Matra Museum, Romorantin, France
Until March 8, 2026
For this “winter” exhibition, the Matra Museum delves into the roots of automobile to tell us about this extraordinary human, technical, and social adventure. From the first models of the late 19th century to the icons of the 1920s, the exhibition brings together 16 cars and 11 motorcycles that testify to the ingenuity of the pioneers and the variety of designs. While most of the brands have now disappeared, several have left their mark on our memory, such as Amilcar, Delahaye, and Hispano-Suiza.
Among the cars on display are an elegant 1898 Darracq Perfecta, a witness to the early days, a 1914 Bedelia cyclecar, halfway between a car and a motorcycle, and at the other end of the spectrum, two luxurious sedans intended for a wealthy, even crowned elite, with the French Delaunay-Belleville and the Spanish Hispano-Suiza Alphonse XIII, a 1912 Rochet Schneider built in Lyon by one of the most important European manufacturers of the time.
Very quickly, sports models reflected the quest for performance, such as the Darmont-Special, recognizable by its V-shaped engine visible at the front of the hood, the sporty and racy 1927 Amilcar CGSS, and a popular Ford Model T converted into a race car by Charles Montier. On the two-wheel side, the exotic 1902 Auto-Fauteuil dialogues with the robust mechanics of Peugeot, René Gillet, Husqvarna, and Nimbus.
The exhibition will also highlight the 3 Hours of Contres, a car race that took place about 100 km from Romorantin and was one of the first sporting events for vintage cars. Held from 1960 to 1985, the event was open to cars built before 1939 and parodied certain aspects of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Photographs, videos, archives, and testimonials complement the vehicles on display, offering an immersion into the excitement of an era when anything seemed possible.
The photos on this page belong to Matra Museum, no right of reproduction without the express permission of the museum.