Collectors and vintage car enthusiasts from all over the world flocked to the 39th Salon Rétromobile at Porte de Versailles, Paris, from February 5-9. For the first time, the Salon’s selection of fine vintage cars was displayed in Hall 1, a space covering 44,000-sq.m. (20 percent larger than in previous years).
More than 90,000 people thronged to the 450 booths over a five-day period, coming into contact with about 100 clubs and associations, perusing the work of craftsmen in the village des artisans and of artists in the galerie des artistes, and admiring more than 500 cars and motorbikes on display at the show.
A special display of “The Cars of the Maharajahs”—brought together under one roof for the first time in Europe—created a touch of exoticism and fantasy for the proceedings.
To celebrate the centennial of the First World War, the Salon also presented a reconstitution of a stretch of the Voi Sacrée, displaying Maréchal Joffre’s 40CV, the Taxis de la Marne and wartime trucks, as well as a battlefield complete with tanks.
The human and sporting adventure of the Paris-Dakar race, the Lancia heritage collection, the weird and wonderful record-breaking cars “Babs” and “Sunbeam,” as well as Alpines, Ferraris and other racing cars also starred at this year’s show. Manufacturers Alfa Romeo, Bugatti-Bentley, Citroën, Ferrari, Mercedes, Peugeot, Porsche and Renault all vied with each other in creative terms, presenting outstanding motor cars at their respective booths.
