Retromobile, Paris

There are two preeminent classic cars shows in Europe each year: Retromobile, Paris, which takes place in February and Technoclassica, Essen, which takes place in April. These shows feature stunning displays by dealers, auctioneers, clubs, manufacturers, artists, suppliers, .. in fact, pretty much anyone with something to sell or show off. And they are very well attended by huge crowds of enthusiasts.

Technoclassica is, in my opinion, by far the better show and I try to get there most years (last year my brother-in-law and I drove out in his Lotus). The Germans are massively into their “Oldtimers” and the exhibition halls in Essen are huge, making for a truly spectacular event, with a great many classic car clubs in attendance. And of course the show is very well organised. The manufacturers used to have a very significant presence at the Essen show but have been strangely absent the last couple of years, which is a shame.

Retromobile, in comparison, has always felt a little cramped and slightly underwhelming. Although, I have to say, in the last few years it has been getting stronger, with ever more impressive dealer displays, manufacturer support and major auctions (RM and Artcurial in particular). The main upside of Retromobile is the opportunity to combine the show with a long weekend in Paris (which my wife and I did this year).

In both shows, the standard of presentation of the cars is astonishing. The car in the picture here is a 1950’s Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing, presented by HK Engineering. It can actually be a bit overwhelming to see so many amazing cars prepared to such a high standard. One minute you’re looking at a Ferrari 350 GTO, the next a Lamborghini Miura, the next a Porsche 2.7 RS, the next a Jaguar XK120 …. and so on, classic supercar after classic supercar.

But perhaps the most impressive thing about these shows is the sheer number of people they attract, from collectors to enthusiasts, from young to old, from all over the world. All drawn by the allure of these hand-crafted works of art. In the words of Ferry Porsche “the last car built on earth will surely be a sports car”.