As our first guests in their cars started arriving at the Dolder Grand Hotel overlooking Zurich last nights, there was a crowd of teenage boys with their cameras and smartphones taking position in the driveway, eagerly waiting for a surprise appearance by an automotive unicorn to capture for their Instagram or Tiktok accounts. Carspotters have become a regular sight on inner-city boulevards from London to Los Angeles. However, while some older, high-brow members of the community tend to see these car-crazy kids as a nuissance, Fritz Burkard of the remarkable Pearl Collection regards them as an investment into the future of car culture. Arriving for the panel talk event organized by Broad Arrow Auctions and Classic Driver in full Halloween style in his pumpkin-orange Bugatti Chiron adorned with black bat and spider stickers, Fritz patiently arranged the car for the teenage crowd until every boy had taken the photo or reel that we wanted.

"These boys are the future and we need to ignite their passion," Fritz said on the panel, overlooking a sea of classic and modern cars in the Dolder's underground parking garage coming to auction this Saturday. "Every child I let sit in my car today might one day become a buyer himself. As collectors, we have a responsibility to get out, drive and share these cars to the world. After all, we're only their custodians." But the first non-American Pebble Beach-winner wasn't the only collector on stage: moderated by Classic Driver's very own JP Rathgen and flanked by two odd but impressive automotive couples — a Ferrari 275 GTB Allow next to an 812 Competizione A on the right, a Lamborghini Miura and Reventon to the left — the panel featured the collector and content creator Pierre "GTOSCUD", whose driving videos of his F40 gather millions of views on YouTube, as well as the eclectic collector and trend analyst Stephan Sigrist from the think tank W.I.R.E.. Meanwhile, Broad Arrows was represented by the company's Head of Capital Karsten Le Blanc, an avid collector and successful historic racer himself. 

Pierre said that you don't necessarily need petrolheaded parents to become a car guy: "My father was really not into cars, recently he wanted to put his bag into the rear of my Ferrari and I had to tell him that's where the engine is. I am the first in our family to start collecting." In contrast to older generations who like to hide their cars and stay anonymous, Pierre is sharing his passion with the world through his fast-paced driving videos. After moving from the Valais — "the emerging market of Switzerland" — to Zurich, Pierre started filming and posting to get in touch with the local car community, and it worked. While his Ferraris are obviously amazing, he mentioned that he can have just as much fun going offroad in his 12 year old Subaru. Fritz agreed: "A car does not need to be expensive to be enjoyable. All that counts is the smile-o-meter."

So what's the future of car collection? Stephan Sigrist, who owns an eclectic collection of cars himself and explores the future of transportation as a researcher, made clear that this is not an easy question to answer. While the idea of collecting — by definition the idea of owning more of a certain object than needed — itself is in flux as younger generations care more about experiences than ownership, there are many external factors that have an impact on the future of car culture. Financial means are one aspect, but equally legislations which might limit our ability to drive classic cars in everyday life. Still, Stephan was convinced that cars will keep having an emotional impact on future generations.

Karsten, who represented both the passionate collector and professional car trader, admitted that the task of getting younger people to be excited about cars — and buy them at auction — is one of the biggest challenges for all auction houses. That was also the reason for Broad Arrow to compile such a diverse auction catalogue for their Zurich sale, ranging from Pre-War cars and 1950s icons like a Jaguar D-type to modern-day hypercars, and to invite a mix of older and younger enthusiasts to our joint event. Karsten also mentioned that community events and shared experiences are getting more important for keeping car culture alive: "Unlike their parents, many young people nowadays struggle to buy their own flat or house, so there are less available assets for expensive hobbies than two or three decades ago. At the same time, some older classic cars are getting more affordable again, so they can be enjoyed by younger drivers. I'm racing an old MG B together with my son, and I truly enjoy making memories together." 

But what should collectors do with the cars they own when they get older? What's the recipe for a successful succession in the automotive world? "I don't think as parents we should burden our children with the cars we have bought according to our own tastes — and we should certainly not rule them from the grave by creating trust funds. I'd much rather want my children to sell the cars to someone who truly enjoys them, and spend the money on something that they are passionate about."

After the talk, our guests engaged in their very own conversations about car collecting — and walking from one group of friends to the next, it was very insightful how different and diverse, despite all supercar trends, automotive tastes still are. Designer Alfredo Häberli fell in love with a Citroën CX Prestige in a stunning Vert Tamarin exterior with a matching interior, while Dirk Rumpff and Stephan Michels from the Flitzer Club would both have made their bid on the Lamborghini Islero. The verdict in the Classic Driver team was equally mixed — JP Rathgen would have picked Princess Margaret's regal Rolls-Royce, Mathieu Magara preferred the Lamborghini Diablo as the ultimate teenage poster car and I myself would have loved to drive off into the Alps without worries with the super-high mileage Audi RS2. Before the security team kicked us out, we all stood in awe around Roberto Rosselini's modest Ferrari 212 as the engine was started as a last hurrah of a wonderful evening. We would like to thank Broad Arrow Auctions for the opportunity to host this inspiring event and for all panelists and guests who joined us. We should certainly do this again soon!

Photos by Alpineracer