About Us
14.04.1984: Opening of the first classic car gallery in Europe by Reinhard Schmidlin
With little experience, at first mostly vehicles were presented on loan in the current exhibition areas in Toffen - among others, K.I.T.T. (Knight Rider) and the "Goldenrod" (world record vehicle from 1965: 659 km/h) were already parked here. Car meetings were also regularly organised in the summer months on the outdoor grounds. Time showed that there was a need for a suitable trading place for classic cars. A few years later, the first exhibitions were organised. After the first initial turbulence, Reinhard Schmidlin and his team gradually succeeded in establishing themselves in the market by focusing on the daily trade in classic vehicles of all eras and provenances. In 3 exhibition halls on a total area of about 3000m2, own and third-party vehicles were offered for sale.
1991: The first auction
Enriched by many experiences, from this year onwards auctions were held at various locations in addition to the conventional trade. With over 100 auctions held in Toffen, Lörrach, Zurich, Gstaad, Lucerne, Zug and other external locations, the Oldtimer Galerie Toffen "TheSwissAuctioneers" will continue to be an integral part of the Swiss auction landscape.
2013: Renovation and subsequent opening of the in-house restaurant "Firestone"
In addition to our home-style and seasonal Swiss dishes, landlady Brigitte Fahrni and chef Yuphin Riesen and their team pamper their guests with home-style Swiss cuisine and Thai specialities. Whether it's an aperitif, birthday party, club outing, family or company celebration - in our restaurant and in the exhibition halls of the Oldtimer Galerie, events of a special kind are possible for up to 400 people. See for yourself during a visit to our house www.restaurant-event.ch
2017: Acquisition of an external vehicle hall in Belp
As the previous space in Toffen has reached its limits, own and customer vehicles can now be parked just 5 minutes away from Toffen.
2020: Extraordinary situations require special measures
As of this year, the auctions will be broadcast via live stream with low latency and our customers will have the opportunity to bid online at the auction.
Steadily increasing international trade with customers from almost 60 countries.
Vehicle inspections are now also held virtually via video call.
2021: Expansion of the workshop
Due to the high workload, the workshop is expanded and a second specialist (automobile restorer) is hired. Now we have enough capacity to accept external orders in addition to maintaining our own stock. In addition to more than 100 MFK inspections per year, we also carry out repairs of all kinds, reconditioning, recommissioning and service work.
2022: Extension of showroom Gürbestrasse 1 North
Not open to the public.