Over 100,000 visitors are expected to attend the 40th Rétromobile classic car extravaganza in Paris this week. To save you covering all 40,000 square metres of the event, we round up the most important exhibits…
The Goddess’s birthday
Unsurprisingly, there’s a distinctly French flavour to proceedings at the 40th edition of Rétromobile. Citroën will be honouring 60 years of the DS with three variants of its timeless classic, plus two SMs – including a metallic beige example formerly owned by King Hassan II of Morocco. Meanwhile, Peugeot will celebrate 50 years of the ‘X04’ family styled by Paul Bouvot, and pay tribute to the 30th anniversary of its first World Rally Championship title by showing one of the Works 205 T16s. Other French fancies include a trio of Bugatti Royales brought from Cité de l’Automobile in Mulhouse – including Ettore’s own “Boss’s car” – and a Matra exhibition. Renault,Alpine, Shelby, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz will also be in attendance, with the latter showing a rare magnesium-alloy 300 SL alongside a recently unearthed 540 K Streamliner.
The Golden Boy and friends
No fewer than 12 cars from Corrado Lopresto’s stunning Italian collection will form a special display, with another exhibition dedicated to short-lived Spanish marque Pegaso. Further underlining the show’s diversity will be a pair of tanks: a German Royal Tiger, and a 1962 AMX 30 with a 720HP Hispano-Suiza engine.
As always, a host of European dealers will be showcasing their treasures. Movendi will unveil its latest high-end wares: a Porsche 906 recently prized away from a private collection after 30 years, and a unique Maserati Sebring. Fiskens will unveil no fewer than 14 cars for sale – one of which we’ll present to you in detail later this week – while JD Classics’ display will include the Quail Lodge class-winning Jaguar XKSS, a Maserati 3500 Vignale Spyder and a stunning burgundy 250 Lusso. William I’Anson plans to showcase the Bugatti Type 35TC with which we recently acquainted ourselves, as well as a 1932 ex-Works Prototype Aston Martin, a Bugatti Type 23 Brescia, and a 1898 Panhard et Lavassor, claimed to be one of the oldest racing cars in existence. Other dealers on location include the Ascott Collection, Classic Sport Leicht, Classic Spirit, De Widehem Automobiles, FA Automobile, HK Engineering GmbH, Historic Cars, Opus – The collection, Serge Heitz Automobile Consulting, The Gallery Brummen and E. Thiesen.
All eyes on the auctions
Of course, this year’s Parisian auctions will form a spectacle in their own right. Alongside the much-publicised Baillon ‘barn-find’ collection, Artcurial’s notable cars include one of two ‘Honecker’ Citroën CXs built, and an all-white ‘Rambo Lambo’ LM002. RM Auctions is offering the 1990 Daytona 24 Hours-winning Jaguar XJR-9 and a Tatra T87, while Bonhams’ catalogue includes no fewer than five variants of the Alfa Romeo 6C – you can read our full auction preview elsewhere in the magazine.
Photos: Rétromobile / Classic Driver / Artcurial / Bonhams / Tom Wood © for RM Auctions
