Despite its age, the Bentley is surprisingly modern in use. “It can keep up well in the current traffic. People sometimes don’t know how quickly to grab their phone when we pass by. And no one expects a top speed of 190 kilometers per hour. People think that a blowout is coming that cannot be anticipated.”
Mark Albada Jelgersma from the organization says that the Flowerdome is well filled again this year. “We have seven halls packed with classics. Hundreds of cars, buses, trucks, bicycles, mopeds. Everything your father or even your grandfather ever rode on or in.”
Since its inception in 2000, the fair has grown into a major event. Exact visitor numbers are not shared, but for years it attracted thousands of visitors. There are approximately two hundred exhibitors on the exhibition floor.
Albada Jelgersma herself is also a great enthusiast. Pater’s Bentley Blower is an absolute favorite for him. “That car comes from a time when speed really started to make progress and racing took shape. That was the basis of everything that came after.”
Among the hundreds of vehicles there are also some special examples. Special attention is paid to Citroën, whose legendary DS is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.
In one of the halls, six shiny Citroën DS, also known as ‘pike’, are displayed. George van Geffen, northern chairman of the Citroën DS Club, beams. “We are celebrating 70 years of DS. In Paris we celebrated the fiftieth anniversary in a big way, here we will repeat it a little more modestly.