site.btaTroyan Hosts Its First Retro Parade with Over 200 Vintage Vehicles
A total of 210 owners of motorcycles, retro and classic cars took part in the first ever Retro Parade in Troyan. The event was organized by the Troyan Retro Car Club, with the support of the municipal government and several local businesses. It began with a performance by the Troyan Municipal Youth Brass Band with Majorettes, who greeted the audience in festive style.
“At this point, the parade has been more than successful. We never expected so many guests and classic car enthusiasts to join us. I'm truly grateful and hope this becomes an annual tradition,” said Milen Radkov, Chair of the Troyan Retro Car Club, speaking to BTA. He said the idea for the event dates back several years, when a member of the club’s Zhiguli car turned 50. To honour the occasion, his fellow members organized a quick tour around town with about 35 classic cars, all assembled in just a few days. That impromptu event opened the road to something much bigger, Radkov explained.
The Troyan club spent two months preparing for the retro parade. “You could write a book about the challenges we faced organizing it,” he added.
“This is a great way to attract tourists and introduce younger generations to older technologies – which often form the foundation of what we now call modern. As they say, everything new is well-forgotten old. You can find things like a fuel injection system from 1930 in these vehicles – a technology some believe is a recent invention. These parades aim to enrich people’s knowledge, both technically and historically,” Radkov said.
To showcase their original or restored vehicles and exchange experience with fellow enthusiasts, 190 participants from cities across Bulgaria, including Sofia, Pleven, Ruse, Veliko Tarnovo, Varna, Burgas, and Smolyan, gathered in the mountain town. Most of the cars arrived under their own power.
The 20 motorcycles on display included famous brands from the last century such as Jawa, ČZ, IZH, MZ, Balkan, and others. The only entry requirement was that all vehicles had to be at least 30 years old.
Some of the oldest and rarest vehicles exhibited included:
- a 1928 Essex Super Six,
- a 1932 Standard 9 (only five of these remain worldwide),
- and a 1934 Mercedes 500K.
Other crowd favourites were a 1959 Rolls-Royce, a police patrol car from the socialist era complete with its original markings, and even a Trabant decorated as the "Butterfly Fairy".
There was also an impressive range of Western classic cars from the 20th century, including Mercedes, MG Roadster, Mustang, Austin, Brazilian-made MP Lafer, and Citroën, among others. Representing the automotive production of the former socialist bloc were models like the Warszawa, Volga, VAZ, and Moskvich.
As tradition dictates, the event featured a series of competitions, with awards presented for:
- Best-Restored Car,
- Best-Restored Motorcycle,
- Mayor’s Award,
- Audience Favourite,
- Sponsors’ Prizes,
- and Special Prizes for the Most Eye-Catching Vehicles
Visitors to the parade had the opportunity to explore a unique exhibition of nearly 1,000 vintage tobacco products, owned by Dimitar Georgiev from Silistra. The collection includes hundreds of cigarette tins, cigars, cigarillos, and other products manufactured in Bulgaria between 1904 and 1989. Highlights included:
- a tin featuring football legend Gundi,
- royal supplier "Cartel" cigarettes,
- herbal cigarettes for quitting smoking,
- and even cigarettes for asthmatics.
Many locals were surprised to learn that Troyan once had its own tobacco factory, producing brands such as Red Crab and Balkan Star.
The centrepiece of the event was a grand parade through the town, featuring all the participating vehicles. Each participant received a symbolic gift, and the organizers also arranged a guided tour and wine tasting at the local winery.
/VE/
Additional
news.modal.image.header
news.modal.image.text
news.modal.download.header
news.modal.download.text
news.modal.header
news.modal.text