Paris, France, 22 - 31 January 2010.
The 35th annual Retromobile classic car show was moved forward
a month this year from its regular February date, so that it
clashed with the Cavallino Classic in Florida, plus the major
international auctions in Arizona. All three venues draw
international audiences, so it was a shame that it couldn't have
kept its regular date, as it is always a great pre-season meeting
place to catch up with friends and colleagues. Let's hope that it
returns to its familiar February date in 2011.
Anniversaries celebrated at the show included the centenary of
Alfa Romeo, 90 Years of Mazda, and the 40th anniversary of the
Citroen GS and SM models. There were special features on the
development of urban transport, featuring the last horse drawn
Paris bus and a range of micro-cars, plus another on the
incredible vehicles designed to film cars in action for the cinema.
The Alfa Romeo display included cars on loan from the
Autombilismo Storico Alfa Romeo Museum in Italy, ranging from
a 1932 6C 1750 GS through the renowned Disco Volante from
1952, a Giulia TZ to the very desirable 8C Competizione from
2008. The star of the Mazda feature was one of the very rare
Cosmo Sport 110 S models from 1970, with its twin rotor Wankel
engine, that battled for sales with the almost as rare Toyota 2000
GT in its heyday.
Many of the gems of the show can be found on the vendor,
restoration and one-make club stands. Hall & Hall featured the
Bugatti Royale replica from the Donington Collection, along with a
BRM F1 car and a Ferrari 312B F1 amongst an expansive
display. It is interesting to note that for many years this 312B
has been recognised as chassis # 003, as per its chassis
plate, but recent research by French researcher Arnaud
Blanfuny indicates that it is actually chassis # 004, although
the reasons for the two cars wearing the incorrect chassis
plates has not been determined. An in-depth article on his
findings appears in Cavallino Magazine issue # 175. Nearby,
Fiskens had a beautiful pale metallic blue Ferrari 275 GTB/C, an
un-restored MG K Type Magnette and a Porsche 906 within their
display. Lukas Huni always has an impressive selection of cars
on his stand, and this year they included a spectacular yellow
Ferrari 512 M sports racing car, a Maserati Tipo 61 “Birdcage”,
and a beautiful white Siata Coupé, along with a fine selection of
pre-war cars for the gentry. Lancia Club France celebrated their
30th anniversary, and their stand featured a D25, loaned by
Collezione Storica Lancia in Turin, that raced only once in 1954,
at the Dunrod Tourist Trophy, where it was driven by
Ascari/Castellotti/Fangio. In fact, almost every corner of an aisle
that you turned there was something to capture the imagination.
There was the traditional Bonhams auction, which had a very
varied selection of automobilia and cars on offer, amongst which
was the “Bugatti in the lake”. Surely this Brescia Type 22
Roadster is beyond restoration, but what a wonderful piece of
salvage sculpture with a great story for the garage, it made
260,500 Euros inclusive of buyer's premium. A real rarity on offer
was the first of only two Monteverdi Hai Coupés built in period,
which was the 1970 Geneva Salon car in a lurid metallic mauve,
which sold for 398,000 Euros including buyer's premium. Other
lots ranged from an 1899 Georges Richard Type A open roadster,
which made 66,700 Euros, through a 1931 Bentley 4-Litre/8-Litre
Le Mans-style Tourer which achieved 381,500 Euros, a 1937
Bugatti type 57C Berline which made 158,700 Euros, to a 2008
Futura - Sbarro concept-car Genesis which sold for 20,700 Euros,
again all figures are inclusive of buyer's premium.
Then of course there are the large vendor areas, where almost
anything car related can be found, broadly split into areas for
parts and accessories, scale models, ephemera, and books.
Whilst on the final weekend there was an autojumble on the lower
level of the exhibition area, an idea that was first tried in 2009,
which proved very popular.
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