Hot rodding is just as much of an American past time as going to baseball games and eating apple pie, but we’re not the only country that’s really into our classic cars. Since 2003, Bottrop Germany has been celebrating the iconic classic car era in an event call Bottrop Kustom Kulture at the Schwarze Heide airport. But this isn’t just a regular kind of car show. Instead, 1950s greaser culture takes completely over the grounds from fashion to artwork and even a vintage style race this year. Check out the event along side a 1927 Dodge Sedan hot rod built by German custom motorcycle company Sasse van Essen in the video above.
The Bottrop Kustom Kulture show is one of the biggest Kustom Kulture events in Europe, featuring pre-1965 hot rods and custom cars, as well as custom chopper motorcycles. While the whole show is based around these unique rides, the Bottrop Kustom Kulture show offers more, including a famous gathering of Kustom Kulture artists from across the world showcasing their talents each year.
For the June 8-9, 2012 show, event attendants got an even bigger treat than usual at the event, with the introduction of a vintage 1/8-mile race for show participants, complete with 50s-style flag girl starts. A total of 42 customs, hot rods and rat rods participated in this unique throw-back race on the Schwarze Heide airport runway with hundreds of onlookers cheering them on, while nearly 200 additional hot rods and customs, and over 110 custom bikes sat on display.
We love our hot rod events here in the States and its great to see other countries celebrating the iconic classic car era as well. Check out the video of last year’s event below for even more Kustom Kulture action.
