Event
What began in 1983 as a swap meet in Padua has grown into Europe's largest classic car and motorcycle fair. For its 40th edition in 2023, Auto e Moto d'Epoca moved to BolognaFiere, more than doubling its footprint to 235,000 square metres across fourteen halls. The relocation placed the event squarely in Italy's Motor Valley—Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Pagani, and Dallara all lie within an hour's drive—and the region's passion for mechanical excellence permeates every corner of the show.
The scale is staggering. Over 7,000 cars and motorcycles fill the halls, with more than 5,000 vehicles offered for sale by dealers large and small alongside private sellers. Four colour-coded routes guide visitors through the exhibition: one for cars, another for motorcycles (now occupying its own 15,000-square-metre hall), a third for spare parts and automobilia, and a fourth celebrating clubs, museums, and the broader culture of historic motoring. The parts market alone could occupy an entire day—two cavernous halls of trim pieces, mechanical components, literature, and the sort of oddities that make collectors' hearts race.
Special exhibitions anchor each edition: past themes have included FIAT's 125th anniversary, thirty Formula 1 single-seaters displayed together for the first time, and tributes to designers like Bertone. The ASI Village showcases Italy's foremost classic car federation, while manufacturers from the Motor Valley present both heritage vehicles and current models, drawing a direct line between past and present.
Bologna's central location makes arrival straightforward. The exhibition centre sits near the motorway junction and offers direct rail connections—Trenitalia typically provides discounts of up to eighty percent for ticket holders. The city itself rewards those who extend their visit: medieval porticoes, exceptional food, and the opportunity to combine the fair with factory tours at Maranello or Sant'Agata Bolognese.
