Everything different - tout différent?
01/28/2026
Anyone who regularly attends the Rétromobile in Paris will have to get used to a lot this year. A lot has changed. But that has nothing to do with the fact that this year there is even an entire train (from Bugatti, picture above) on display.
What has changed, however, are the halls used. The usual Halls 1 and 2 at the front of the Porte de Versailles will be used differently in 2026, so the Rétromobile will have to move to Halls 7.1 to 7.3. Anyone who was at the Rétromobile during the coronavirus pandemic will feel like déja vu.
The rear halls are much more modern and are located one above the other. They are connected by escalators. Upstairs are the high-end dealers, who have once again carted almost unsurpassable portfolios of cars to Paris.
The three Talbot-Lago T26s with special bodies by Figoni et Falaschi, Saoutchik and Antem alone would almost be worth a trip to Paris.
But as soon as you turn the corner, you discover more superlatives.
And once again this year, people are taking photos for all they're worth.
The Autopark can also be colorful.
And there is also room for the bizarre in the displays.
The freshly restored Aston Martin DBS that George Lazenby drove as Bond in the film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" is on display. It has even been parked on sand and scenes from the movie are playing in the background. Well done!
Seen in this light, not much has actually changed, and there are plenty of models on display again.
And of course the existing car manufacturers also use the trade fair to draw attention to themselves (and new models). Among others, Skoda, VW, Porsche, Peugeot, Mazda, DS Automobile, Citroën, the Stellantis brands Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Opel and also Honda with various Prelude variants will be on site.
The restorers are not missing either. The clubs just as little.
So, with the exception of the new halls, has everything stayed the same? No, because the auction landscape was thoroughly shaken up in Paris. Artcurial had to leave the halls and yesterday auctioned off an unrestored Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing at the Peninsula Hotel, around half an hour away from the fair.
The hammer price was EUR 3.8 million, which should make Artcurial feel a little better about the fact that Gooding Christie's is now the official auction house of the fair and occupies a considerable part of the lowest hall 7.1 with auction cars.
Anyone who is now afraid that the Rétromobile might have lost its French touch because of the changes should be told that there is still plenty of it left. And that doesn't just include the queues at the entrances ...
Well, the Rétromobile is still young, and will be open to visitors until Sunday, February 1, 2026. Let's see what else we discover ...
