Car and vintage car enthusiasts gathered in Bar for the 21st International Vintage Car Gathering, organized by the NGO Oldtimer Montenegro with the support of the Municipality of Bar.
This year, the event was moved from Nikšić to another Montenegrin city for the first time, in order to show the participants the beauties of the Montenegrin coast, reports Media Biro. Participants from Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, North Macedonia and Slovenia were on the wheels of the oldtimers today. Jasmin Felić stood out in particular, who traveled to Bar from Germany in his thirty-year-old "Mercedes", covering a thousand and a half kilometers on wheels.
"I'm originally from Bihać, but I live in Germany. This is my third vintage car, probably the youngest vintage car at this event, because it only became an adult on August 1st. We vintage car enthusiasts say that when a car turns 30. My 'Mercedes' was manufactured in 1996, and was put into service on August 1st of the same year. The first owner of this vehicle was a woman born in 1916, the second owner was born in 1927, and now it's me. It will probably stay with me for the rest of my life, so that my children can inherit it," Felić pointed out.
The promenade in Bar featured cars from different manufacturers and generations – from vehicles from the early 1960s to those produced in the mid-1990s. The youngest vehicle at the gathering is a Felice, from 1996, while the oldest examples date back to the early 1960s.
Executive Director of the NGO Oldtajmer Montenegro, Anđela Knežević, explained why they decided that Bar would be this year's host of the gathering.
"Since we realized that a large number of people come to our events from the region and abroad, we concluded that we needed to offer them something broader than Nikšić. Therefore, this year we are leaving our city for the first time and we came here to show the beauties of Bar and what this part of Montenegro has to offer," she said.
After the exhibition part, the participants continued socializing through an old-timer sprint competition, and then a trip to Utjeha beach was planned, where the participants continued socializing.
For the organizers, however, vintage cars are not just cars. They represent a part of cultural heritage and a kind of culture of remembrance.
"This is about cherishing memories, but also promoting heritage. My father made an effort to preserve some of these cars so that I could enjoy them. I will make sure that the generations after me also have that heritage," said Knežević.
Among the participants were also old-timer enthusiasts from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The youngest participant of the International Gathering in Bar, Luka Ćavar (21) from Čitluk, says that their club is relatively new, but that it brings together a large number of old-timer enthusiasts, especially the younger generation.
"This year, we had over 240 cars at the event. We include all brands that meet old-timer values. I brought a Mercedes here, one of the rare models intended for the American market, which is completely original and has low mileage. I inherited my love for Mercedes from my father, who is also the founder of the old-timer club in Čitluk," said Ćavar.
The love of cars knows no generational boundaries, as shown by the story of Ljubo Perović (22) from Herceg Novi, the youngest member of the NGO Oldtimer Montenegro. He presented a 1991 Fiat Uno in Bar, a car that arrived by ferry at the Bar marina in the late 1990s.
"Today it is here as a cult classic and represents the cult generation of cars from the nineties. I am 22 years old, and I have a dozen old-timers in my collection. The love has been passed down from generation to generation – first from my grandfather to my father and now to me," says Perović.
On the promenade in Bar, Dragan Lovrić from Bosnia and Herzegovina exhibited eight old Opel models.
"Our club is a bit specific because we only have Opels. We have been around for eight years. And here in Montenegro we have a great time. I learned to drive in an Opel and that's how we developed a love affair. Since 1993, we have had one at home," said Lovrić, stating that their club has so far organized eight international gatherings.
The 1975 Porsche 911 owned by Edin Latić from Rožaje attracted particular attention. The car, he jokingly says, is only 15 days younger than him.
"That's why he has to listen to me. And he listens to me, of course," said Latić, who brought the Porsche from Luxembourg.
And he always drives it, he says, on his own wheels.
"As we get older and more accomplished in life, we discover something new that fulfills us, and I found a new hobby and love in old-timers," Latić pointed out.
Members of the "Volkswagen Club Albania" also participated in the gathering. Fjoralba Ndoj said that this was their second visit to Montenegro and that they were satisfied with the organization and atmosphere.
"We are very happy to be participating again. We are enjoying every moment. We have met a lot of friends and I hope we will come again next year," said Ndoj.
After getting acquainted with the old-timers and their cars, the visitors also watched the 100-meter race. At least this weekend, the bar was a meeting place for different generations, countries and car stories. As they told Media Biro, these stories brought the visitors back to their youth, reminding them of the time when such vehicles could be seen on the streets every day.
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