The 18th meeting of commercial vehicle veterans in Wörnitz

With around 400 vehicles, the largest event of its kind in Europe

Over the past decades, the name Wörnitz (Germany) has become synonymous with Europe's largest classic truck meeting. The event takes place every two years, in 2024 for the 18th time. On the rain-free weekend from September 6 to 8, around 400 vehicles gathered at the Wörnitz truck stop, including many rarities and new acquisitions. They came not only from all over Germany, but also from other countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Switzerland.

Wörnitz is a tranquil community in Bavaria with just under 2000 inhabitants, an exit off the A7 highway bears its name, as does a truck stop. It not only offers long-distance truckers plenty of space to stay overnight, but also all other amenities. The first meeting of commercial vehicle veterans took place there in 1989. Around 35 vehicles were there, and there were a lot of them back then, as the German vintage truck scene really took off in the 1980s. Everyone involved in the subject still knew each other, there was a sort of tight-knit clique.

In the following years, Wörnitz established itself as a permanent fixture in the calendar of events, with a meeting taking place at the truck stop every two years and the number of participants increasing steadily. The historic trucks were joined by a number of buses and fire engines, almost all of them carefully restored, some of them “natural” with the appropriate patina. The event grew and grew, and in 2015 the dedicated classic car enthusiast Harald Brem and his son took over the reins after the previous organizers Werner Lachnit, Wolfgang Riek and Ronny Pflug had signaled that they had carried the responsibility long enough. Due to the pandemic, Wörnitz was canceled in 2021 and was held a year later. Since then, the rhythm has shifted to even-numbered years.

The Wörnitz truck stop offers plenty of space for people and trucks, and is also an ideal place for veteran commercial vehicles
In glorious weather, visitors were able to enjoy the colorful variety of around 400 classic trucks for an entire weekend

Special thanks are due to Marcel Bark and his team from Schaal Ltd, as the unbureaucratic support of the truck stop operators made the event possible in the first place. The 2024 meeting was the largest to date in Wörnitz. About 400 vehicles, mainly sorted by brand, offered a veritable splendor of truck veterans from the half-century after the Second World War. In Germany, the total number of restored and roadworthy vintage trucks is estimated at around 1,000, and well over a third of them were gathered in Wörnitz. There were also some pre-war models, including a Vomag from 1940 from the last generation of the legendary manufacturer from Plauen. The earliest year of construction was an Opel P4 delivery van from 1934, followed by an Opel Blitz bus from 1936.

After around twenty years of restoration work in Wilhelm Holzwarth's workshop, the only surviving, roadworthy Krupp Drache AK 11 Dr 4, built in 1959, was presented for the first time in Wörnitz
To be seen for the first time at a meeting with a perfectly matching three-axle trailer: Heinz-Bruno Hecker's Krupp-Südwerke Titan SW L 80, built in 1952. Immediately before Wörnitz, the impressive rig had taken part in the twentieth “Tour of Germany”.
The Büssing-NAG 5000 S from the Lipperts brothers was also seen for the first time at a meeting with two trailers. This formation was legal and common in Germany until 1951.

Traditionally, a drive took place on Saturday, in which the majority of the vehicles took part. From truck stop Wörnitz, the route went to the Heinrich Hamprecht trucking company site near Künzelsau. Rolf Hamprecht and his team had come up with an ingenious route that led 65 kilometers through beautiful landscapes and sleepy Bavarian and Baden-Württemberg villages. Astonished residents stood in their doorways and waved their thumbs up as the quaint vintage trucks chugged past them and the queue never seemed to end.

At the meeting in Wörnitz, most of the vintage trucks were sorted by brand. The photo shows part of the Büssing section.
The flagship from GDR production with trailer: IFA H6, built in 1957

At the end of the tour, the participants were treated to a delicious lunch in the trucking company hall, where they were able to chat about their vehicles, the event and their experiences on the tour while enjoying goulash soup. Everyone had arrived safely and had plenty to talk about.

The Mercedes LP 333 with two steered front axles was built from 1958 to 1961. It was called the millipede. 
Another millipede: LP 333 with Ackermann body from the Daimler-Benz Museum

The traditional vehicle presentation took place on Sunday. Presenter Holger Hahn knew how to tell an interesting anecdote about each classic truck via microphone and loudspeaker.

In addition to the participants, numerous spectators also came to Wörnitz to marvel at the many historic trucks and show them to their offspring. At the truck stop there are several catering services and a parking lot was set up for parking cars.

The Mercedes LP 338, built in 1961, was already a rarity in its day with an extended cab
In the 1930s, Vomag trucks were the kings of the highway. 1945 marked the end of the legendary commercial vehicle manufacturer from Plauen, as the Soviet occupying forces completely dismantled the factories, provided they had not been destroyed during the war. A truck from the last generation of vehicles, a Vomag 4.5 LHG, built in 1940, could be admired in Wörnitz.
The Goldhofer low-loader trailer from 1963 of this Henschel HS 11 HK carried a Caterpillar tracked loader type 933, built in 1965
Büssing S 8000 all-wheel drive tractor unit, built in 1954
A beautiful rig: classic truck enthusiast Matthias Kick brought his Büssing Commodore U with wood/steel cab from Büssing & Sohn, built in 1966, to Wörnitz
Good looking combination: Mercedes LAK 315 all-wheel drive tipper with trailer
Beer delivery with all-wheel drive: Borgward B 4500 A from 1958
With Trilex rims: MAN 780, built in 1967
MAN 19.361 U with F8 cab from 1988
Reunion after 29 years: The Südwerke L 45 as a road blasting vehicle, built in 1947, was last in Wörnitz in 1995
With all-wheel drive: MAN 32.240 DHA 6x6 tow truck, built in 1976, on arrival in Wörnitz
Mercedes LP 2232, built in 1973, carrying a Faun L 8 tractor unit with 150 hp
DAF FT 2300, built in 1980, from Jürgen Ebenhöh, who will be organizing a large vintage commercial vehicle meeting at his gravel pit in Pliening near Munich in 2025. Next to it is a Henschel HS-100 tractor unit with an Ackermann panel semi-trailer.
This Mercedes L 1113 from 1967 was a fire department turntable ladder in its first life. With a mileage of just 24,000 kilometers, the vehicle was taken over by Harald Brem in 2004, converted into a flatbed truck and fitted with a 1951 Massholder trailer. Harald Brem and his son have been the initiators of the meeting in Wörnitz since 2015.
Mercedes L 311, built in 1958 with trailer. The superstructures for transporting livestock come from the Arnold Zech company.
White Road Commander II, built in 1979 and first delivered to Switzerland.
Büssing BS 26.320 from 1971
The Borgward B 4500 from 1958 was powered by the most powerful truck engine ever built by Borgward (6 cylinders, 4997 cubic centimeters, 110 hp)
Mercedes tractor unit type 1632 from 1975, equipped like the truck from the German cult series “Auf Achse”
Elaborately painted: Kenworth W 900 from 1994
Something like this still exists: Büssing 8000 S 13, built in 1956 and imported to Germany from Turkey
Arrived in Wörnitz from the Netherlands: Volvo F 10 from 1987
The Renault Magnum was called “AE” when it was introduced in 1990. Trucking company Obermann came to Wörnitz with three examples of the spectacular truck model. The photo shows a Magnum from 1992 on a village road.
Borgward-Anderthalbtonner B 1500 from 1956 with 75 hp and the front-wheel drive B 655 from 1961 with 110 hp
Magnificently restored: the Russian ZIL 133 G from 1988 belonging to vintage truck collector and trucking company owner Werner Poller from Ellefeld in Vogtland  (Photo: Martin Eischer)
The Russian MAZ 504 V from 1979  is also part of Werner Poller's vintage truck collection
Group photo from Wörnitz: two heavy Büssing 8000s on the right, in the background their successor in green, the Commodore SK, released in 1961
Opel Blitz one-and-a-half-tonner, delivered in 1948 as a flatbed truck, later converted into a tow truck with crane and finally fitted with a flatbed again
Steyr 1290 from 1979, the only surviving truck of its kind with a long-distance cab
Krupp 380 6x4 driving through the villages around Wörnitz
Mercedes O 321 H with Vetter bodywork from 1966
Mercedes O 317 G from the Stuttgart public bus operator with bodywork by Vetter, built in 1974, with 65 seats and 86 standing places. The 18-meter articulated bus was expertly chauffeured by Udo Becker.
VW bus with roof edge glazing and corner glazing at the rear, i.e. the most expensive Samba bus version, here with a Westfalia caravan in matching colors
Opel-Blitz 3.6-tonner with bus body, built in 1936
An overview of some of the bus fraction
Impressive: Renault Magnum with trailer and heavy load from Krupp production
Büssing BS 16.320 with underfloor engine
Berna 2 US from 1958
Part of the impressive Schmelz fleet: Henschel HS 140 from 1954
Büssing BS 12 FSA furniture van from 1969 with Ackermann body
Mercedes 1635 from the Hamprecht trucking company, which was also the destination of the excursion and in whose hall there was a tasty meal for all participants
Scania LB 141 from 1980 with Kögel refrigerated trailer
Mercedes L 6600 from 1954 with Vidal trailer from 1964
The oldest vehicle in Wörnitz was an Opel P4 delivery van from 1934
The DKW Schnelllaster from 1953, an absolute rarity today, was part of the street scene in Germany and also in Spain in the 1950s
Mercedes SK with the type designation 2435 from 1989
Mercedes L 1113 and Büssing-NAG 5000 S, both painted in typical long-distance colors blue and red, as well as the Krupp Titan
Faun tractor unit, built in 1961, with water-cooled Deutz engine
Borgward parade, the likes of which have never been seen in this variety at a commercial vehicle meeting 
Kaelble K 631 ZR, tractor unit of the German Federal Railways, built in 1953, closely followed by a Kaelble K 632, built in 1969
Klöckner-Deutz fire engine type S 3000, built in 1942
The “Blue Wonder”, an exact replica based on Mercedes plans, attracted a lot of attention since the original was scrapped by Mercedes itself in 1967.
With the engine of the Mercedes Gullwing 300 SL, the “Blue Wonder” was the fastest racing transporter of its time. Loaded with a replica of the legendary Mercedes 300 SLR, it came to Wörnitz.
Volvo F 12, built in 1986, from the Netherlands at the exit
Scania L 110 from 1968
Gray eminences: Krupp KF 380 with Cummins engine, built in 1967, Büssing S 8000 all-wheel drive tractor unit, built in 1954 and the Krupp Drache AK 11 Dr dump truck, built in 1959
The Krupp K 8 M 4 Mustang was built from 1954 to 1960
The Mercedes SK series was available from 1988, here the type 1729
Mercedes L 323 tipper, built in 1963
MAN type 19.320 tipper with Büssing underfloor engine, built in 1979. The manufacturer of the 16-ton trailer is Schwarzmüller, built in 1987.
 Magirus Mercur with 125 hp with turntable ladder fire department superstructure of type DL 25, built in 1964
Mercedes NG 1635 tractor unit from 1984, owned by presenter Holger Hahn, who had many stories to tell during the vehicle presentation.
MAN 10.215 skip loader
A visit from Switzerland: Mercedes LAK 1932 from 1969. The water cannon was still in use a few years ago and is fully functional.
Henschel HS 15 S from 1962 with panel semi-trailer, built in 1960
MAN 620 L 1, built in 1957 with M engine
Wörnitz group photo in the evening sun
MAN 20.320 with FVLS cab, built in 1976 with Kögel semi-trailer

When the event came to an end, there was a great sense of satisfaction among the participants, as they had been there, met friends again and had been able to admire many a previously unknown vehicle. This included, in particular, Heinz-Bruno Hecker's impressive Krupp Titan truck-trailer combination, which was on display at a meeting for the first time with a three-axle trailer. Immediately beforehand, it had already taken part in Joachim Fehrenkötter's 20th tour of Germany, the “Tour of Legends”. The Titan also adorns this year's plaque for the meeting in Wörnitz. Special surprises were also provided by Wilhelm Holzwarth, who presented the only preserved, roadworthy and completely restored Krupp Drache four-wheel drive tipper in Wörnitz, as well as the Lipperts brothers with their Büssing-NAG 5000 S, which pulled two trailers, as was quite common in Germany until 1951.

Conclusion: The event in Wörnitz is more than worth the trip. We look forward to 2026, when the next meeting will take place at the truck stop.

The photos in this report, which are marked with a link symbol at the bottom right, can be clicked to obtain a larger view with some information about the photo.

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