When car hoods are opened again at the Maimarkt grounds, spare-part boxes are rummaged through, and long-forgotten automotive memories come to life, it’s that time of year again: VETERAMA time in Mannheim.
From October 9 to 11, 2026, VETERAMA will open its doors for the 51st time. Following last year’s big anniversary, one of the most time-honored events in the classic car scene is entering its next phase—proving once again that a passion for historic vehicles knows no age.
For more than five decades, VETERAMA has been bringing together people who have gasoline running through their veins and a passion for classic vehicles. Four- and two-wheeled vehicles, spare parts and accessories, restoration projects, tools, literature, and automobilia transform the Maimarkt grounds into a vast treasure trove of automotive history for three days.
Sometimes happiness can be found in an old box
Anyone who has ever been to VETERAMA knows that special moment: You walk through the rows, look here, browse there—and suddenly there it is, right in front of you. That one part that’s been missing from your own vehicle for years.
That is exactly what makes it so fascinating.
After all, VETERAMA isn’t just any ordinary market. It’s a place for discoveries. A place where people trade and haggle, where knowledge is shared, and where a conversation at a booth is sometimes just as valuable as the spare part you end up taking home.
In an age when almost anything can be ordered with just a few clicks, this personal experience holds special value. At VETERAMA, people don’t just search—they find what they’re looking for.
Where Generations Come Together
The history of VETERAMA is also the history of its visitors and exhibitors.
Many of them have been involved with the event for decades. Young car enthusiasts have become experienced classic car owners, visitors have become exhibitors, and children who once walked around the grounds holding their parents’ hands have themselves become enthusiastic collectors and restorers.
This is how passion is passed down from generation to generation.
After all, there’s more to every classic vehicle than just technology. There are memories of that first drive, of times gone by, of hours spent together in the garage—and sometimes of a car or motorcycle you’ve never forgotten.
After the anniversary comes the future
The 50th event was a special milestone. But anyone familiar with VETERAMA knows that standing still is not part of its history.
That is why 2026 does not represent an “afterward,” but rather a new beginning. The story continues with the 51st event—together with all the people who not only collect historic vehicles, but also preserve, restore, drive, and bring them to life.
From October 9 to 11, 2026, Mannheim will once again become the gathering place for a very special community for three days. This year, a band will once again get the party started at 6:00 p.m.…
Then comes the searching, tinkering, marveling, and haggling. Engines are started, memories are rekindled, and new stories are written.
And perhaps in 2026, somewhere on the Maimarkt grounds, the very treasure that someone has been searching for for years is waiting to be found.
VETERAMA 2026 – 51 events. One passion. And we’re far from done.
VETERAMA Mannheim 2026 – At a Glance
Date: October 9–11, 2026
Venue: Maimarktgelände Mannheim, Xaver-Fuhr-Straße
Site size: 260 ,000 square meters of outdoor space, 15,000 square meters of indoor space
Admission on Friday: 30 euros (setup day)
Admission Friday through Sunday: 40 euros
Admission on Saturday/Sunday: 15 euros
