The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Text and photos by John Sexton, art and layout by Jodi Ellis
From the Archives, July 2010
What makes Retro Special? The cars? The models? The automobilia? The parts? Or maybe the food, people ambiance and just plain Paris. This is what it looked like 10 years ago….
From the Baillon barn find, a Facel Vega interior.
Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Click on pics to enlarge
It was whilst sitting in the comfort of a Eurostar train returning from the fortieth edition of what is arguably the best classic car show in the world that my pal and I got to reminiscing about our first trip to Retromobile around about 34 years ago.
In those days, circa 1981, we could not afford to take time off from work; we decided we would leave home on the Saturday evening to attend the show on the Sunday. No Eurostar or channel tunnel in those days, no Internet, and no great plan as to how we were going to actually get there. 6 pm arrives and we piled into my pal’s company Nissan Sunny and departed for Dover for the ferry. We parked the car on the top floor of the multi story car park, (I cannot remember why it was the top floor), and found out the time of the next ferry. We must have waited some time as the ferry crossing only took an hour and we arrived in France at about 2am. The next train to Paris did leave until 4am. It was not a high speed train unlike nowadays but a normal suburban train with bolt upright seats covered in vinyl and it seemed to stop at every station. I also think we had to change trains as I do recall being stuck on a cold dark French railway station in the middle of nowhere for an hour or so.
Anyway we finally pull into Gard Du Nord in Paris and work out how to use the Metro. As none of us spoke anything more than schoolboy French, this was quite a feat. The Metro is crowded and my pal nearly lost his wallet to a pick pocket but we finally arrive at the show. We must have been impressed with what we saw but all I can now recall is that I bought a model kit of the Ferrari Pinin which I must get round to building one day. At the shows end it was time to take the same journey in reverse. By the time we arrive in England my Nissan Sunny-driving pal is having to be kept awake by the combined efforts of the rest of us. I recall putting the key in my front door at 6am. Then it was back to work for 9am Monday morning.
This year it’s an easy one hour drive to Ebbslfleet station and then a comfortable train seat for a few hours to Paris. A great show, an excellent dinner and a comfortable hotel for the night. Another morning at the show, lovely lunch. Then the same journey in reverse but this time it does have the added excitement of a bomb scare and controlled explosion at Gare Du Nord. Much improved, however, and easier on much older enthusiast.
I hope you will enjoy my look at the Art of Retro.
No comment necessary.
Grand Prix models
The Pegaso Le Mans Coupe on Gregor Fisken’s stand.
We’ll have a lot more from Retro, but here’s a sneak peak from the most senior of our correspondents at Retro this year….more from Gaul coming up as well! Ed.
Story and photos by Graham Gauld
Paris in February can really chill the blood and this year was no exception. However inside Retromobile – that truly great annual historic event – there were plenty of things to keep the blood warm and in my usual mooching round I came across a number of interesting cars and stories which in turn I hope will keep you warmly entertained.
Now, as my first journalistic efforts took place around 1952, the whole of the fifties saw me absorb everything, and one marque which really caught the imagination was a car made by a Spanish truck company called Pegaso. It was a sensation when it was introduced; it was designed by Wilfredo Ricart, formerly of Alfa Romeo, and just sixty-eight of them were made. The company was in business for just six and a half years as the cost of building them was greater than the income from selling them.
The Retromobile organizers went to a lot of trouble to gather together the largest display of Pegasos I think anyone has ever seen, as they had twelve in a special area that my colleagues will no doubt photograph for you. But, there was a thirteenth Pegaso at the Show, and to me the most interesting. It was my Scottish pal, Gregor Fisken,who had it on his stand and it was one that was raced.
Fisken holds open the trunk lid on the Pegaso to show the twin fuel tanks.
The star of Retromobile this year was the Citroën DS, presented at the Paris Show in 1955. Nothing like this had ever been seen before.
Photos and Captions by Hugues Vanhoolandt
[Read more…] about French Cars at Retro by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Maserati 250 F s/n 2521 wears the colors of the Monaco principality. This car, driven by the local André Testut, failed to qualify at the 1958 Monaco GP.
Photos and captions by Hugues Vanhoolandt
[Read more…] about Italian Cars at Retro by Hugues Vanhoolandt
There is no doubt that the legendary Retromobile historic car show in Paris kicks off the season with a lot of fun, a lot of surprises, and just about every known dealer in expensive automobiles is prowling the stands with anguished looks at cars they might have sold if offered.
The show was bigger than ever this year taking in two halls and there was something for everyone. If you want a throttle cable for a 1929 Salmson and amidst barrels of what one would otherwise call junk, you will find one. As for cars, well, Retromobile always brings surprises. For a start, stroll with me to Christophe Pund’s stand. Christian is a jolly smiling Frenchman who manages to dig up the oddest cars from the oddest places and this year was no exception. Restored, but thankfully not to Pebble Beach standard, was a fascinating little Moretti 750 dating from 1955 that was bought by a dealer called Lino Fayen who was kind of French/Venezuelan. Shortly after he bought it he exported it to Venezuela which was just as well because the French tax men wanted to chat with him about tax and customs duty. He fled.
In Caracas the car went through various hands and thanks to Christophe you see here a picture of Edward Speluvela racing the Moretti in Venezuela. It was a twin cam producing 70 bhp and the odd bodywork was by Aperta. You will note it has a head rest and this is the only thing missing from it today. It is very original and no doubt will be snapped up and let’s hope we see it out racing again.