I was recently at the annual Retromobile show in Paris. For those who have never been, it is one of the largest shows in Europe.
- 550 exhibitors
- 65,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space
- 500 cars on show
- Over 100 clubs in attendance
- Circa 120,000 visitors
This year was quite special due to the weather conditions. “Big” snow storm (12cm) basically paralysed the city and there were over 740km (450 miles) of traffic jams in the Paris region! Flights were cancelled, trains were late and it was general chaos. By the way, there are an estimated 15.5 million car “trips” per day on average in the Paris region.
The atmosphere at the show was very convivial even though every year it seems to become more and more “top end”. The prices per square meter for exhibition floor space are the most expensive in Europe so only top vehicles are generally shown. The organisers realise this and have added a pavilion with “affordable cars” under 25 000 Euro. Here are some pictures to give you an idea.
Nice. We went once about a decade and a half ago when we happened to be in Paris in February. It really is a wonderful event with tons of great exhibits and interesting sights. Highly recommended for any of us. The factories often get into it as well, I recall Citroen having an awesome Rally Service area diorama featuring a vintage rally DS. Definitely on the list for a future revisit.
Nice. That just has to be the best preserved Alliance still in existence!
I’d known from Google image searches that enough Alliance convertibles have been imported to France to probably make anyone in a decision-making capacity at Renault in the ’80s regret not having made an R9 ragtop in the home market…but a four-door sedan?
Never mind Paris, that lime green (?) Miura renders every subsequent supercar superfluous. Still have love for the Montreal Alfa of course ….
Totally agree on the Miura. A look that has yet to be bettered.
A good excuse to go to Paris in February. But hopefully without the snow.
Some great shots. Love that bus.
Not my favorite color, but that Miura is gorgeous, indeed!
Beautiful photos. I wish I could have been there.
The bus is awesome!
Someday…
Thank you for the tour. I’d like that grey W111 coupe, 250 SE I think.
Muira is just perfect.
Seeing that 2 door Range Rover touted as a classic makes me feel old 🙁
Nice selection. My fave is the wheel-less Countach in the cover pic. That last Ferrari is a nice early rear end.
Lovely stuff, especially that bus!
I went there in 2011. Cannot recommend enough. Good to see it’s at the Grand Palais, too.
Completely taken over by the big money, it used to be a lovely exhibition, intimate and entre-nous. I bought spares from a Panhard guy who’d send them to my home in Holland, when I’d ask him : How much ?, he’d laugh and say I could pay him on the next retro mobile.
‘t was a show where the word barnfind was invented, the Simca’s, Vedettes, Facels 2cv’s and Dauphines were pulled out of the barn, there was always a place for them on the farm, no need to scrap them. I once let a fifties Aronde Grand Large Coupé walk for € 200 price difference, he wanted 4250, I offered 4050, a one lady owner first paint car. That kind of cars you’d see there, not a Lambo in sight, only one tired and completely scavenged Ferrari coupe, that never sold.
Merde!
A bit like the Oktoberfest in Munich. I rembember the days you could enter every beer tent without a problem, nice relaxed atmosphere of half drunk people, and 4 police officers on foot.
Totally agree. I remember going to the first shows in the late 1980s with my dad and grandpa (both were Citroën guys). The show lasted for at least two weeks instead of today’s mere 5 days. Therefore it was, say, reasonably crowded. You could easily walk around and take your time. Plenty of popular cars in various conditions. And affordable models too. I picked up a mint 1/43 El Camino by Dinky Toys for 50 francs (that was about 8 dollars). Still have it!
I returned a few times in the years 2000s and the atmosphere had changed already. Almost all the cars were in pristine condition, either original or restored for top money. Plus, you couldn’t approach all of them, some were in secluded VIP areas, they were to be auctioned and you could only see them from afar (like movie stars at the bloody Cannes festival – I mean, what’s the point?)
So it was still by and large a nice visit but nothing you die to repeat.
I remember running into Cabu, one of the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists who’d be slaughtered a few years later. We had a nice chat (he was from my childhood hometown). He was looking for parts for his 1926 Citroën 5CV Trèfle.
Now in 2018 there was a green Miura and plenty of six- and seven-figure restorations, apparently. Oh well. And no Cabu walking around. Merde, indeed!