In a classic car through the Ore Mountains

Uwe Neumann

For Uwe Neumann, historic vehicles are not an investment or a form of self-expression. For him, they are a passion. He has been interested in cars all his life and is particularly fond of classic cars. It is therefore not surprising that he devotes all his free time to cars. He is a member of the Oldtimerclub e. V. and organises the Historic Rallye Erzgebirge, which starts on 2 September in the Innere Klosterstraße in Chemnitz.

What is it like to drive through the countryside in a classic car?
Uwe Neumann: In a classic car, you perceive your surroundings much more intensely. You drive more slowly than in newer vehicles. It's not about getting from A to B as quickly as possible. It's about enjoying the driving experience. That's why we don't drive on the major roads with the Historic Rally, but prefer to drive on the small side roads. Then we can show our participants the Ore Mountains. Modern technology helps us a lot here. As the navigation systems mainly guide those unfamiliar with the area along the major roads, the small side roads are almost empty.

How many participants take part in the Historic Rally Erzgebirge?
We have a limit of 60 vehicles so that the event remains informal and manageable. A few more are taking part this year, which wasn't planned, but it turned out that way. The drivers come from all over Germany. For example from Flensburg, Stuttgart or Nuremberg. The Ore Mountains really are a beautiful piece of nature. Many people from the old federal territories don't even realise how beautiful it is here and are very enthusiastic. Once they've been here and taken part in our rally, they keep coming back. In principle, we are also the first to offer and organise this type of rally in the new federal states. We started the first rally with ten participants. We now have over 70 and are completely satisfied.

The Historic Rallye Erzgebirge starts on 2 September in front of the Rathaus Passage in Innere Klosterstraße and leads over two days through the Erzgebirge to Drebach, Zwönitz, Erlabrunn and Eibenstock, among other places. On 3 September, the classic car drivers will arrive back in Chemnitz.

What is special about your rally?
What makes the rally special is our timekeeping team, which enables us to carry out driving time and speed tests. These are otherwise only available at the Sachsen Classic. At the Historic Rally Erzgebirge, we drive to specific locations in the Erzgebirge. We have already had various themes such as sport, mining or folk art. We then have so-called special stages in the towns where the participants have to complete various tasks. Points are awarded for the tests. Whoever has the most points at the end of the rally is the winner. So it's not about who crosses the finish line first. We often have the special stages at tourist locations, where the participants can also see something of the Ore Mountains. This touristic character is the basis for the success of the whole event. Another special feature is the logbook. At other regional events, riders follow signs (these are attached to the side of the road) or the logbooks are much simpler and never have a time limit where participants have to be there to the minute.

What can the drivers expect at the special stages?
We have three different stages: On one occasion, participants have to drive at exactly eight or eleven km/h - a challenge as these slow speeds are not shown on the speedometer. In the next stage, the participants have to cover 40 metres in exactly eight seconds. Points are then deducted depending on how big the deviation is. The participants then always have a time limit within which they have to be at the next special stage. An example: If the participants start here in Innere Klosterstraße, they have 60 minutes to be at the next station in Annaberg. The participants have to fulfil these time requirements down to the minute, then they get full points.

These tests are an enormous effort, how many helping hands do you have at your side?
We are really lucky! We have a timekeeping team who are on hand at the special stages. Then we've been in contact with "Trabiteam Highlife" from Gelenau right from the start. They drive the timekeeping team and provide helpers. We have good contacts with various classic car clubs in the Ore Mountains, who then provide drive-through checks. So we have at least 30 to 40 people in total who support us in organising the event.

What special features have you already experienced with the rally?
We actually come up with something very special for every year. For example, we have already driven the rally through the Chemnitz Centre or through the lower shopping arcade on Sachsen Allee. We once had another highlight in the stadium of FC Erzgebirge Aue. We had a special stage on the tartan track. These are special features that make the rally unique. We have something great planned for this year too, but we won't reveal it yet.

The rally will start in Chemnitz for the seventh time. A project that requires extensive preparation. Before the start, each team receives a logbook describing each stage. It contains route maps and the tasks that the participants have to complete. Everything is prepared in detail by Uwe Neumann. The routes are planned and travelled. "I wouldn't be able to do it alone. I am supported by Karla Brinkmann. She has organised the classic car fair so far, so we know each other," says Neumann.

Where does your passion for classic cars come from?
I trained as a car mechanic, then as a car electrician. In GDR times, it was easy to get further training. Then I completed a master's degree in automotive electromechanics and studied automotive engineering, worked outside the field for a few years and have been an expert in historic vehicles for about twelve years. Basically, it's a passion for cars that I grew up with. My wife and I got married in 1981. Back then, we were driven in a Wartburg by my wife's uncle. Afterwards, my wife was given the car as a present. We restored the car for our silver wedding anniversary and put it back into operation. We still have the car.
You get to know very nice and interesting people through the hobby. The contact with other people is actually the most important reason for doing it at all. And you should enjoy driving and maintaining old technology.

Do you tinker with your car yourself?
I have a small hobby workshop for private purposes. With a small lift. In the 60s and 70s, almost everyone tinkered with their cars themselves. The spark plugs had to be cleaned and replaced, the carburettor had to be cleaned. This has become less common nowadays, as people are told that they can no longer do anything themselves. But that's not the case. In principle, people have forgotten how to do it. For almost 15 years now, the vehicle has done a lot for you. You no longer need to regularly check the oil level and air pressure - there are gauges for that. Those little maintenance jobs that you used to do to familiarise yourself with the vehicle are no longer necessary. You put petrol in the back and press the accelerator in the front. That's all you do.

He also brings his love of cars to the Chemnitz Industrial Museum. He is head of the "Motor Vehicle Technology" working group and is a member of the board of the Friends' Association. He has lived in Chemnitz on Kaßberg for over 50 years and is happy here. "You always have to look positively at the world, otherwise you miss out on your whole life," says Neumann.

Is there anything you miss in Chemnitz?
In general, you can always appeal to a lot of people with cars. And we have a great tradition in Chemnitz when it comes to the automotive industry. You could do much, much more with our Auto-Union, DKW and Wanderer. I would like to see us expand this in Chemnitz. Through my work at the Industrial Museum, I'm trying to push that a little. Especially in the area of pre-war vehicles, which are becoming increasingly rare, which I think is a shame.