Paris, France
January 28 to February 1st, 2026
50 years of Retromobile !
In 2026, Rétromobile will celebrate its 50th anniversary, so we can expect a rich and varied program. What a long way it has come since the small exhibition in the old Vincennes train station near Paris to the international event that now brings together the biggest international dealers, as well as numerous collectors and classic car clubs.
A sign of this success is the growing presence of manufacturers presenting recent models based on their history, bringing out a few gems from their museums or reserves for the occasion. This is what BMW will be doing for this edition, with a presentation of several “Art Cars,” a concept that is also celebrating its 50th anniversary.
BMW and Art Cars
The first Art Car appeared at the 1975 24 Hours of Le Mans. Herve Poulain, a famous auctioneer and amateur racing driver, convinced BMW to provide him with a BMW 3.0 CSL to be painted by Alexander Calder, one of the major artists of modern art, and then entered it in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, driven by professional drivers Jean Guichet and Sam Posey and Herve Poulain himself. Since then, around twenty BMW Art Cars have been presented, each one a unique work painted by internationally renowned artists.
To mark the 50th anniversary of its Art Cars, BMW has set up the “BMW Art Car World Tour,” lending or exhibiting a number of cars for events and museum exhibitions all around the world. The first Art Car was at Le Mans Classic in early July, and several models were at the Louwman Museum for a dedicated exhibition.
Copyright photos Automobile Museums, aucun droit d’usage ou de reproduction
This first Art Car is also featured on the Retromobile 2026 official poster. For Retromobile, BMW will present the seven cars that participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1975 and 2024, decorated by artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and Jeff Koons. It is also an opportunity to look back on BMW’s presence at Le Mans, with the 3.0 CSL, 320, M1, V12 LMR, M3, and M Hybrid V8.
Bugatti exhibition
One of the stars of Retromobile Paris 2026 will not be a car, but a train! Not just any train, however, as it is the railcar built by Ettore Bugatti in the early 1930s. Following the commercial failure of the Royale, Bugatti found himself with a series of engines built for this superlative car, 12.7-liter inline 8-cylinder engines developing 200 to 300 horsepower. Ettore Bugatti then proposed to build a fast railcar equipped with four of these engines.
Capable of cruising at 140 km/h (in the early 1930s!), 88 of these railcars were built in different variants (engine, length, weight, etc.) for several railway companies, and the last ones remained in service until the late 1950s. Only one vehicle has survived, a “Presidential” model that has been completely restored (except for the engine) and is usually on display at the “Cite du Train” museum in Mulhouse (France). This 23-meter-long, nearly 40-ton Bugatti train will be the centerpiece of this tribute to the genius of Ettore Bugatti.
Copyright photos Retromobile, aucun droit d’usage ou de reproduction
Seven other little-known but innovative cars will highlight the expertise and avant-garde spirit of Bugatti’s genius, including the 1931 Type 56, the manufacturer’s very first electric car, the Type 73 sedan, Ettore Bugatti’s last creation in 1947, and the 1956 Formula 1 Type 251. Unfortunately, the Bugatti 251 only appeared at the 1956 French Grand Prix, where it had to retire after 18 laps. It remains the first F1 car to adopt a mid-engine layout, in this case a transversely mounted inline 8-cylinder engine. Beyond the Type 35, Type 57, and Royale, this exhibition will allow visitors to explore another lesser-known facet of Bugatti.
Copyright photos Automobile Museums, aucun droit d’usage ou de reproduction
Auction
Retromobile has a new auction partner for 2026, with Gooding Christie’s replacing Artcurial as the organizer of the major auction at the show. Gooding Christie’s is a renowned auction house that is strengthening its presence in the classic car sector, particularly in Europe. The sale will take place on January 29, 2026, and the catalog will be unveiled in early January 2026. However, the Gooding Christie’s has already revealed some information, with the star of the sale being a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider (Ferrari Classiche certified) and a collection of four Alfa Romeo 6Cs from the Cherrett collection, including three spiders and a sedan.
Copyright photos Gooding Christie’s, aucun droit d’usage ou de reproduction
Stay tuned…
The full Retromobile program will be unveiled in the coming weeks, and you will find the latest information in this blog. At the same time as Retromobile, the brand new “Ultimate Supercar Garage” show will be taking place, dedicated, as you might expect, to the rarest and most exclusive cars on the planet.