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Breakfast with Hervé Poulain - Auctions yesterday and today

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Created on January 14, 2019

Reading time 8min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

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BMW AG

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Artcurial

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Archiv

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Bruno von Rotz

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BMW AG

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Artcurial

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Archiv

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Hervé Poulain - vor einem Kunstwert, das ihn 1976 in Le Mans zeigt

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Hervé Poulain - BMW Art Cars Sonderschau im BMW-Museum in München 2018

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BMW 3.0 CSL (1975) - Alexander Calder mit Hervé Poulain in seinem Atelier, auf dem Tisch das Modell des Art-Cars

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Alain Delon und sein Le-Mans-Rennteam mit einem Porsche 935 im Jahr 1981

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24 Stunden von Le Mans 1995: #42 McLaren F1 GTR (BBA Compétition) mit den Franzosen Jean Luc Maury Laribiere - Marc Sourd - Hervé Poulain erreichte Platz 13

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Maître Poulain schwingt seinen Hammer in der Versteigerung des Jahrhundertscheunenfundes am 6. Februar 2015

Bild von Partner Planai Classic 2025 Inline 1

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Die Konzert- und Hammermeister - in der Mitte Hervé Poulain - Artcurial Paris 2017

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Impressionen von der Artcurial Rétromobile Versteigerung am 8. Februar 2013 - Maitre Poulain rezitiert zwischendurch auch mal aus einem Buch

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Impressionen von der Artcurial Rétromobile Versteigerung am 8. Februar 2013 - Maitre Poulain dirigiert seine Show

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Hervé Poulain und das erste Art Car, ein BMW 3.0 CSL mit der Bemalung von Calder - BMW Art Cars Sonderschau im BMW-Museum in München 2018

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Hervé Poulain in der Sonderschau - BMW Art Cars Sonderschau im BMW-Museum in München 2018

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Jochen Neerpasch und Hervé Poulain über der Maquette des BMW 320 Gruppe 5 mit der Bemalung von Roy Lichtenstein - BMW Art Cars Sonderschau im BMW-Museum in München 2018

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Hervé Poulains Helme aus den Siebzigerjahren - BMW Art Cars Sonderschau im BMW-Museum in München 2018

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Summary

Hervé Poulain is not only the auctioneer of Artcurial, he is also a subtle art collector and ten-time Le Mans participant. His masterpiece was probably the "Art Cars", which he created together with BMW and which made him famous far beyond France. With 50 years of experience in the auction business, he also has a lot to tell. During a lengthy conversation, he philosophized about supply and demand, art and cars and all sorts of other things.

This article contains the following chapters

Living the vocation
Racing is accelerated intelligence
A car is more than just a mobility aid
The voice of the auctioneer
There is no lack of new blood
Art instead of cars
Shifts and consolidation

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Anyone who has ever witnessed a classic car auction at the French auction house Artcurial will certainly remember Hervé Poulain, the man with the hammer. How he exults "Le million, le million" when a car is bid up into the seven-figure range, or philosophizes about art and beauty. Always in French, but with well-chosen words and always profound. We met him for breakfast and hung on his every word, because the man has a lot to say. Hervé Poulain was born on December 14, 1940 in the small town of Avranches in Normandy, in the north of France. He studied law, but didn't quite see himself as a lawyer, especially as he had a passion for the fine arts from an early age. A professor recommended that he try his hand as an art auctioneer, which in France requires a law degree. From his very first contact with the "Hotel Drouot" auction house, Poulain knew that this was exactly what he wanted to do.

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