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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.
The Richard Mille watch company had a spectacular display of Ferraris, comprising of five monopostos, a 500 F2, the 375 Thinwall Special, a 312 T, a 412 T5, and a F1-91, along with a 250 GTO, a 275 GTB/C and a 512 M.
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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