburgring |
| 13 Sep | CARS & PLANES Airport Race (BMW club participation) | — |
| 18–20 Sep | ADAC 1000km Race — youngtimer and classic car endurance race since 1953 | Nürburgring |
| 18–20 Sep | Goodwood Revival, with BMW Group Classic | Goodwood, UK |
| 24–27 Sep | Techno Classica Salon · new location, new month | Messe Dortmund, Halls 3–8 |
| 25–27 Sep | Spa Six Hours, 33rd edition | Spa-Francorchamps |
| 2–4 Oct | Tourenwagen Legenden & Youngtimer Trophy final | Hockenheim / Nürburgring |
| 9–11 Oct | VETERAMA Mannheim · Europe’s largest classic car parts market | Maimarktgelände Mannheim |
| 16–18 Oct | ADAC Westfalen Trophy | Nürburgring |
| 6–8 Nov | RETRO CLASSICS BAVARIA | Messe Nürnberg |
| 13–14 Nov | ADAC Rallye Köln-Ahrweiler (Youngtimer Rallye Trophy) | Ahrweiler |
Two exhibitions not to be missed
BMW Welt, until 31 August 2026: For the first time, all twenty BMW Art Cars are in one place — including three 3.0 CSL (Calder 1975, Stella 1976, Lichtenstein 1977), Andy Warhol’s M1 from 1979, and A. R. Penck’s Z1. Free admission, daily from 9am to 6pm, guided tours twice daily. For an audience interested in classic BMWs, this is the densest collection of icons currently available in Europe — and it ends in three weeks.
BMW Museum, until 31 January 2027: The special exhibition “50 Years of the BMW 6 Series” runs in the Rotunda, with further vehicles in the Art Car Gallery and the Model Series Tower. The only date on this list that extends into next year.
What’s already confirmed for 2027
| Date | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| until 31 Jan | “50 Years of the BMW 6 Series” | BMW Museum Munich |
| 5–7 Feb | Bremen Classic Motorshow, 25th edition, eight halls | Messe Bremen |
| 14–18 Apr | RETRO CLASSICS ESSEN | Messe Essen |
| 29 Apr–2 May | RETRO CLASSICS Stuttgart · Note: moving from February to spring | Messe Stuttgart |
| 30 Apr–2 May | ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers | Nürburgring |
| 7–9 May | ADAC Hockenheim Historic — Jim Clark Revival, 22nd edition | Hockenheimring |
| 27–30 May | ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring | Nürburgring |
| 4–6 Jun | Klassikwelt Bodensee | Messe Friedrichshafen |
| 11–13 Jun | ADAC Nürburgring Classic — Nordschleife and GP circuit | Nürburgring |
| 19–20 Jun | 100 Years of the Nürburgring · free admission | Nürburgring |
The date of the year for 2027 is therefore already set: The Nürburgring opened on 18 June 1927. For the hundredth anniversary, there will be a fan event on 19 and 20 June 2027 featuring motorsport from various eras, historic vehicles, a paddock, and the ring°boulevard — with free admission. The programme is still being finalised, but the date is fixed. Anyone who only attends one event a year should keep this weekend free.
What’s changed — and where you’ll therefore take a wrong turn
Techno Classica: Essen out, Dortmund in. The show is now called Techno Classica Salon and took place at Messe Dortmund for the first time in 2026, in September instead of spring. Anyone looking for “the big classic car show in Essen in spring” now means something different — namely the RETRO CLASSICS ESSEN, which the Stuttgart-based organiser Retro Messen newly launched at Messe Essen in 2026.
Classic Days: Schloss Dyck is history. The event calendar of the Stiftung Schloss Dyck no longer lists Classic Days for 2026. They now take place at Rittergut Birkhof near Korschenbroich.
Retro Classics Stuttgart is moving. Still in February in 2026, from 29 April to 2 May in 2027. Anyone who’s had this date fixed in their calendar for years should look it up this one time.
The DTM Classic Cup is apparently no longer running. For 2025 and 2026 the series is not listed in the DTM support programme, and no official page with dates exists. We are therefore not listing it as an ongoing series. Historic touring cars can instead be seen at the Tourenwagen Legenden, the Nürburgring Classic, and the Oldtimer-Grand-Prix.
Law and deadlines: less movement than claimed
H-plate. No change in the law — the legal basis remains § 2 No. 22 FZV in conjunction with § 23 StVZO. All that moves is the sliding date: In 2026, vehicles first registered in 1996 become H-plate eligible, in 2027 those from 1997. For our readership, that specifically means the Z3, E36, and the early E39.
The EU reform of the roadworthiness test (Hauptuntersuchung) has not been decided. On 4 December 2025, the Council of the EU merely set out its negotiating position — negotiations with Parliament only begin after that. There is no adopted legal act and no implementation deadline. Notably, the Commission’s proposal to have vehicles over ten years old undergo testing annually instead of every two years was not adopted by the Council. Historic vehicles are not treated separately at all in the Council’s position.
So anyone reading about “new EU roadworthiness test rules for classic cars” for 2026: this is not supported by the official source. A frequently linked article on the “uniform definition of historic vehicles” also refers to a Parliament decision from 2014 — not current law.
Low emission zones. Currently 35 active zones in Germany. The most recent change was the abolition of the Mainz low emission zone on 1 October 2025. No new or amended low emission zones are announced for 2026 and 2027.
Not yet confirmed
For the following events there is no official date for 2027. The brackets show when they traditionally take place — a guide for holiday planning, not a confirmation:
- Oldtimer-Grand-Prix Nürburgring — the organiser states the rule as “the second weekend in August”
- Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este (May) — organised by BMW Group Classic
- Techno Classica Salon — after the move, the timing is also open
- Spa Six Hours (late September), Spa Classic (May), Spa Summer Classic (late April — the organiser only writes “See you in 2027”)
- Classic Gala Schwetzingen (late August), Classic Days (late July/early August)
- Tourenwagen Legenden, Youngtimer Trophy, VETERAMA, Retro Classics Bavaria, E30 Meeting International
We will update this overview as soon as dates are confirmed. If you know of a date that’s missing here — especially club meetings and regional events — write to us. That’s exactly what the contact page is for.
Sources
- BELMOT Oldtimer-Grand-Prix · 100 Years of the Nürburgring · ADAC Nürburgring Classic
- Techno Classica Salon · Retro Classics Stuttgart · Retro Classics Essen · Bremen Classic Motorshow
- BMW Group PressClub — Art Cars at BMW Welt · Wheels & Weisswürscht
- Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt — definition of classic vehicles · Council of the EU — position on roadworthiness test reform, 4 Dec 2025 · Umweltbundesamt — low emission zones
Dates change. This overview has been compiled to the best of our knowledge and backed by organiser sources, but it does not replace checking the official website before travelling.
Bildnachweise
- Lizenziert · Martin V. · CC BY-SA 4.0