Rent a Classic

Rent a Classic is a self-drive classic car rental company based at Kemptpark 20 in Kemptthal, in the canton of Zurich. Its website lists a fleet of named classics, from a Citroën 2CV to a Cobra V8, each with a published day rate, and all bookings run through an online system. Wedding cars are one of its main lines, and the German wedding page calls hiring a car for a wedding "eine unserer Spezialitäten" (one of our specialties). The catch for some couples is simple: there is no chauffeur. You or someone you trust drives.

The fleet and what it costs

The English booking page shows every car with a nickname and a "from" price per day in francs:

• from 290: Citroën 2CV "Sophie", VW Käfer (Beetle) "Ferdie", MG B GT "Gordon", and a tile headed "Oldtimer für Hochzeit" (classic car for a wedding), "Wedding Classic", priced "Ab 290.-" (from 290)
• from 405: Citroën DS "Madelaine", London Taxi "Hugo", Bond Bug "Tangerine"
• from 540: Cadillac DeVille "Black Betty", Austin Healey "Pat", Caterham Super 7 "Colin", Ford Mustang "Sally", Morgan Plus 4 "George", Morgan Threewheeler "Philip", Rolls Royce Shadow "James", Jaguar MKII "Graham", Volvo 123 GT Rallye "Hägar"
• from 670: Cobra V8 "Bonnie", Citroën SM "Frédéric", Corvette C1 "Zora", Jaguar E Type "Clyde"

The German wedding page says couples can choose from more than 20 vehicles. It pitches them by mood: majestic in the Rolls Royce, elegant in the Citroën DS, classic in what it calls the "Gangsterlimousine", opulent in the Cadillac, or sporty in a Lotus, Caterham or Morgan, with the dry note that the sporty ones work only if the wedding outfit is not too voluminous. For most couples the realistic wedding shortlist is the Rolls Royce, the Cadillac, the DS or the Jaguar MKII, with the 2CV and the Beetle as the playful low-cost choices.

The booking page also has filters for seat count (2 up to 7 or more), manual or automatic gearbox, open top or closed, and equipment such as heating, air conditioning, winter equipment and wheelchair access. That makes it easy to check which cars have room for a dress, which are automatic, and which can carry a witness. Kemptthal is the only pickup location in the filter.

How the wedding hire works

Everything is self-drive. The wedding page states that several drivers can be registered for pickup, driving and return, "daher bieten wir auch keinen Chauffeur-Service an" (so we do not offer a chauffeur service). That registration rule is useful in practice: a best man or a sibling can drive the couple, and someone else can return the car.

The rental window is generous. The booking page says you can pick up the day before from 4pm (2pm as an option) and return the day after until 7.30am (10am as an option). That leaves time to collect the car calmly on the eve of the wedding and return it the morning after rather than late at night. The site does not explain how that window is priced, so check what a wedding booking actually costs for the dates you want.

Kilometers are unlimited on every vehicle; the German page says "Alle unsere Fahrzeuge werden mit unlimitierten Kilometern angeboten" (all our vehicles are offered with unlimited kilometers), and the English page lists "NO MILAGE RESTRICTION". For a wedding with a church in one village and a reception in another, there is no kilometer count to watch.

Flowers are an option. The English page says the company works with an experienced florist for weddings, and the German page describes a flower bouquet that can be ordered and fixed securely to the hood with a suction cup (on some cars to the radiator grille). The florist is not named and no bouquet price is shown.

The fleet, according to the site, is maintained by MADmotors. The site also offers vouchers, memberships with better rental conditions, group tours and rally roadbooks, which matter less for a wedding.

The booking page also carries a few short customer comments. One Cobra renter found the collection went very smoothly and the car "ran perfectly", and a Morgan Plus 4 customer summed the service up as "Straightforward, unconventional". None of the comments on these pages comes from a wedding, so ask for wedding photos if you want to see a car dressed for the day.

Partners for the rest of the day

The wedding page points couples to related options. It suggests the Valley Event Factory, on the same site as the rental company, for a party before or after the drive. It names a second location, the Trotte Iselisberg, which the page places about 30 km from Kemptthal, with host Patrick Zimmerli to contact directly. It also refers couples to the portal "Dein Hochzeitsfotograf" for photographers, videographers and photo booths. These are referrals, not services Rent a Classic runs itself, except for the Valley Event Factory area it describes as its own site.

What the site leaves open

The site does not explain what the Wedding Classic at 290 francs includes, or whether it is simply the price of the cheapest cars. Insurance, deposit, minimum driver age and license rules, and cancellation terms are not on these pages; check the T&C and FAQ linked from the menu before booking. The site gives an email address, info@rentaclassic.swiss, and a contact page, but no phone number on these pages. How a couple arriving from abroad reaches Kemptthal is not described.

Language is less of an issue here than with many Swiss suppliers. The booking pages exist in English as well as German, and the English menu has its own Rent a Wedding Car entry, although the detailed wedding text quoted here is from the German page. Emails in English to info@rentaclassic.swiss are the natural route for a couple abroad.

Who it suits

Rent a Classic suits a couple in the Zurich area who want a real choice of classics with prices visible upfront, and who have a confident driver in the wedding party. The generous pickup and return times, unlimited kilometers and several registered drivers make it practical for a full wedding day.

It suits less well a couple who want to be driven without involving a friend, or guests from abroad who would rather not drive an unfamiliar classic on unfamiliar roads. The car also has to come from Kemptthal and go back there, which adds a trip either side of the wedding.