Welcome car lovers….
Story and photos by Daniel D.
Daniel De Gallo just sent us this interesting preview of what was at Retro this past weekend. Thank you, Daniel. Jonathan Sharp will be along shortly with complete coverage.-Ed.
Paris Rétromobile 2026, 50th anniversary
Cutting through the crowds (quasi with a machette!) was way worth my time and first visit at Rétromobile this year. As one of the many visitors in this crowd (one could qualify as a monsieur tout-le-monde in French, translate: an average Joe), I had the immense privilege to see again some cars I had photographed in my youth, growing up in the South of France back in the 1970s.
Right at that young age, I had a premonition that (some day soon) beautiful daily driver cars zooming around my home town of Aix-en-Provence (such as Ami 6, Dauphine, 403, Chambord, and many more) would no longer be! So I made it my mission to beg my parents let me use their Kodak Instamatic camera and capture beautiful images of these ephemeral beauties. The most challenging part in this negotiation was to have my parents pay for film rolls and development (a somewhat expensive commodity and service in those days), bless their heart for accepting to do so, at least most of the time.
This splendid Simca Chambord on display at the Club Vedette France is a perfect example of that throwback for me.
Simca Chambord
This year, the event featured a supercar parallel show for the first time, and of course the main Rétro show, spread on 3 levels; level 1: car clubs and antiques + Gooding Christie’s auctions, level 2: selected car manufacturers, and level 3: exotic and exclusive vintage car sales houses).
One of the highlights and center piece of the show was a beautifully preserved autorail designed by Bugatti (a self-propelled 2-compartment passenger train). My personal favorites were these two special Talbot cars, one coachbuilt by Figoni & Falaschi (dark blue) and the other coachbuilt by Saoutchik. This particular Lago was featured at Pebble Beach 2024, where it was selected in the 3-car panel for best in show.
An event well worth the visit!
Talbot Lago by Figoni et Falaschi
The famous Talbot Lago Saoutchik made an appearance.
A more conservative Talbot.
This appears to be a Fiat 1100 camioncino, or pickup truck.
And a teaser…
1953 Delahaye 135 MS CL Spéciale, body design by Faget-Varnet.
For more on the Talbot Lago Gran Sports by Daniel’s friend Brandes Elitch, click here
The Mistery Delahaye is a Facel product, just before de Chrysler-engined Facel Vega
the teaser it says what it is: the Bizzarrini “Prototipi” of the 5300 corvette engined one.
The ISO 1 being the Coupe 2+2 by Bertone; the 2 being the Bertone Grifo 2 seater and the 3 being the above mentioned Prototype