It was clear after just a few meters that the 48th Rétromobile was back to its former glory. While the last editions still suffered from corona, there was no sign of it from January 31 to February 4, 2024. And even the farmers with their tractors couldn't stop the visitors, at least that was the feeling in the halls. In any case, the organizer reported over 130,000 visitors.
Walking through Hall 1, you quickly felt as if you were drunk and staggered from sensation to sensation, so to speak. Just a few steps apart, visitors came across two Ferrari 250 GTOs, several rare pre-war Alfas and many Bugattis.
Paris may not be the largest classic car show by far in terms of pure space (approx. 75,000 square meters), the number of exhibitors (over 600) or the number of cars (approx. 1,200), but when it comes to the density of outstanding classics (or EUR per square meter), the Rétromobile is probably unbeaten by far.
Some dealers had cars on the stand for hundreds of millions. This is why the comparison with osmium, the chemical element with the highest density, makes sense. The Rétromobile itself, or rather the new director Romain Grabowski, spoke of an epicenter, but who wants to be reminded of an earthquake at this exhibition?
100 years of MG
There was a lot to celebrate at the Rétromobile, but the 100 years of MG even made it onto the event poster.
And this special show was indeed worth seeing, because although the number of exhibits was limited and the only younger car was an MG Metro 6R4, there was a special youngtimer show on the subject of MG at the back of the exhibition for fans of younger models.
In the "100 Years of MG" exhibition centrally located in Hall 1, there were two famous record-breaking vehicles (EX 135 and EX 181), but the cut-open MGB GT, which had already been shown like this at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1965, probably caused even more of a stir.
And because the MG brand still exists, even if the vehicles are now mainly electrically powered and come from China, the current Cyberster, a roadster with upward-swinging doors, was also on display.
So you could look a little into the future and, for example, compare the interior of today with that of ...
... from back then.
Of course, the popular MG models of yesteryear also had a place in the special show, with MGA, MBG, TC and other classics on display.
100 years of Montlhéry
Not far from Paris is the Motodrome Linas-Montlhéry, which will celebrate its centenary in 2024.
To mark the occasion, a large number of racing cars, primarily of French provenance, were brought together and placed in a highly exciting special exhibition.
From the Maserati Tipo 26 to the McLaren F1 or Alpine A440, there was plenty to take a closer look at, but for pre-war fans, the eight-cylinder Delage or the equally eight-cylinder Salmson (with a displacement of just 1.1 liters) were probably at least as exciting.
Of course, there was also no shortage of Bugattis in the vicinity of this special show. And there were also cars from Panhard and DB on display.
The Paris-Dakar Rally
Those who were not in the mood for a high-speed circuit, but rather for sand, desert and adventure, had the opportunity to take a look at the cars and motorcycles that took part in the Paris-Dakar Rally.
Whether Renault 4, Citroën DS, Lada Niva, Peugeot 405 or Porsche 959, the variety was huge and Dakar winner Jacky Ickx was even on hand to answer further questions.
Manageable manufacturer presence
While Volkswagen celebrated the full 50 years of the VW Golf with all generations built to date, ...
... Porsche placed the 911 Turbo at the center of its presence.
At Skoda, there were various generations of the Superb and other historically interesting cars to admire, while Mercedes-Benz focused entirely on the 300 SL and even offered three of them for sale.
However, the W194, the so-called "Hobel" from 1953, which was also on display, could only be viewed but not purchased.
Opposite Renault, there were mainly record-breaking vehicles from the past to admire, but the colorful stand also had room for a few visions for the future.
And the other manufacturers that could also be admired in Paris in the past. They were conspicuously absent, even Citroën/Peugeot apparently did without an official stand, as did the Stellantis sisters Alfa Romeo and Fiat. Audi, BMW and Jaguar were also not present as a factory, although Audi did present the 2024 Dakar winner in the special show.
Ferrari festival
However, one brand seemed to overshadow all others at Rétromobile 2024, even though it was not officially represented: Ferrari.
Both road and racing vehicles were present in impressive numbers.
Two (or was it three) Ferrari 250 GTOs could be spotted, there were even three cars of the Daytona Spider, as well as the 250 GT SWB and there was even half the color range of the 275 GT model to choose from.
There were also exotic cars such as a Dino 206 S Spider or a 250 GT Europa Pinin Farina and many other unusual cars. The trip to Paris was definitely worthwhile for Ferrari fans.
Highlights at the major dealers
The density of Ferraris was due in particular to the major international dealers, led by Lukas Hüni, Max Girardo, Joe Macari, Gregor Fiskens, Gallery Aaldering and Simon Kidston, who, although none of them presented a stringent theme, tried to outdo each other with rare, special and expensive cars.
The fact that many of these cars were not for sale is probably due to the fact that these dealers see Paris more as a networking and marketing event than a pure sales fair.
This is an advantage for the visitor, who doesn't have the small change anyway, because you get to see more interesting cars that have more space around them to be looked at closely.
For more information on some of the more interesting cars, see also the picture gallery.
French specialties
While Hall 1 traditionally belongs to the big international dealers and artists, the clubs are usually found in Hall 3, at the other end, so to speak.
And what there was to see here was an interesting alternative program to the high-gloss classics of Hall 1. At the clubs and on the small stands, visitors were able to view extremely rare French exotics, such as a Chenard & Walcker Aigle 20 Type 22 R from 1937, which was currently being restored. Or a Panhard Dyna Z1 from 1955, which had driven 550 km to Paris on its own wheels. Or a Simca 1000 Coupé Bertone, which you could even buy.
Also of interest is the rare Facel-Vega FV1 Cabriolet, one of only five surviving examples.
There were also cars from Delahaye and Ligier to admire at the show, and Francophiles were able to admire some of their favorite classics spread across all the halls.
The world of coachbuilders
There may have been larger numbers of special bodywork at the Rétromobile, but some still stood out.
Bertone, Ghia, Vignale, Pinin Farina, Touring Superleggera, Saoutchik, Chapron, Graber and Worblaufen were represented, to name just a few examples.
Although they were often hidden away in dealer line-ups, there was no shortage of interesting cars. Here, too, we refer you to the comprehensive picture gallery.
Three auctions
Every year, three auctions are held in conjunction with the Rétromobile. While Artcurial presented its offerings in Hall 2.2 and was allowed to swing the hammer in the basement, Bonhams and RM/Sotheby's directed their customers to other parts of the city and auctioned off their offerings externally.
However, both suppliers, as well as Gooding & Co, Osenat and Aguttes, also had stands at the Rétromobile itself and were able to present interesting exotic cars there.
We particularly noticed the Mercedes-Simplex at Gooding & Co, but also the three Pegasos at Aguttes.
The range of French classics at Osenat was also exciting.
Cheap cars too
Anyone who thinks from the previous lines that only buyers with well-filled bank accounts got their money's worth in Paris, we would like to refer you to the rear part of Hall 3, where more affordable classics were presented that were available for less than EUR 25,000.
The variety that could be found here was quite astonishing. Even for a manageable budget, you could buy a Fiat with a special body (by Moretti), a mid-engined sports car (e.g. Pontiac Fiero), a cult car (e.g. Fiat 500 or VW Golf GTI Mk1) or a French exotic.
And you could also find a Gurgel, a Puma or a Neckar.
At the end of the visit, you wondered what you hadn't actually seen and, if there was time, you crossed the hall again.
And actually found cars that you had missed on your first visit, such as a Porsche 917K, a Minerva or the monumental Fiat 130 HP from 1907. One day was probably not enough for anyone to really get through the entire range ...
