Car show and social event
Held for the 49th time this year, the annual Retromobile show continues to set the standard for in-door classic car shows. So much more than just a car show, it is also very much a social event where enthusiasts from around the world gather to catch up. As a result, Paris is the centre of the classic car world for a week in February every year. This means that the exhibitors, enthusiast car clubs and vendors have to meet the high expectations. They rarely falter and this year was certainly no exception with fascinating machinery being displayed across the three halls of the Porte de Versailles Exhibition Centre that are filled by the Retromobile Show. Among the set fixtures was the official Artcurial auction and there were also sales stages elsewhere in Paris by RM Sotheby's and Bonhams.
Our photographers did not miss our annual appointment in Paris and explored the halls of the Porte de Versailles Exhibition Centre to capture all the highlights. This has resulted in this 240-shot gallery.

Auctions
It is an interesting time for the auction business with some spectacular cars and collections coming to the market and also changes to the equilibrium with Gooding joining the Christie's fold and Hagerty's Broad Arrow Auctions making waves.
Not affected at all by these changes was RM Sotheby's who staged a two-day sale under the Louvre museum in the heart of Paris. Coming off selling the W196 Silver Arrow for a startling amount, the Anglo-Canadian auctioneer once again grabbed the headlines. It was with another car from Indy Motor Speedway Hall of Fame collection; the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans winning Ferrari 250 LM. Likely the very last 12-cylinder engined Ferrari to ever win the legendary endurance race, it found a new owner for close to €35 million. The sale totalled an impressive €66 million.
Bonhams staged their annual sale a stone's throw away in the restored Grand Palais and the car sales totalled €17 million. Rounding off the auction action were local heroes Artcurial, who sold just over €21 million worth of cars right on the Retromobile show floor.

Manufacturers
Due to the demise of the regular car shows, major manufacturers turn to events like the Retromobile show to showcase some of their latest products. DS Automobiles was out in force this year, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the original DS. Inside a massive stand, some great examples were shown, while the all-new No 8 SUV was also shown to the public.
On hand with a similarly impressive structure was Renault, who debuted the Filante Record 2025 show car. Ready to set new records at Bonneville, the all-electric machine was flanked by the reconstruction of the purpose-built, 9-litre engined 40 CV that averaged 173,649 km/h for 24 hours at Montlhéry in 1926. Behind the two record breakers, Renault displayed the current range of retro inspired production road cars with the models from which the inspiration came displayed on the other side of the aisle.
There were not just French manufacturers in attendance as the likes of Porsche, Skoda and Mercedes-Benz all had impressive displays. Mazda celebrated 35 years of the MX-5, while Toyota and Mitsubishi also showcased examples from past and present models.

The Dealers
For the major international dealers, the Retromobile show is a chance to showcase their inventory to a particularly discerning public. Most of them are centred around the centre aisle of the show with Joe Macari, Fiskens, Ascott Collection, Girardo and Kidston all having their stands in close proximity. While McLaren F1s took centre stage with Joe Macari and Kidston, Girardo had an all-Ferrari line-up again. Our eye was particularly caught by the 550 GTS Maranello brought by Girardo, which featured a unique livery reflecting its five participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Fiskens brought two of the most successful endurance racers of the last couple of decades in the form of an Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR and an Audi R8. On the Ascott Collection stand, the focus was on endurance racers only, headlined by a very rare Sauber Mercedes and Jaguar XJR-12. As always, slightly off the beaten path was Swiss dealer Lukas Hüni with a massive stand. Each car on display made it worth the detour and in particular the very first Ferrari 250 GT SWB and a rarely seen Ferrari 375 MM resplendent in its Carrera Panamericana livery stood out. The Gallery Aaldering was on hand with a colourful mix that included a recent Spyker Laviolette and also an early Indy racer. New to the show was Mitchell Curated, who showcased a highly original Lola T70 Mk3b Coupe and the Monaco winning Tyrrell 008.

Further highlights
With a line-up of scarlet Grand Prix cars, the display of watch company Richard Mille was impossible to miss. The stand offered a look at forty years of Ferrari Formula 1 evolution, starting with the 312 B of 1970 right through to the F2007 of 2007. It was also great to see that both the 312 T and 642 F1 were displayed with the bodywork removed to admire the respective twelve-cylinder engines.
It was particularly poignant to see the Delahaye 135 M Chapron Dandy Cabriolet that had been owned by Jean-Claude Hénault for 56 years. A regular visitor for many years, he sadly passed away during the show last year. The family's Delahaye was now displayed by his son Gilles.
The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best was awarded to another Ferrari 250 LM, which was also displayed on the show floor.
The Matra club stepped up with three spectacular cars on display, including the 1969 World Championship winning MS80 and the MS120D, which was the very last Matra Grand prix car built.

Final thoughts
It is hard to put the Retromobile show to words as it really needs to be experienced. We have been coming to the event for over two decades and still manage to get blown away every time. The dates for 2026 have already been announced but for now, we would like to refer to our 240-shot gallery of the 2025 edition.