This year, Rétromobile is dedicating one of its flagship exhibitions to a masterpiece of mechanical ingenuity: the Bugatti Autorail. It is powered by four Bugatti Royale engines, the last surviving example of the 88 produced.

Retromobile, 28 Jan to 1 Feb 2026

A true national treasure, kept at the Cité du Train in Mulhouse, it will travel to Paris in a special convoy over several days, which will be relayed in real time to allow enthusiasts to follow its journey. Its arrival is already considered an event in itself.

Things like this remind me that being financially able to travel to events like Retromobile, Goodwood, Rømø, TROG, Bonneville, the Essen Motor Show (Nov 29-Dec 7) etc, must be superbly rewarding as life events seldom have such incredible level of excitement, speed, unique vehicles, and being among my own kind of like minded wonderful gearheads, auto enthusiasts, and racers

I do not dismiss the fortunate situation I have, to live in San Diego, and have the ability to got to the events in So Cal, like Comic Con, Goodguys, D23, several Concours, CTN Expo, Lightbox Expo, and SEMA, with a press pass. 

I do wish to go the others, the list I just mentioned, as what is life but trying to enjoy as much of your hobbies as it's possible to do? And events are finally back to the awesome level they had achieved before covid

The first edition of Retromobile USA/ New York will open a year later than first announced, it will happen Nov 19 to 22, 2026 (thank you Philippe!)

Gérard Neveu, a 60-year-old French businessman who ran the FIA’s World Endurance Championship until recently, has been appointed the CEO of Retromobile US. 

His team hopes to draw between 200 and 250 exhibitors, and over 80% of them will come from the United States

The show will fill about 400,000 square feet spread out over four halls, and the organizers expect to welcome between 50,000 and 60,000 visitors.

That's about 1/3rd the size of the Paris original

https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/retromobile-new-york-2026-dates/

Jour 2 Rétromobile 2025 - 06/02/2025 - ©André Ferreira

https://www.flickr.com/photos/199971178@N05/54311957022/in/album-72177720323652626

Bugatti ambulance? Huh, never heard of that before

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1159909942805627&set=pcb.1159909986138956

the Citroen halftrack display at Retromobile shining a spotlight on Adolphe Kégresse, who invented the halftrack

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=611076508197289&set=pcb.611076748197265

My post about the Citroen half tracks on African expeditions, China and Canadian expeditions: 

After the cruise through Africa in 1926, 

 http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2014/10/from-algeria-to-mozambique-by-eight-10.html (which was a better post than this one) and before

 the cross Canada expedition http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/12/failed-1934-expedition-acorss-canada-in.html

 there was the cruise across China https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2015/09/beyond-end-of-road-they-once-pioneered.html

Eric De Seynes collection of motorcycles will be at Retromobile (Thank you Solène B!)

an American edition of the Salon Rétromobile will be held in North America in 2025 in partnership with the duPont Registry group

 https://www.retromobile.com/en/presse/press-releases/retromobile-announcement-usa
https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/a62507100/retromobile-coming-to-america/

the vehicles from the earliest running of the Paris to Dakar will be featured at this years Retromobile

As part of the 2024 edition of Rétromobile, a unique display will showcase some of the iconic vehicles that have left their mark on the history of the race. Not only that, but some of the biggest names in Rally-Raid racing, including Cyril Neveu, Claude Marreau and André Dessoude, to name but a few, will be on hand to share their experiences and answer questions from the public.

Among the highlights of the exhibition is Thierry Sabine's XT 500, on which he was reported missing for 3 days and 4 nights during the 1977 Abidjan-Nice Rally. Rescued at the last minute, he was deeply affected by the ordeal, and a few months later decided to launch a new adventure: the Paris-Dakar Rally. The 4L used by the Marreau brothers in the first edition of the rally and Daniel Nollan's Renault KZ "La Gazelle" will also be on show, recalling the beginnings of a competition designed primarily for amateur drivers. Manufacturers such as Peugeot and Porsche, who left their mark on the 1980s and 1990s, will also be in the spotlight, with iconic models such as the Peugeot 405 Grand Raid and the Porsche 959 symbolising their dominance at the time.

RÉTROMOBILE 2024
WEDNESDAY 31 JANUARY – SUNDAY 4 FEBRUARY 2024
Paris expo Porte de Versailles - Pavilions 1, 2.2, 3

Opening hours: Weds & Fri: 10am – 10pm / Thurs, Sat, Sun: 10am – 7pm
PREVIEW EVENING • TUESDAY 30 JANUARY 2024 FROM 7PM TO 10PM

interesting art made on a Morgan LMP2 race car, inspired by the signs found all around the Le Mans circuit, much of which uses public roads.

French artist Fernando Costa created a special livery used on a Morgan LMP2 car that was offered for sale at Rétromobile 

“Fernando Costa makes a sculpture using small pieces of metal welded together using a spare chassis to mount all these pieces of metal on. When the sculpture was finished, it was scanned, and a very intricate wrap was made.” 

He made the livery on a model, which was then transferred onto the actual racing car by fellow French artist Filip’o’. 

 The pieces of metal used by Fernando Costa for the Morgan art car were inspired by the signs found all around the Le Mans circuit, much of which uses public roads.

https://www.collierautomedia.com/retromobile-23-redux

a drone's look at Retromobile

https://www.goodwood.com/grr/road/news/2023/1/video-retromobile-might-be-the-coolest-car-show-in-the-world

Motul brought eight pedal cars made from oil drums for kids to race, at Retromobile. Pretty cool for an oil company - which must have access to a lot of oil drums laying around

The idea behind the first Motul Pedal car race was simple and straightforward. Twelve talented young racers divided into teams of two would do a Le Mans style start, jumping into their pedal car, neatly crafted from a Motul oil drum, and set off for a thrilling two-lap race with a driver change in the middle.

https://www.retromobile.com/Visitors/Exhibitions-and-events/Events-2020/Motul-partnering-Retromobile-2020
https://www.ladepeche.fr/2019/10/05/en-images-nogaro-defile-de-voitures-au-classic-festival,8460703.php

only car I think I've ever seen with a brush cleaning the tire - the Swan Car by Maharadja de Nabha,

http://www.autonews.fr/actualite-voiture/reve-et-evasion-au-salon-retromobile-51156

Fernand Maratuech decided in 1922 to apply some of his methods to build an extraordinary automobile.

http://www.autonews.fr/salon/maratuech-1922-retromobile-2018-80684

cool "gas can" man art at Retromobile

http://www.autonews.fr/retromobile-2019/galerie-des-artistes-nos-photos-de-l-espace-au-retromobile-2019-83471

The French brand pioneer in the cyclecar, Bédélia, at the 2019 Rétromobile show.

http://www.autonews.fr/retromobile-2019/bedelia-nos-photos-du-stand-au-retromobile-2019-83483

tractors at Retromobile

http://www.autonews.fr/retromobile/2020/porsche-lamborghini-aston-martin-nos-photos-des-tracteurs-les-plus-cools-a-retromobile-88600