January 28 to February 1, 2026, Paris, France

Part 2 will focus mainly on dealers in exceptional cars, auction houses, museums, and clubs. You can find part 1 of the article on Retromobile 2026, published a few days ago, which covers themed exhibitions and manufacturers.

Dealers

As every year, Rétromobile is the major event for French and international dealers of exceptional cars. The presence of companies from all over Europe confirms the important place held by Rétromobile Paris in the world of classic cars, offering their customers ever more impressive selections! The quality of the presentation and the standard of the cars on offer make it an unmissable event for both buyers and enthusiasts. Pre-war and old-timers are actually quite few in number, except for prestigious brands such as Bentley, Bugatti, Delahaye, Hispano-Suiza, Mercedes, Rolls-Royce, Talbot, and others.

Among the post-war models, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Porsche are generally the most numerous. Without having counted them, I think Ferrari was the most represented brand, but the 300 SL “gullwing” was the model with the most examples (considering that the Ferrari 250 GT in its various chassis and body configurations does not correspond to a single model). Rather than attempting to provide an exhaustive list (which would undoubtedly be tedious to read), I have chosen to highlight a few cars per dealer in the article, with the others being presented in photos. I have also chosen to present the dealers, like the manufacturers, in alphabetical order.

Atelier des Coteaux

As a leading French specialist in Jaguars, Atelier des Coteaux naturally presented a selection of E-Types and a fully restored 1957 XK 140. There were also some Italian cars to admire, including a 1964 Ferrari 250 GT “Berlinetta Lusso” and a very rare 1961 Lancia Flaminia Sport Zagato, recognizable by its typical Zagato double-bubble roof, perhaps one of Zagato’s most beautiful creations.

AVC Prague (Czech Republic) exhibited a 1923 Hispano-Suiza H6B with Kellner bodywork, never fully restored but always well maintained, which still retained many original features, including much of its leather interior.

Axel Shuette

Axel Shuette (Germany) showcased three splendid Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport “short chassis” cars. Although built by different French coachbuilders, the three cars featured a similar aerodynamic profile, which enhanced the overall effect. The two-tone pale blue and brown 1948 T26 Grand Sport “Saoutchik” was the first chassis of this model to leave the factory, equipped with the 190 horsepower “Grand Sport” engine. The blue T26 Grand Sport Figoni & Falaschi, also from 1948, is a unique, original model with its central headlight. The gray 1949 T26 Grand Sport is one of three chassis bodied by Antem, equipped here with the 260 horsepower “Grand Prix” engine.

Also worth mentioning are a 1974 BMW 3.0 CSL “Batmobile,” the homologation model of the racing version, two Mercedes 300SLs, a Gullwing coupe and a roadster, and, staying with German cars, a red BMW 507 roadster.

At Eberhard Thiesen (Germany), two jewels of 1930s German luxury motoring, a Mercedes Benz 500 K Convertible A (1934) and, even more luxurious and prestigious, a Maybach DS8 Zeppelin Streamline Convertible (also 1934). The 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 on display belonged to the Swiss Filipinetti racing team and is in competition configuration, ready for historic races.

Two unique models from Christoph Grohe (Switzerland) include a 1953 Delahaye 135 MS CL Special, which is actually a prototype of the Delahaye 235, and a Chrysler Crown Imperial gifted by the United States to the Vatican. With bodywork by Ghia in 1954, it was the official transport for three popes: Pius XII, John XXIII, and Paul VI.

Fiskens

At Fiskens (England), it’s hard to choose the most exceptional item from among the 2009 Brawn GP 001/01, the first chassis built for the F1 World Champion that year with Jenson Button, the 1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato, winner of several races in 1931, the 1966 Ford GT40 Mk III “road” prototype, a 1927 Mercedes-Benz 680 S for classic car enthusiasts, or a Bugatti Chiron 110 Years, a special series of 20 units based on the 1500 horsepower Chiron Sport, celebrating Bugatti’s 110th anniversary for those who prefer more recent supercars.

Gallery Aaldering

Gallery Aaldering (Netherlands) offered a selection of Ferraris, including classics such as the 1962 250 GT SWB and 1964 Lusso, a Daytona, and supercars such as the F40, Enzo, and LaFerrari Aperta (Spyder). Also in the supercar category were a Carrera GT and a Bugatti Veyron, as well as a very rare 2012 Wiesmann GT MF5, a little-known German manufacturer based on BMW.

There were also a few pre-war cars on display, including a luxury Hispano-Suiza J12 convertible built by the Belgian coachbuilder D’Ieteren Brothers in 1936, with rear seats featuring protective glass, and a (much) sportier 1933 Maserati Grand Prix 8CM.

Girardo

Where else could you see the Ferrari supercar lineup, known by some as the “Big Five”? At the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, or at the Girardo (England) stand at Rétromobile with a 288 GTO, an F40, an F50, an Enzo, and a La Ferrari, all in red!

In fact, Girardo chose to exhibit only Ferraris, with the 275P LM, double winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1963 (in 250P) and 1964, taking center stage. This car is the only Ferrari to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice!

Among the older Ferraris were several 275 GTBs, including one bought new by French actor Jean Paul Belmondo, in Ruby Red at the request of his girl friend Ursula Andress!

Gobin (France) specializes in Porsche maintenance and restoration, and therefore offered several 911s, including a 1964 2-liter 130-horsepower 911 in ivory, one of the very first produced by Porsche. The origin of a very long line!

JMB Classic (France) specializes in GT and endurance prototypes, restored, maintained, and prepared for historic races. JMB Classic lined up several of these prototypes ready to take on Le Mans Classic: BMW V12 LM 1999, Pescarolo 01 2007, Peugeot 908 V12 2008 and, alongside them, a Bugatti “Centodieci,” a tribute to the Bugatti EB 110, of which only 10 were built in 2022 based on the Chiron, with a W16 engine developing 1,600 horsepower. Extremely rare, and even rarer to see one. So to be able to walk around it…

HK Engineering is a renowned Mercedes 300 SL German specialist, and this year, only one car was on display, but it was a rarity, as it was one of the 300 SLs with aluminum bodywork and a competition engine (only 29 examples). Perfectly restored, in a stunning combination of silver gray paint and red interior.

Joe Macari

The Joe Macari (England) stand presented a range of motor racing cars: F1 with the McLaren MP4/5 A (2000, winner at Monaco with David Coulthard), endurance with an Audi R18 TDI Ultra (2011) and a McLaren F1 GTR (1996), GT with a Maserati MC12 GT1, and DTM with a Mercedes-Benz C-Class (2005 – formerly driven by Mika Hakkinen). These racing beasts were accompanied by a few supercars, another Maserati MC 12, this time a road car, a Ferrari LaFerrari, a Ford GT (2005 track version) and a Porsche 911, redesigned by Singer. Fans of older cars were not forgotten, with a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder on display.

Kidston

Another major British name on the market, Kidston presented two McLaren F1s, a road version and an LM racing version, several Ferraris, a 1950 166 MM Berlinetta with Touring bodywork, a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, and a 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider. The 1968 Aston Martin DBS Vantage was displayed in a sand and screen setting, as it is the main Aston Martin from the 1969 James Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” recently restored and even regaining its original registration number.

Lukas Huni

Swiss dealer Lukas Huni also had a large stand, presenting an impressive selection of Ferrari 250 GTs: a 1956 Boano Coupé, a 1958 Berlinetta Tour de France, a 1961 SWB Berlinetta, a 1963 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta Scaglietti, complemented by a 1965 275 GTB Short Nose and a purple 365 GTB/4 Daytona, a rare color but undoubtedly not an easy one to wear.

Two other rare Italian cars, two Lancias, a beautiful 1955 Aurelia B24 S Spider America and a 1959 Flaminia Sport Zagato, one of the very first Flaminia Zagatos with aluminum bodywork prepared for road racing. Here too, a Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing was offered for sale, a unique model in terms of its color, created for its first owner, Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos, identical to the color of his tankers!

One of the most exceptional cars on display, and perhaps even at the show, was this 1929 Bentley Speed Six H.J. Mulliner 2-seater with a 6.5-liter engine. This model is unique in terms of its bodywork, but also stands out for its history: it has had only two owners, the first for 53 years, who drove it 800,000 miles (nearly 1.3 million km), while the second owner added a further 500,000 miles (more than 800,000 km)! This is undoubtedly the Bentley that has traveled the most in the world! This Bentley, like several other cars on display at the Lucas Huni stand, belongs to private collections and was not for sale, making the stand a mixture of commercial and museum.

At Mecanicus (France), I noticed a 1965 Lamborghini 350 GT, of which only 120 were produced, marking the beginning of the Sant’Agata Bolognese adventure, as well as a Renault 5 Turbo Group 4 rally car (1980) in its Calberson livery.

There was also racing spirit at Mechanic Modern & Classic (France), which exhibited a Ferrari BBLM (derived from the Ferrari 512 BB for endurance racing) and a Porsche 962 KREMER (1988).

Based in Normandy (France), Paul’s Classic Cars specializes in British sports cars, particularly typical British roadsters such as Austin Healey, MG, and Triumph, which it displayed on its stand alongside a Ford GT 40 “Replica.”

Rock N Roll

Rock N Roll, from Belgium, brought along a few gems, such as this 2021 Aston Martin V12 Speedster “Maverick Edition.” The Maverick Edition is a special series of a few examples of the already rare Speedster (only 88 units produced), with some specific decorative and bodywork modifications by Aston Martin’s “Q” department and powered by a 700 hp twin-turbo V12 engine! In a very different style, the 1980 Porsche 935 DP is a “road” version of the 935 racing car, with only four units produced by DP Motorsports, which contributed to the development of the 935.

Saga Classic

Saga Classic (France), one of the leading Mercedes specialists, presented several generations of SL roadsters/convertibles, from 4-cylinder to V8, 190 SL, 300 SL, 250 and 280 SL Pagoda, followed by the more recent 500SL and 560 SL generations. One of the 190 SLs on display had been completely restored and presented in 300 SLR style, alongside an authentic race car, an SLS AMG GT3 winner of the 2012 Dubai 24 Hours.

Thiesen

Thiesen (Germany) had several race cars on display at its stand: a Porsche 904/6, one of the few Porsche 904s to have been fitted with a 6-cylinder engine, a 1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT in Competition version, a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Group 4 (1972) and a Porsche 935 K3 (1980), recognizable by its flattened front and monstrously wide rear. There were also some highly desirable GTs, such as a 1961 Aston Martin DB 4 GT “Zagato” and a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé in its original light blue.

Quite logically, Vintage Bentley offered two Bentleys, a 1928 4½ Litre and a 1925 3 Litre, cars that are obviously becoming increasingly rare to find.

Auctions Houses

The major Gooding Christie’s auction

In 2026, Gooding Christie’s replaced Artcurial as the major auction house at the Rétromobile show. There were fewer cars for sale than in previous years, but the quality was there, and the cars were displayed for maximum visibility. Gooding also chose to group them by theme: classic cars, sports cars, supercars, etc. Overall, the sale was a great success, with more than €50 million in bids. Let’s start with the three most important ones, including two Ferraris.

The Ferrari 288 GTO took up the famous GTO name first used by the 250 GTO and is considered Ferrari’s first supercar. Ferrari developed the 288 GTO with a view to homologation in Group B (hence the GTO). The Group B specification was abolished before Ferrari was ready, but 272 units of the 288 GTO were produced, nonetheless. This particular car has had only two owners and has covered barely 1,500 km, making it an exceptional vehicle that sold for over €9 million.

Second prize went to a 2018 Ferrari FXX K EVO, sold for nearly €7 million. This model is part of the XX series, Ferraris developed exclusively for the track, without road homologation. The FXX K EVO is the ultimate version of the LaFerrari supercar, with only around 40 units produced.

The 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C “SuperSport” with Figoni and Falaschi “Teardrop” bodywork took third place on the podium at €6.75 million, disrupting Ferrari’s hegemony at this sale. The chassis of the T150-C is derived from racing models and features a robust and powerful 4-liter inline 6-cylinder engine. This car has participated in numerous concours d’elegance, both when it was released in 1938 and in recent years, winning many awards.

Another Ferrari FXX EVO, this one from 2008 and based on the Enzo, but with an optimized engine, chassis, and suspension, was the fourth sale, at nearly €5.5 million. The 2021 Ferrari Monza SP1 also sold well, but two other Ferraris highlighted before the sale, two Ferrari 250 GTs, a 1958 LWB California Spider and a 1960 SWB Berlinetta, did not find buyers.

Other GTs on offer included two Aston Martin DB Mk III (1958) and DB4 Series II 1960 models, a BMW M1, a De Tomaso Pantera, a Lamborghini Miura P400 SV (sold for nearly €3.4 million), several Maserati 5000 GT Coupes, Mistrals, Ghibli 4.7 Spiders, and Ghibli 4.9 SS Coupes.

On the “old-timer” side, the four Alfa Romeo 6Cs from the Cherrett collection (three spiders and one sedan) all found new owners, as did the Bugatti Type 57C Atalante. However, the aptly named Hispano-Suiza H6B “Splendid” is still available.

In addition to its auction area, Gooding Christie’s exhibited a few cars for private sale on a separate stand, offering a choice between a 2024 Pagani Utopia, a 1961 Porsche 718 RS 61 Spyder, and a 1954 Maserati 250 F.

Aguttes

Aguttes announced its upcoming spring sale (March 15, 2026) with a 2010 Ferrari 599 GTO, but also offered a few cars for private sale, including a 1929 Bugatti Type 46 “Petite Royale” (with a 5.3L 8-cylinder engine), a 1936 Maserati 6CM, a Grand Prix factory car, a 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona “Competition,” and a somewhat extravagant one-off model, a beach car created by Michelotti in 2010 based on a Ferrari 365 GTC/A!

Broad Arrow

At Broad Arrow, a 1929 Bugatti Type 43 Roadster stood alongside a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing “Fireman Red,” which is believed to be the penultimate 300 SL produced by Mercedes.

Collecting Cars

Collecting Cars, which offers online auctions 24 hours a day, had some real gems on offer, including a 2024 Porsche 911 GT3 R Rennsport, a car reserved for the racetrack but free from homologation and therefore pushed to the limits, a Koenigsegg Agera RS (2016 – 25 units) powered by a twin-turbo V8 with over 1,000 horsepower, and a prototype based on the Porsche 911 Type 964 Carrera 4, known as “Patagonia,” designed (in principle) to tackle the most challenging track conditions. A proof of concept intended to lead to a small production run, this extreme car remained a one-off prototype.

Osenat

Osenat also offered two very different cars in private sales, a 1928 Bugatti 43 Grand Sport and a Ferrari SF90 Spider supercar (2025).

RM Sotheby’s

RM Sotheby’s presented several upcoming auctions and private sales at its stand. The 1997 McLaren F1 LM is one of 10 configured as a “Long Tail,” having competed in the 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans and won several GT races. The 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta “Scaglietti” has found a buyer since its presentation at the show. The Porsche 911 DLS Turbo is a 911 Type 964 (extensively) revised by Singer, a US company specializing in (very) high-end Restomod. Ayrton Senna won two Grand Prix races with the 1986 Lotus-Renault 98T, the last to feature the famous black and gold JPS livery. With its Renault Turbo engine delivering over 1,000 horsepower in qualifying, this Lotus Renault represents one of the most extreme periods in F1 history.

Museums and institutions

Every year, several automobile museums take advantage of the show to showcase some of the gems in their collections. In 2026, two museums shared the spotlight: the National Automobile Museum in Mulhouse, which exhibited several of its Bugattis alongside the railcar (see Part 1 of this article), and the 24 Hours of Le Mans Museum, renamed M24, which announced its reopening on May 28, 2026, in a much larger setting and with an equally extensive collection. The new museum will showcase both the well-known 24 Hours of Le Mans collection, represented at Rétromobile by a Porsche 963, and part of the Richard Mille collection covering F1, rallies, and US races, represented by a 1957 Maserati 250F F1 car, the only one to have been fitted with a V12 engine.

As it does every year, the Gendarmerie Museum (Melun, France) is showcasing a few cars from its historic fleet, including two Alpine A310s. In Puteaux, near Paris, a small museum exhibits a collection of De Dion Bouton cars, whose factory was located in the town. This museum, which is only open a few Saturdays a year for guided tours, presented an original 1923 Taxi Landaulet on its stand.

Another major European classic car show, Auto e Moto d’Epoca (Bologna, Italy, October 23-26, 2025), attracted attention with a 1953 Lancia D24, a car that won the Carrera Panamericana, the Mille Miglia, and the Targa Florio in 1954.

The FFVE (French Federation of Vintage Vehicles) offers collectors a wide range of services, and this year chose to exhibit a 1939 Simca Gordini Type 8. At the FIVA stand, a 1936 Mercedes 540K, one of only two remaining in India, was on display, fresh from restoration.

In its Rétromobile area, the FIA presented two icons of motorsport: a 1977 Lancia Stratos HF Group 4 for rallies and a 1998 Mercedes-Benz CLK-LM for the track, developed for the FIA GT World Championship, which won all the championship races and the title in 1998. Its only failure was the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but at that time it was not part of the world championship. We also discovered Omega-Six, a virtually unknown French brand that produced a few sports and racing cars between 1922 and 1932. It was represented by a “3 Litres Competition” model, the only known car of the brand to have survived. 

Watchmakers

Mechanical precision, useful objects sometimes bordering on art—the worlds of automobiles and luxury watchmaking often converge. Several manufacturers exhibited at Rétromobile, which also dedicated a specific area to this activity. The automotive exhibition space featured Chopard and Richard Mille, among others.

Chopard has been a partner of the Mille Miglia race since 1988 and exhibited two pre-war racing cars: a 1927 Bugatti 35C that raced for over 20 years in European races, particularly on roads and in hill climbs. The second was a 1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Zagato, on loan from the Alfa Romeo Museum.

The coachbuilder Zagato himself has close ties to the famous Italian classic, so it made sense to discover the Capricorn 01, the first hypercar designed by Zagato, at the Chopard stand. A German-Italian production model presented in 2025, the Capricorn 01 is powered by a heavily reworked Ford V8 engine developing around 900 horsepower. With a manual gearbox and analog instrumentation, this hypercar is the opposite of some of the electric creations that have sprung up here and there with monstrous power outputs.

Richard Mille was located opposite the M24 Museum stand, exhibiting part of its collection with a focus on the 24 Hours of Le Mans: 250 LM, 275 P, 330 P4, 512 S, 312 PB, and the 499P from the 2025 World Championship.

Clubs

An essential part of Rétromobile, numerous car clubs are exhibiting, allowing their members to meet up, display some iconic models from their favorite brands, and recruit new members. I have already mentioned La Traction Universelle, which was exhibiting a Traction 15/6 convertible on the Citroën stand, a model that was also present at the first Rétromobile 50 years ago. At the C4/C6 club (we’re talking about models from the 1930s), the 1932 C4G Roadster was on display, and rightly so, as it is undoubtedly the most desirable model in this range.

The Peugeot clubs played the convertible card, with the 204, 403, and 404 “cab,” while Aventure Peugeot highlighted a 302 Darl’Mat Roadster that distinguished itself at the 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans. At the “Amateurs d’Anciennes Renault” stand, visitors could discover a small sports car, a “Tank Burnel,” a small barquette developed on the basis of a 4CV by the Renault importer in Morocco to participate in local races.

The Hispano-Suiza club presented an imposing 1927 H6C with an extra-long chassis, a former Maharaja car that had just undergone a major restoration, complete with gun cases on the sides! Bringing together enthusiasts of “veterans,” the Teuf-Teuf club offered visitors the chance to discover rare and even unique models such as this 1906 Dexter, a racing car with a large 6.5-liter 6-cylinder engine, a 1910 UNIC Georges Richard, and a 1927 Salmson VAL 3 with a very stylish skiff body. 

Other notable examples include the Facel Vega Club with a 1956 Facel FV 2, Bugatti with a Type 35, Volvo with two Amazon models, a two-door coupe and a station wagon, Alfa Romeo, and Mercedes 190 SL.

Some notable stands

Without going into the different categories, several stands presented interesting cars and caught the eye of visitors, even though the cars on display were not necessarily directly related to their business. For example, the insurance company TEA Cerede presented the Bugatti Veyron 501, an original model as it is a pre-production car used for testing the Veyron, particularly for speed tests on a salt lake in Texas. It also stands out for its combination of Pearl White and Blue colors.

Sport et Collection, organizers of events including “500 Ferraris Against Cancer,” exhibited two Ferraris, a 1970/71 512 M (an endurance prototype with 5-liter 12-cylinder engines) and a 1971 Formula 1 312 B2.

Other F1 cars could be found around the aisles, with the 1981 March 821 at IDEC Sports, and at Ligier, a 1986 JS 27, a JS 33B (1990), and a 2014 LMP2 Gen 1. Also worth mentioning is the large stand of the Morocco craft House, which highlighted the varied skills of Moroccan craftsmen, particularly in the field of car restoration, with a Peugeot 402 currently being worked on.

Motorcycles

Rétromobile once again reserved a specific area dedicated to motorcycles around the Steve McQueen exhibition. Triumph, particularly prominent at the McQueen exhibition, had set up its stand just opposite. Other motorcycle exhibitors included Royal Enfield, Kawasaki, and French brands Midual and Brough Superior.

Accessories, toys, artists…

Classic car shows are also an opportunity for many visitors to search for missing parts for their vintage cars. Rétromobile is no exception to this rule, and the area dedicated to spare parts professionals becomes a huge market offering an incredible variety of items, including specialists in recreating parts that are now impossible to find. There are numerous sellers of magazines, books, and posters devoted to cars and transportation, offering a selection ranging from vintage catalogs to comic books, historical books, and technical manuals.

If you can’t afford to buy a “real” car, don’t worry, miniature dealers offer a wide range of models, but beware: some ultra-detailed and complex models can cost as much as a working car! Special mention goes to La Boutique Auto Moto, which exhibited not only a very wide selection of miniatures, but also a Tyrrell P34, the only F1 car in history with six wheels, four of which are at the front. The P34 raced in 1976 and 1977 and was therefore celebrating its 50th anniversary. Although the design was abandoned for various reasons, the P34 still won a Grand Prix, in Sweden in 1976.

Finally, let’s not forget the traditional artists’ village where painters, photographers, and sculptors exhibit their work. At Rétromobile, you’ll also find all the products and services to satisfy the passion or needs of enthusiasts: insurance, garages, tools, transportation, decorative accessories, furniture, and clothing to travel in style.

Conclusion

At the end of these two articles, we can see the richness and variety of this edition of Rétromobile. Car enthusiasts, whether they are interested in the early days of the automobile, the beautiful bodywork of the 1920s and 1930s, post-war sports cars, supercars, or the more popular youngtimers, or most often a combination of these themes, will find plenty to fuel and enrich their passion.

Visitors discover unknown brands, extremely rare cars, and concepts that rarely leave the manufacturers’ or museums’ reserves. With the Bugatti railcar and the BMW Art Cars, the organizers have set the bar (very) high, and we now eagerly await to see how they will take us to new heights in 2027.

Photos on this page belong to Automobile Museums, no reproduction rights without the Owner’s express permission.