Retromobile 2025

     The 49th edition of Retromobile took place in Paris from the 4th to the 9th of February. It was an outstanding edition attended by no less than 146,000 spectators, smashing the previous record by over 20,000.

     To change the routine, this report is a diary to reflect the Retromobile week experience. It is about the cars, the people, the show, the auctions and immortal, glorious Paris with French art de vivre and gastronomy at its best.

     Tuesday 4th: 4:30 am brutal wake-up call in Burgundy to catch my TGV bullet train to Paris. 90 minutes later straight off the train and metro (subway) into the gigantic and majestic Louvre Museum’s carrousel exhibition centre with the RM Sotheby’s auction preview.

     At the entrance sat the star of the week: the 250 LM, S/N 5893, Le Mans 1965 winner with Jochen Rindt and Masten Gregory. It would remain the 9th and last Ferrari to win the Sarthe endure for 50 years until the pair of 499P wins in 2023 and 2024.

     It has an awesome presence with patinated body and seemed much more at home than at the Indianapolis Speedway Museum where it appeared oddly out of place as a NASCAR would be in Monaco.

     Already familiar faces appear and chats, the first of countless ones over several days, start with the likes of Rob Myers and Augustin Sabatié, from RM, and Adolfo Orsi.

     Another star in the preview halls was the 512M S/N 1030. Amazingly original, the interior was almost shabby, a nice change from over restorations. It was parked near some hypercars, Bugattis and LaFerrari and swarms of teenagers gathered around these, blindly ignoring anything older...but we probably all made the same mistake at their age.

     Then it was off to my hotel before meeting Alan, the California collector friend I was guiding that week for his first ever Retromobile visit.

     Tuesday 8PM: That evening there was a treat in store as his wife cancelled her trip so I was gifted her ticket for an acapella concert at the newly restored Notre Dame Cathedral, resplendent, almost white after the fantastic work by thousands of skilled craftsmen resurrected it from fire damage on April 15, 2019. The choral concert was out of this world in terms of skill, talent, training: voices from heaven.

Wednesday 10AM: We arrive at Retromobile Porte de Versailles just as it opens, a huge line for the public but luckily no line for my media pass and my guest.

     One of the first Ferraris we come across is the one off 712P Can Am, S/N 1010, always an awesome sight. I had enjoyed writing an extensive research article for it in Cavallino and a Christie’s catalog bio when it was sold at Tarrytown NY in 1998.

 

 

 

     Walking the artist’s gallery is always interesting as you see all level of talents and creativity. Young Frenchman, Yann Denes, is making a name for himself with amazing skill in reproducing shapes and elusive touches such as the heat haze behind a car.

     Just as we spoke, Stefan Johansson appeared unexpectedly. The former Ferrari and McLaren F1 driver is now a talented artist in Santa Monica California. And no, the fires did not affect him, but were just blocks away.

     He was visiting the show with a view to perhaps having a booth at Retromobile USA  next year, more on which later. He was teammate of none other than Ayrton Senna in 1984 at Toleman, their first year in F1, of Michele Alboreto at Ferrari and Alain Prost at McLaren.

     He would have won his second race for Ferrari at Imola in 1985 but his 156/85 was running on fumes and stopped one lap from the end. In his second and last season for the Scuderia in 1986 he managed four podiums and finished 5th in the championship.

     Yes, you read that right; the big announcement made at the show was that Retromobile USA will have its inaugural edition next year. It will take place in New York City at the Javits Convention Center, November 19 to 22, 2026. One can only wish it success as it is a concept that does not exist at all in the USA.

     The stand of Sport et Collection (who organize yearly the very successful 500 Ferraris Against Cancer event) had quite the pair on display. 250 GT California Spyder, S/N 1057 GT, and the 1980 F1, 312 T5 chassis S/N 048, raced by none other than Gilles Villeneuve.

 

 

     The Le Mans Classic stand showed a 1969 312 P, S/N 0872 R, this is the tool room copy made for the Swiss owner of the real 0872 to preserve it from racing accident damage. Other than looking as new as it is, inside it is near perfect.

     Many purists object, but what would you actually do in the owner’s position considering the current value of the real one? A number of other such toolroom replicas of Ferraris are raced in major events by, or for, the owners of the real ones and the subject is one of those vast debates for which there is no perfect answer.

     Another 1964 250 LM, S/N 6053 GT, was presented nearby. It had just won the Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award, a concours prize as can be, as only best of show winners from major concours worldwide are eligible. S/N 6053 had won Best of Show at the 2024 Cavallino Classic. Well-known North Carolina collectors, Chris and Ann Cox, were the happy recipients.

 

 

 

     David Gooding had a nice stand for his eponymous auction company and was glad to confirm that his home also escaped the Santa Monica fires a few blocks away.

     Many major collectors from the U.S. come to Retromobile, such as Chip Connor, seen in the aisles. Indeed, you end up meeting so many acquaintances you get hoarse from the chatting overdose.

     Another I was very glad to meet again, was John Houghtaling of New Orleans touring Paris with his wife, Yulia and son, in pram, or rather out of the pram and running excitedly around the cars. He will do the Le Mans Classic with his 121 LM, S/N 0546 LM, which he raced at the Mille Miglia last year. He recently drove his 328 GTS in the once in a century snow in N’awlins!

     Zurich dealer Lukas Hüni might well have the most impressive Rolodex of clients and displays yearly, a superb car selection, be they for sale, or for display only.

     This year he showed a 1958 250 Pontoon Fender Testa Rossa, S/N 0758 TR, one that truly has had a wild life. Sold new in Venezuela to José Miguel Galia, it was campaigned by him in white with longitudinal stripes. In eight recorded races through 1960 he won his class every time and once overall at the Vuelta di Aragua-Maracay. In the early 1970s it received an awful boxy body for further small local races.

 

 

     Finally in 1976 it was bought by Venice, Italy, resident Edoardo Magnone. It was restored properly in the 1980s in California by Nino Epifani. In 2005 it was acquired via Hüni for a client who had it restored and repainted in its original white with blue stripe.

     Hüni also displayed the 1953 375 MM Berlinetta, S/N 0358 AM. This rare beast was sold new to the team of Roman dealer, Franco Cornacchia, Scuderia Guastalla. It made its debut at the Carrera Panamericana with ace Umberto Maglioli, but retired.

     It was then sold to Argentina. After multiple owners it ended up in the 1980s with Robert DesMarais in Wisconsin who took it to the Mille Miglia in 1987. In 1996 he sold it to former rally driver and Renault F1 team sporting director Jean Sage who then campaigned it in the historic challenge and at the festival of speed.

     The Zurich dealer also showed 275 GTB/4, S/N 09855, 365 BB, S/N 18499, and 250 GT SWB, S/N 1539 GT, an Alloy Competition Berlinetta and 1959 Paris Show car, sold new to Gordon Pennington in Pennsylvania. In its later years it was owned by Lorenzo Zambrano, a major Mexican collector who passed away in 2014.

 

 

     Wednesday 5PM: Time to taxi to the Bonhams auction preview in the stunning Grand Palais, the world’s largest glass roofed structure built 1897-1900.

     There were two star Ferraris on offer, the 1950 166 MM, S/N 0034 M, sold new to Scuderia Marzotto. It was raced at various times by the four brothers: Giannino, Umberto, Paolo, and Vittorio, the first of whom won the 1950 Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti in it. Paolo in turn won the 1952 Giro di Sicilia.

     After changing hands several times and being rebodied by Scaglietti, it was bought in 1980 by Spaniard Juan Quintano who had it rebodied once more, by Fantuzzi. He raced it assiduously in the Monaco Historic GP, Tour de France, Tour de Espana and three Mille Miglias.

     The other was the 1954-55 Ferrari Tipo 555 ‘Super Squalo’ S/N 555/1 –FL9001. After a campaign for the Scuderia that yielded mediocre results, it was sold off early in 1956 to Englishman Peter Whitehead with a view to competing in Formula Libre races down under in Australia and New Zealand.

     He won several races such as in Melbourne’s Albert Park, Wigram and Ryal Bush. Tom Clark bought it in 1957. Its next owner, Bob Smith, crashed it in 1963, after which it lost its engine in favour of a Chevy V8 and became the infamous Morrari: its original body being destroyed it was fitted with a...Morris Minor body! Thankfully it was restored in the late 1960s, given a brand new correct body and reunited with its own 860 Monza engine.

     In the 1990s it was restored again, but to original Super Squalo spec reuniting it with is original 2.5-litre engine. It’s last owner was Juan Quintano who acquired it in 2000.

     We sat down with head of Bonhams Europe, Philip Kantor, to discuss the cars in this auction and his upcoming move to Broad Arrow with his team this spring. The news shocked many before Retromobile week. However keen observers have noted the new ownership of Bonhams appears focused only on numbers whereas Broad Arrow is showing a lot of ambition as a dynamic newcomer.

     8PM: We then headed a couple of kilometres east to a cafe for a pre-dinner drink where Alan and wife had been decades before, that too is the romance of Paris. Then we dined at Benoit for a traditional Cassoulet...small world who was in the same restaurant when we left? Philip Kantor and his family, a complete and incredible coincidence!

 

     Thursday 10AM: Back to the show and time to visit the heavy hitters; the major dealers with the most spectacular stands. London-based Scot Gregor Fisken and his newly promoted partner Christoff Cowens were showing a 275 GTB, S/N 06897, a short nose that had a quiet life in northern Italy. Its first owner lived in Como right by the lake: how is that for la dolce vita?

     The tartan decorated stand also displayed the first 550 Prodrive, S/N CRD01. It was the first of a successful program, developed by Prodrive in the UK for Care Racing’s founder Frédéric Dor, to win a race, at Jarama in 2001.

 

 

 

     Watch manufacturer and major sponsor Richard Mille always has a prominent display and this year it was Ferrari F1 cars, a veritable herd of them, such as 312T, S/N 024; 312B, S/N 003; F87/88C, S/N 102; F2002, S/N 221; F2007, S/N 259.

 

 

     Broad Arrow was showing an extremely early car as preview, being auctioned later this year. The 1948, 166 Spyder Corsa, S/N 004 C, with body by Ansaloni. It was sold new to Milanese Soave Enrico Besana who debuted it at the Giro di Sicilia/Targa Florio co-driving with Count Bruno Sterzi, finishing 6th overall. It was sold to a Paris suburb garage owner in 1957 where it sat for years until U.S. historian, Stan Nowak, wanting just such an early car, was informed about it by a friend.

     He acquired it but after it was shipped stateside he decided the restoration costs were too high and sold it to Henry Austion Clark, owner of a car museum in Glencove, NY, with Nowak supervising the restoration.

     In 1973 Clark passed the car to his son James who began showing it actively much later; 30 years later it won Best of Show at the FCA 2003 Annual Meet in Sebring. In 2015 it was auctioned and bought by Leslie Wexner.

     The ultimate stand for major historic Ferraris was hands down that of Max Girardo.

     Star of the display on a central raised plinth was 250 GT SWB Alloy Competizione, S/N 2127 GT. This is the car in which Jo Schlesser and the car’s first owner, Pierre Dumay, came second in the 1960 Tour de France. Dumay then raced it at various French circuits.

 

 

 

     The next owner, Antoine Cicoira, raced it twice at Luanda in Angola and once in his home city of Dakar, finishing third. Decades later after numerous owners it was bought by Nigel Corner in the U.K. Nigel had it put back to its original light blue with red, white and dark blue stripes.

     In 1998 I travelled to remote Yorkshire, U.K., to interview Neil Corner, Nigel’s father and photograph another Ferrari for an article. Having picked me up that morning at the train station in his 550 Maranello, for the return journey late afternoon he decided we should take their 250 GT SWB - this very car.

     His drive on wonderful traffic-free twisty back roads, often sideways, was unforgettable and of course on the Motorway we reached 120 mph several times with the Colombo V12 howling away.

     Two of the four 1952 340 Mexico Vignales built specifically to win the gruelling Carrera Panamericana were shown. One, S/N 0226 AT, was entered with none other than Italy’s star driver at the time, Alberto Ascari. Alas, he and co-driver Scotuzzi crashed out. After being rebuilt at the factory, it was sold on to Dallas privateer A. V. Dayton who raced it in Texas events.

     The 375 Plus Spyder, S/N 0384 AM, won the 1954 Daily Express Trophy at Silverstone as a factory car in the hands of Froilán González. It later sold to Kleenex heir Jim Kimberly who raced it.

     It is infamous for its convoluted legal case (subsequent to its 1986 theft as an incomplete car) already covered numerous times. It has been part of the Wexner collection since 2014.

     The 333 SP, S/N 003, was back on the stand and next to it we greeted Gianni Lavaggi, one of its former drivers. It is thanks to its early life that this car is famous. S/N 003 is no less than a double Sebring 12-hour winner for the Scandia team, in 1995 with team owner Andy Evans, late Spaniard Fermín Vélez and Eric van de Poele, and in 1997 with the first two as well as Yannick Dalmas and Stefan Johansson, him again.

     The Kidston stand, always spectacular, had just two Ferraris, a 1972 365 GTB/4 Spyder, S/N 15239, sold new in Geneva in Azzuro blue with beige seats. It remained in Switzerland all its life, owned at one point by Wolfgang von Schmieder who also owned the gorgeous Nembo Spyder, S/N 1777 GT.

 

 

     For those not into supercars on the stand, the star was the 275 GTB/4*S NART Spyder, S/N 10709, owned for decades by Eddie Smith of Lexington, North Carolina, and repainted in the last year in its original light blue.

     Dealer Art and Revs, showed F40, S/N 94647, repainted in Hyperion (ice) blue with blue suede interior and comprehensively modified by its owner with, among other things, 335 mm Brembo brakes, modified wastegates, a rare F40 LM Michelotti gearbox and, not forgetting comfort, upgraded air conditioning.

     French auction house Aguttes was previewing a real barn find for their March 16 auction; a 330 GT, S/N 7557 GT, that had sat for decades, displayed still covered with dust. It was Celeste though it had been dark green (Verde Scuro) when new. It has quite the history as it was the 1965 Paris Show car and 1966 Le Mans pace car.

 

 

     We ran into Cyrille Jacquinot, the enthusiastic author showing us an impressive book he had just published on a 250 GT SWB, S/N 2973 GT, the ex-Andre Simon car. Individual books on a single chassis number are not only a confirmed trend but are also made easier by advances in printing which allow small production runs; as an example only four copies of that one were printed. Thus ever more precise books can be published, be it for public or private distribution.

 

 

     On the Touring Superleggera stand we admired the Veloce 12, a very tasteful, subdued bespoke body on a 550 Maranello base. There I met Andrea Dragoni, head of operations and of classics who was very satisfied with the public reception of its design.

     Thursday 2PM: We made our way to the far end of the salon’s third hall where the Artcurial auction had been relocated this year. This was a strategic decision to encourage visitors to visit all three halls and not focus on the main one. There we spoke with the French auction house’s Edward Fallon, their USA liaison whom I’d met in Scottsdale decades ago.

     275 GTB, S/N 8407, stood out. It was sold new in Paris in 1966, painted celeste metallizzato, its black seats featuring blue velour inserts. Its second owner stands out. Also from the Paris area he would keep the car 43 years, driving it all over Europe from Denmark to Maranello. It was then sold at the 2015 edition of this auction – showing 104,000 kms – to an owner who had it fully restored by GIPIMOTOR in Belgium.

     Two 365 GTC/4s were offered. S/N 15395 was attractive in dark red, a shade close to Rosso Nearco, even though it was “Nero Dark Ronald” (black) initially. Sold new in Rome it was later exported to the U.S. before coming back to the old world in Holland and then Belgium.

     Retromobile offers all kinds of unexpected amusing sights: car- or starlet-themed holograms are now offered by memorabilia dealers, the Citroën half-track cars that conquered the Himalayas were much admired, 19th century cycles with 5 foot tall wheels ambling or rather wobbling unsteadily with period-clothed riders through the aisles, tanks and ancient Paris buses being demonstrated outside, a car being painted by kids. etc.

     Countless stands show scale models from the cheapest to the most impressive and sometimes very costly hand crafted one offs.

     Book stores abound. The U.K.s Hortons Books used to have the best selection but Brexit red tape has reduced what they can bring, so the best book choice at the show is consequently that of Libreria Gilena, the Brescia, Italy, book shop, their friendly staff sharply informed about the latest titles.

     Thursday 8PM: The best dinner of the week at Epicure in the Bristol Hotel: absolute heaven on a plate with young Texas honeymooners at the next table, stunned by the experience.

     Friday 3PM: Enough with cars, we visited with my Paris-based sister Christine, the Vuitton Foundation modern art museum, in its outlandish building masterminded by Canadian American architect Frank Gehry, built 2008-2014.

     8PM: Dinner for all three of us at Lapérouse, one of the oldest restaurants in Paris, dating back to 1766 having served the likes of Auguste Rodin, Émile Zola, Victor Hugo and Sarah Bernhardt, and much later Albert Einstein, Aga Khan, and Emperor Hirohito of Japan dined there...but who was at the next table? Giacomo Mattioli, head of Ferrari of Beverly Hills! We recalled my visit to his office in....1998. Sometimes you can’t get away from the prancing horse world!

     To conclude I will let my friend Alan from California, a first-time visitor to the show, express his impressions:

     “Imagine a metropolitan convention centre larger than all but three in the U.S. filled with pristine lots from the major European collector car dealers, auction houses. Then throw in marquee club stands, numerous automobilia vendors with amazing offerings, restoration houses, dozens of artists stands, legendary and rarely seen one-off racers (Ferrari 712 Can Am car, for example), and aisles travelled by F1 racers, manufacturers, restoration executives, major journalists, and high profile international collectors.

     Nearby see amazing auction lots in the world’s most famous art museum or on the 17-acre floor of a 19th century glass-roofed exhibition hall.  A taxi three minutes away will whisk you to unforgettable meals in one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. That is Retromobile.”

     Retromobile 2026 will take place in Paris Porte de Versailles from January 28 to February 1st.  Since it will be the 50th edition, organisers have confirmed they will make it a special one to remember.

     For more information on the original in Paris or the upcoming USA salon see: https://www.retromobile.com/en