Have you ever ever seen archive footage from Wörthersee again within the Nineteen Eighties and ’90s, wishing you can have skilled it when it was new? Effectively, I sort of bought a possibility to do exactly that.

For 41 years, each Might, VW and German automobile lovers from all world wide would collect collectively within the Austrian city of Wörthersee for every week of automobile meets, occasions and common celebration of our interest. Within the final 10 years, the event has grown dramatically in dimension. It was an occasion that far outgrew the city that hosted it, and final yr the Austrian authorities lastly buckled and requested for the annual gathering to cease going down in Wörthersee.

One of many headline occasions from the Wörthersee agenda, XS CarNight, determined to use this as an alternative to start out one thing contemporary and new.

We misplaced entry to stunning Wörthersee, positive, however there was nonetheless a number of mountainous Europe left for automobile lovers to collect at and discover while having fun with the automobiles that introduced us collectively within the first place. When one door closes, one other one opens, and so forth.

XS ended up negotiating with native authorities to permit them to host an occasion in Italy’s northernmost mountainous area of South Tyrol. It’s a fantastically scenic a part of Europe, bordering Austria and, importantly, only a stone’s throw away from Wörthersee. XS gained permission to organise three different occasions on days both aspect of the principle CarNight present, and the scene was set.

Titled the #BetterDaysAhead Tour, XS gave everybody a substitute for Wörthersee and the chance to be concerned within the begin of one thing new. For all I do know, this may very well be the way forward for European automobile tradition conferences for the subsequent 40 years. To me, this may very well be what Wörthersee was to these earlier than my time.

With all this in thoughts, I grabbed a number of plucky pals, packed up my BMW E38 for the journey, and drove 1,100 miles from London to South Tyrol.

The primary problem appeared after we bought there. Aside from the 4 occasions XS organised, we had no concept the place the native hangout spots could be.

Wörthersee had its ‘Turbo Curve’, the enduring Eni station, the principle city alongside an infinite quantity of automobile parks within the space at which there could be a automobile meet occurring at any level within the day.

South Tyrol’s geography is a bit of totally different; every city is located about half-hour drive from one another. This isn’t an issue, however as every city is comparatively much like the opposite, every thing appeared much more unfold out and we by no means by chance came across automobile meets the way in which we did at Wörthersee occasions prior to now.

We quickly realized of the Q8 petrol station, quarter-hour from the principle city that hosted the XS CarNight occasion.

This place gave us the strongest Wörthersee vibe. The car parking zone across the again was big, the service station amenities have been fashionable and greater than able to internet hosting everybody as automobiles saved coming in and leaving. It was the perfect sort of automobile present of all of them: a rolling automobile present. Seeing these automobiles on the transfer, listening to the engines and chatting with the house owners crammed us with vitality and optimism for the occasion as a complete.

There have been many thrilling automobiles on present right here, with my favorite of the bunch in all probability being this Alfa Romeo Guilia. I believe they’re infinitely sexier than any equal AMG or M automobile, but nowhere close to as frequent sadly.

One other sizzling spot was the Meran 2000 peak, a big automobile park located quarter-hour up a mountain from the principle Bolzano space the place we stayed. Right here, we attended an organised Saturday morning automobiles and low occasion merely referred to as the Traditional Meet. Because the identify prompt, a big chunk of the automobiles on present have been old fashioned. Immaculate paint and OEM+ touches are positively on the forefront of automobile modifications right here in Europe.

It was at Meran 2000 the place I additionally discovered my favorite automobile combo of the entire journey. This Mk2 Volkswagen Golf on 15-inch BBS RS wheels and the curious Porsche 993 rolled in collectively and immediately attracted a crowd. As you’ll be able to see within the images, this was a fairly particular pairing.

So, pricey reader, which one are you taking residence?

Jet washes are endlessly scattered round South Tyrol for anybody to make use of. Retaining your automobile clear right here is tremendous simple, and with so many present automobiles on the go these locations grew to become little occasions in themselves.

Try this Fiat Tipo Sedicivalvole I stumbled upon at one of many jet washes. Owned by a stunning gent referred to as Rene, the automobile is totally model new after a winter’s price of restoration work.

It’s these kinds of hidden motoring nuggets that make journeys like this actually rewarding, encouraging you to drive round discovering increasingly more automobiles and attention-grabbing individuals as you go.

The opposite XS occasion we attended was a Friday automobiles and low morning. Being the very first thing we attended after we arrived at South Tyrol, it was this morning that set the foundations for what the XS #BetterDaysAhead Tour was all about.

A mixture of individuals having fun with their challenge automobiles from all corners of Europe. The authorities have been there to verify every thing ran easily and handle visitors circulate, however there have been no points between the automobiles and the regulation in Italy. This was a complete distinction to latest years in Austria, the place attending virtually grew to become a big gamble to see in case you might make it out and in with out receiving fines.

So then, let’s sort out the query I set myself within the title of this text. Briefly, no, South Tyrol isn’t a brand new Wörthersee. However that’s as a result of it by no means got down to be. With out getting all poetic, the entire level of the #BetterDaysAhead Tour, so far as I might inform, was to discover new potentialities of the place we are able to collect to take pleasure in our ardour and interest.

It’s our duty as automobile lovers to do that with respect, and deal with the place we go along with upmost integrity. South Tyrol affords us a possibility to try this, and we have to take it. Who is aware of, possibly I’ll be reminiscing about this occasion in 40 years time, while sitting at Q8 trying on the 2063 Mk16 Golf on the newest levitating Hoverlift suspension.

Till subsequent time, South Tyrol.

Michał Fidowicz
Instagram: candyshowroom