Rétromobile for the spontaneous, a Bugatti question and a promise
02/06/2025
C'est géant, la Rétromobile. Yes, I would not have imagined it to be this big, the "season opening of the classic car fairs" in Paris, which opened its doors on February 4 for the pre-opening and on February 5 for the general public and will continue until February 9. It can be said to be beautiful, diverse and a successful balancing act between top-class class classics and likeable everyday cars, primarily of French provenance. The range of pre-war items is very pleasing - in every respect. This applies to the cars as well as the parts and, of course, the accessories and automobilia.
The stands of the model and toy dealers are also very well maintained. What is pleasingly absent are those contemporaries who want to sell you flea market items as antiques. Only the small selection of vacuum windshield wipers that I found were completely unusable. The zinc plague doesn't seem to have stopped at any of the original old Trico housings. I suspect that someone needs to try their hand at 3D printing. But otherwise: I have never seen so many rising current carburetors in one place. This can also be understood symbolically. As a pre-war enthusiast, you feel well understood at the Rétromobile.
Lehmann Tut-Tut car, a classic from the 1920s
The special exhibition on 100 years of Kégresse-Hinstin, the Citroën vehicles with caterpillar drive, is very successful. Both private collectors and Citroën have provided the very touching, untouched contemporary witnesses of the "Croisière Noire" and "Croisière Jaune". Some of the cars are presented exactly as they were probably unloaded from the ship when they reached French soil again after successful adventures. The only unanswered question at the Rétromobile is whether the sand brought here is from the Sahara or the Gobi Desert. However, I suspect it is from the local gravel pit, mais ça n'a pas d'importance. It looks good, and the tent has better grip.
70 years of Citroën DS, the DS trade fair theme on air and water at this year's Rétromobile
What is really surprising is that I counted no fewer than six Bugatti 59s. I was told that six had been built at the time. Three of the 59s present claimed to be genuine originals. A fourth did too, and with the others I had the feeling that I wasn't even asking. But it's possible that they were all there, which is probably pure coincidence. Perhaps it will occur to someone to somehow bring the cars together before the end of the show.
Three out of six Bugatti 59s, apparently they all made it to Paris!
I was unable to find a "balcony railing", one of those scissor grilles that were screwed to the running board of a pre-war car to carry a suitcase on the side of the car. Maybe it's a good thing - I would have tried to take it on the plane with me. On the other hand, some old tin toys appealed to me. Here, too, the selection is magnificent. But so are the prices.
Lots of pre-war or even pre-pre-war goods in Paris
I took home a lot of impressions, some pictures, various model cars and the information from Renault that they want to take intensive care of the owners of classic Renaults in the future - not only with some merchandise, but that they are looking for cooperation with specialists and parts dealers, want to integrate them into a network and provide them with increased support. This is very encouraging news and a first from a French manufacturer, where classic car enthusiasts are generally less likely to be officially recognized. So: good news! We will soon go into more detail about Renault's plans.
Conclusion: If you have the time and the opportunity, Paris is definitely worth a trip!
And if you'd like a little more inspiration, we've put together a small series of pictures that you can click through from the comfort of your sofa.
P.S. On a side note, the Ferrari 250 LM, which won the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans with Rindt/Gregory at the wheel, was sold by RM for EUR 34.88 million. This would also make it clear which car will go down in the statistics as the second most expensive car in 2025 after the W196R from the previous weekend.
