Rétromobile 2012 in Paris

The Retromobile, France’s largest classic car show, will open its doors from February 1 to 5, 2012. Citroën will be presenting itself under the theme “Citroën and Art,” Peugeot will be presenting its 200 series, and Mercedes-Benz will be celebrating the SL’s victory at Le Mans in 1952. Movendi gained an overview of the market and met with some of its customers and fellow dealers.

Artcurial held a highly acclaimed auction of around 100 classic cars. The offerings ranged from the Ferrari F40 to the Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder, from the 1898 Decauville “Voiturette” to the Fiat 500L. For the Artcurial auction house, the event was the most successful in its history, with a total volume of €14.5 million. Record sales were reported for the Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder, a Citroën ID 23ie Pallas, and a Citroën 2CV, among others, but at least one-third of the lots achieved maximum bids above the average estimated price, and 95 percent of the vehicles found new owners.

During the Rétromobile in Paris, the Bonhams auction house also held an auction in Paris, at “La Halle Freyssinet” in the 13th arrondissement. Not all seats were occupied when the auctioneer called out the first of the hundred cars. In the end, only 60% of the vehicles on offer were sold. The highest bid was for a left-hand drive 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT. The rare sports car was worth €1,012,000 to its owner (including surcharges/commissions). Another highlight, a 1928 Amilcar C6/C0 Voiturette, could not be sold, despite a highest bid of €430,000. As every year, well-known dealers such as Lukas Hüni, Gregor Fiskens, Hall & Hall, and this year also Klaus Werner from Germany brought rare and valuable exhibits to Paris. The atmosphere was good, and Rétromobile once again proved that it attracts a global audience. One of the highlights was the exhibits from Peter Mullin. The 69-year-old from Los Angeles owns one of the world’s largest collections of French classics and brought some of them to Paris. I would like to thank Iris and Jasper Bitter, who once again served the best coffee at their Heuer watch stand and always offered a comfortable seat after many hours on our feet.