Retromobile was back to its traditional February date with a bang in 2023


 

Paris, 01-05 February, 2023

After a much reduced in size and pandemic delayed show in 2022, Retromobile was back to its traditional February date with a bang in 2023, providing attendees with a spectacular array of machinery for their delectation at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.



Once again it occupied Hall 1, together with the link bridge to Halls 2.2 and 3, which were home to further displays and vendor stands, a sales area for private seller vehicles at less than €25,000, together with the expansive Artcurial Auction. Action activity was also provided at the show courtesy of the Club des Teuf Teuf, with display runs along the main service road fronting Hall 1.

There were a wide variety of themed displays, not only from the organisers and home based manufacturers like Citroen, DS, Peugeot and Renault, but also from some fifty car clubs, together with event organisations, auction houses and a number of the major European classic car vendors.

One of the themed displays in Hall 1 was the centenary of the Le Mans 24 Hour Race, with an impressive array of French cars that had competed in the legendary race, including cars as diverse as a Renault 4CV to a Matra-Simca 660/670 and a Peugeot 905, plus one that has yet to race, the latest contender from Peugeot, the 9X8 Hypercar.



There was a further Le Mans themed display called “Le Mans Innovation” in the link section between Hall 2.2 and Hall 3, where there were examples of innovative technology including the 1968 Howmet TX Turbine Car and the hydrogen powered MissionH24 LMPH2G, an ongoing joint venture between Green GT and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest. A possible link could also be found in the link bridge display, which could have proved useful for visitors to the race through the years, this being an eclectic range of mobile homes produced both privately and by mainstream manufacturers over a broad span of time.

Amongst the manufacturers displays there was the Citroen SM Prototype from 1973 on the DS stand alongside their E=Tense Performance all-electric carbon fibre bodied concept model. On the adjacent parent Citroen company stand there was the C10 “Coccinelle” or “Gout d’Eau” concept that first ran in 1956, a teardrop shaped car with 2CV running gear and hydropneumatic suspension, alongside the company’s Oli electric concept car, designed to be eco-friendly family transport. Peugeot celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 205 model, and also had a broad display of their historic “4 Series” models, i.e. 401, 402 etc, as a prelude to the arrival of the 408 model. Renault’s stand concentrated on the Twingo, first announced at the 1992 Paris Motor Show for the 1993 model year, and on the utilitarian 4L model’s 60th anniversary, which featured in their Retrofit display, including a fully electric example called SuiteNo4 with solar panels on the roof and a clear polycarbonate rear body section. They also showed a wild 5 Turbo 3E E-Tech electric drift car concept.



Girardo & Co’s stand was another feast of Ferraris, with a total of thirteen very varied examples on display. They included the 2003 Le Mans GT1 class winning 550 Maranello, a magnificent 512 S sports racing model, a 512 BB/LM, a 250 GT TdF Berlinetta, a 400 SA Coupé and a 599 GTZ S Nibbio Spider Zagato. Adjacent to their stand was that of Fiskens, which featured another broad display, ranging through a Porsche 917, the Achilles heel of the Ferrari 512 S in period, along with a Rothmans liveried 962 model, an Aston Martin DB3Sand DBR9, plus a Ferrari 195 Inter Vignale Cabriolet and a 375 MM within the offerings. Lukas Huni had a trio of Ferraris on his stand, these being an 857 S, a 250 GT TdF Berlinetta and one of twenty 365 GTS models produced. A further trio of Ferraris could be found on the Kidston stand, a 250 GT LWB California Spider, a 250 GT SWB Berlinetta and a 500 Superfast. In fact, a number of the vendor displays seemed to include a Ferrari or two in their offerings, so it was a fruitful show for enthusiasts of the Cavallino Rampante.

Ferraris aside, there were a number of very interesting displays, ranging from pre-war offerings, like the Bugattis on the Ivan Dutton stand, through a fine selection of “Youngtimer” GT cars on the JMB Classic stand including a Saleen S7-R, a Viper GTS-R and Corvette C5-R, not forgetting a Ferrari F333 SP that was raced by them in period, together with the only Toyota GT One in a private collection. Then there were further “modern” sports prototypes on the nearby Art & Revs stand, which included a 1991 Jaguar XJR-14, a 1992 Toyota 92CV, a 2007 Audi R10 TDI and a 2011 Audi R18 TDI, within their expansive display.

The foregoing cars mentioned are only a sprinkling of the great variety on display on the vendor and car club stands, and that’s without adding in all the various vendors of a variety of automobile related products, models, books and memorabilia. Then there was the art gallery and the Artcurial Auction, making for a truly diverse and interesting show, with something for virtually every taste. Concurrent to the show, both Bonhams and RM Sotheby’s held auctions in Paris, the former at the Grand Palais Éphémere, and the latter at the Salles du Carousel, should one have had the need for further automobile indulgence.




Ferrari Models on Display at Retromobile

Artcurial

Lot #

Model

Chassis #

22

330 GT 2+2

9763

35

250 GT California SWB Replica

3671GT

43

340 America Touring Barchetta

0120A

58

Dino 246 GT

01684

79

575 GTC

2204

87

612 Scaglietti

172726

88

365 GTB4 “Plexi”

13407

89

250 LM

5901

111

308 GTB “Vetroresina”

20753

112

308 GTB Gp4 “Foitek”

20905

225

Testarossa

87863

226

F40

93942

227

F12 TdF

215650

229

208 GTB

36587

230

365 GTB4

14157

243

Dino 246 GTS

06846

244

Testarossa

76153

245

512 BB

30097

262

365 GTC

12079

264

308 GTB QV

58711

265

250 GT Lusso

5875GT

287

F355 Spider

109327

293

348 Spider

99580

297

456M GTA

117017

 

 

 

Girardo & Co.

Model

Chassis #

512 S

1004

250 Europa GT

0399GT

250 GT TdF Berlinetta

1335GT

250 GT LWB California Spider

1425GT

410 Superamerica

3559SA

365 GTC

12049

512 BB/LM

26685

F40

92560

550 Prodrive

108462 (CRD 06)

599 GTZ S Nibbio Spider Zagato

159626

430 GTC

2438

430 GTC

2630

458 GTE

2874

Lukas Huni

857 S Spider

0578M

250 GT TdF Berlinetta

1035GT

365 GTS

11227

Kidston

250 GT LWB California Spider

1639GT

250 GT SWB Berlinetta

2649GT

500 Superfast

8897

Fiskens

195 Inter Vignale Cabriolet

0051S

375 MM PF Spider

0374AM

Richard Mille

375 Thinwall Special

010

500 F2

5/0480

312 T

024

312 T5

042

F1-91

130

512 M

1044

250 GTO

3387GT

275 GTB/C

09027

Sport & Collection

CEGA-Ferrari Spider

SP01-Drogo

512 BB/LM

35527

Kienle Automobiltechnik

550 Barchetta

146056

599 GTO

175206

Axel Schuette

250 GT SWB California Spider

1883GT

250 GT SWB Berlinetta

3035GT

Mechanic Modern & Classic

400 Superamerica

2631SA

F40

84887

Carrosserie Lecoq

Dino 246 GT

07370

365 GTB4

14915

JMB Classic

333 SP

022

RMC

F430 16M Scuderia Spider (Crashed)

169163

Gooding & Co.

250 MM Spider Vignale

0274MM

Eleven Cars

Dino 246 GT

02728

250 GT SWB Berlinetta Replica

3603GT

Ruote da Sogno

195 Inter Coupé Ghia

0129S

Franco Lembo

Dino 308 GT4

11914

308 GTB

24815

Provost Automobile

308 GTB

20015

MB&F Horological Laboratory/Ascott

430 GTC

2434

?

 

365 GTC4

16171

Gipimotor

250 GT Drogo

1717GT

L’Atelier des Coteaux

308 GTB

19143

Boutsen Classic Cars

512 TR

93658

Gallery Aaldering

250 GT PF Coupé

1463GT

275 GTB (Long nose 4 Cam Bonnet)

06935

365 GT4/BB

17749

Oldtimer Farm

328 GTS

77861

Testarossa

88357

Coyote

Dino 308 GT4

13674

BPM Heritage

328 GTB

62925

Mecanicus

575M Superamerica

132924

Carjager

360 N-GT

123437

550 Maranello

124571

AS Classic Engineering

250 GT SWB California Spider

4121GT

Messina Classics

275 GTB

08863

GTO (288)

54211

Movendi

F40 LM Conversion

84209

FA-Automobile

365 GT 2+2

12053

Original Classic Garage

Dino 308 GT4

09108

 

Keith Bluemel          
02/2023


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