Garage Ochsner

Classic cars from a working restoration garage

Garage Ochsner, in Elgg in the canton of Zurich, is part classic-car showroom, part working workshop, and part rental service. The business operates a fleet of classic and period cars available for rent, with a dedicated emphasis on weddings. Unlike a pure rental shop, this is a restoration garage that happens to rent its own collection. The personal tone runs through everything: the site's news section is written by Iris and Muffi, who share stories and anecdotes about the cars and customers. That personal voice extends to weddings. The news blog marks wedding rentals too, with a post titled "Just married" about a couple who hired one of the cars.

The garage is at St. Gallerstrasse 13, CH-8353 Elgg. The workshop is open Monday to Thursday 7:30 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:15, and Friday 7:30 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:30; the sales hall is open during the same hours, and Saturdays are by arrangement. A 2021 post adds that the classic-car hall reopens on Saturdays from 09:00 to 13:00 in the warmer months. A separate rental portal, www.oldtimermieten-ochsner.ch, handles bookings, and the team is reachable by phone on 052 365 22 00 or through the appointment request form. This is not a high-volume operation but a close-knit business where you will speak directly to people who care about the cars and the occasions they are rented for.

The fleet and wedding focus

The rental pages on the site highlight several vehicles. The Citroën 2CV, called the "Döschwo" in Swiss German and the "Ente" (duck), gets its own rental post: "Mieten Sie eine Ente und geniessen Sie den Sommer auf unvergessliche Art!" (rent a duck and enjoy the summer in a way you won't forget). The garage says it always has several 2CVs in stock for sale as well. Other cars that appear in the posts are a Volvo 122S, photographed in the last snow of 2021, a Ford Thunderbird that the office manager "had" to take to the shops, and a Citroën DS, the "Göttin" (goddess), which a renter sent a photo of from the courtyard of a French country house. A 2019 post offered a special daily rate of CHF 350 (instead of 450) on an Opel Manta, Ford Capri, Ford 20m and VW Scirocco. The site menu has pages for the rental fleet (Unsere Mietfahrzeuge), the terms (Konditionen) and weddings (Hochzeit).

For weddings, the garage has built a reputation. The news section includes dated wedding posts. One entry from April 2022 is titled "Just married". It notes that the wedding took three attempts to happen, and ends "Wir reihen uns zu den Gratulanen und bedanken uns herzlich für den Auftrag." (we join the well-wishers and thank them warmly for the booking). Other posts describe supplying nearly 20 youngtimers from the eighties for filming in Zurich in 2019, for the Swiss feature film "Moskau Einfach!", which meant checking every car, repairing some and delivering them without breakdowns in the summer heat. That is a good sign for a couple who need a classic to turn up on time.

Rental pricing and terms

Pricing is listed per vehicle. For the Citroen 2CV, the site publishes clear daily rates: CHF 250 for a half day, CHF 350 for a full day, CHF 650 for two days. Monthly rentals are available at CHF 1,190 per month for 1-3 months, dropping to CHF 990 per month for periods of 3 months or longer. A six-month rate is quoted as CHF 4,800 total. The post adds that detailed information is in the rental terms (Konditionen), and that serious customers can book directly through the rental portal.

The site emphasizes flexibility. Rentals can be arranged from half a day up to several months. Customers are invited to contact the garage directly about other vehicles or special arrangements. The business indicates that conditions for other cars in the fleet can be customized. The pages read here show no wedding package or wedding surcharge, although the menu has a separate Hochzeit (wedding) page worth opening before getting in touch.

What the pages don't address

The pages read here do not state whether a chauffeur is available or whether the renter drives. They do not specify fuel, mileage limits, insurance or damage terms; those belong to the Konditionen page and the rental portal. There is nothing on how far in advance to book for a wedding. The pages do not confirm whether the garage can deliver the vehicle to a wedding venue or whether you must pick it up in Elgg. Since the garage keeps weekday hours with Saturdays by arrangement, a weekend collection has to be agreed in advance. The site is written in German and does not say whether English is spoken.

The site also does not specify the condition, age, or running order of each vehicle beyond descriptions like "Volvo 122S." For a rental, this matters: a restored show car drives very differently from a roadworthy but weathered classic. The news section documents professional films and events, but there is no indication of capacity limits for passenger vehicles or how many people can fit in each car.

Who this works for

Garage Ochsner suits couples who want a genuinely charming, period-authentic classic car for their arrival and who appreciate the story of a working restoration garage. The 2CV is light-hearted and photogenic, and the Volvo 122S or the Thunderbird offer a different look. The published 2CV prices, from CHF 250 for half a day, make budgeting easy, and the two-day rate covers a wedding weekend.

It suits couples based in the Zurich region or those comfortable driving to Elgg to pick up a vehicle. It works for people who want a small, intimate experience rather than a corporate transaction. The personal nature of the business is a feature if you value direct contact with people who understand what you are doing.

It is not ideal for someone who needs certainty about every detail in advance, who requires a chauffeur, or who is booking from abroad and needs comprehensive written information in English. It does not work for moving a large group, since these are ordinary passenger classics, and the site gives no seat counts. It requires a willingness to phone or email and discuss specifics rather than booking through a automated system.

Reality

Garage Ochsner is a small classic-car business with a genuine passion for its cars and a record of rentals for weddings and films. The pricing is transparent, the vehicles are real, and the people who run it care about the occasions they serve. It is not a slick modern operation but something more personal and rooted. For the right couple, that is exactly the point.