Welcome to this year's Retro. Amazing, as always.
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Dear Editor,
Traditionally the Retromobile opens in Paris at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in the second week of February, just in time for St. Valentine’s Day. This year I thought to make it short romantic holiday in Paris together with my partner. This would be ideal; while she is visiting the boutiques of rue Fauburg St. Honorč, I’d go to Retro and see the wonderful cars and exhibits that every year are presented by dealers, collectors, auctioneers and owners clubs.
The 2006 theme for Retromobile was “Century of Car Advertising”.
Renault celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Renault 4 CV and the 50th anniversary of the well known Dauphine, Peugeot honored the 200 series and BMW celebrated the 40th anniversary of the “2002” .
But of course I was most interested in the Italian cars at the show.
The owner’s clubs of Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Fiat, as usual, presented many very nice cars, including the Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 of 1953 driven by Fangio to second place in the Mille Miglia 1953, the Alfa Romeo TZ1 and TZ2.
Fiat cars were very rare models and many were the Simca built versions (Simca built Fiats under license before WWII). Looking around I found a stunning Lancia Stratos, a very rare Lamborghini Miura spider and few nice Ferraris.
During the exhibition a Cristies’s auction took place and featured a remarkable and very rare Fiat 1900, winner of the African Rally in 1953, and a Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS of 1950, with an estimate of 200,000 USD.
There were an incredible number of scale models offered for sale, from cheap 1/43 models to the most expensive 1/8 models, that show a dramatic accuracy in every detail, including the chassis and the body.
At the Retromobile you can find also few well-known Italian and UK booksellers, and the books are available with very attractive prices.
Many artists displayed their paintings, photos and sculptures: Ferrari is always the preferred subject and the red the dominant color.
As usual the show was very crowded, and everybody is looking for something: spare parts, a missing 1/43 scale model, a book, a magazine or, why not, a dream car.
But I was a bit in a hurry to get back to the city centre and meet my partner before she was exceeding the credit card expense limit !
Au revoir in 2007 in Paris !
Sincerely,
Alessandro Gerelli
Ghia bodied Alfa Romeo 6c 1950
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Alfa Romeo 6c 3000 CM 1952 ex Fangio
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Alfa Romeo P3 1932
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Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2 engine
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Alfa Romeo GTA Junior
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Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ1
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Ferrari 250MM 1953 #0338
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Ferrari 375 America Pininfarina 1954
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Ferrari 275 GTB4 #09445GT
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Fiat 1900 Kontiki 1953
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Fiat 6cv 4 doors 1936
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Fiat 6cv “faux cabriolet” 1935
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Fiat Simca Cabriolet 1937
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Fiat 8v 1953 #066 eng #116
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Lamborghini Miura SVJ Spider
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Lancia Lambda 1929 type 221
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Lancia Belna cabriolet 1936 body by M. Portout
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Lancia Stratos
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Maserati 4 doors II prototype 1974
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Maserati Birdcage 2005
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Scale models by Promocom Toys group
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Osca FS 372 1958 body by Morelli
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Ferrari sculptures by Michel Collet
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