Retromobile Paris 2026: First Impressions From the 50th Anniversary Edition

Retromobile is one of the few car events that still feels like a true season opener. For five days each winter, Paris turns into a meeting point for collectors, dealers, restorers, clubs, photographers, auction houses, and curious newcomers. This year matters even more. Retromobile presents 2026 as its 50th anniversary edition, and the programme rewards people who take their time.

Dates, venue, and the rhythm of a visit

Retromobile Paris 2026 runs from Wednesday 28 January to Sunday 1 February at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. The show also offers an “Avant-Première” on Tuesday 27 January, in the early evening. The organiser publishes the official address and daily opening hours.

These basics shape your experience. Early hours often feel calmer. Late afternoons build momentum and noise. If you plan more than one visit, use that rhythm. It can change what you notice.

How big is Retromobile, really?

Retromobile is not a small specialist fair. Press material often describes a show with about 600 exhibitors and visitor counts in the mid–hundred-thousands. Those numbers help set expectations, but they are not the best way to judge the 2026 crowd. The show has only just opened today (28 January 2026).

For a strong benchmark, look at the organiser’s published result for the previous edition. Retromobile 2025 reported 146,000 visitors and described that as up 12% versus 2024. That figure shows what a hot year looks like in Paris. It also explains why the city feels different during this week.

Why Retromobile feels different

Retromobile runs on several levels at once. It is a public celebration of car history. It is also a working marketplace. Cars sell quietly. Restoration shops fill their calendars. Parts specialists solve problems that most garages avoid.

It is also a Paris event. Design and culture sit close to the cars here. That is not a slogan. You can see it in the way stands are staged and stories get told.

The 2026 headline exhibitions

The organiser has built this anniversary edition around four big themes. Each one pulls in a different kind of visitor. Together they set the tone for the whole show.

Rally: the golden age on display

One of the main exhibitions focuses on rallying. It frames the “golden age” from the 1960s to the 1990s. The show materials cite icons like the Lancia Stratos and the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16. They also name cars such as the Toyota Celica GT-4.

This exhibit should land well with European fans. It also works for a wider audience. Rally puts performance in a different light. Drivers fight surfaces, weather, and visibility. That drama reads well, even if you never followed the WRC.

Steve McQueen: cool, but also serious enthusiasm

Another headline show is “Steve McQueen: A Passion for Speed.” The organiser positions it in the motorcycle area. It aims to present McQueen as a real enthusiast, not just a screen icon.

The official description names the 1961 Triumph TR6 tied to The Great Escape. It also names the 1968 Mustang Fastback linked to Bullitt. Those objects draw film fans. They also draw anyone interested in American style and taste.

Bugatti Autorail and the joy of the unusual

A third headline exhibition centers on a Bugatti Autorail. The organiser describes it as the last surviving example. The same section also promises “mechanical oddities” linked to Bugatti.

This is the kind of Retromobile choice that signals confidence. It reminds visitors that the past was not neat. Brands tried strange ideas. Some failed. Some produced one-off machines that feel unreal today.

BMW Art Cars: motorsport meets art

The fourth major theme is the BMW Art Car World Tour stop in Paris. The programme specifies seven Art Cars that raced at Le Mans. It names the Calder 3.0 CSL and Warhol’s M1. It also lists the Koons M3 GT2 and Julie Mehretu’s BMW M Hybrid V8.

These cars work on two levels. They are race machines with history. They are also moving canvases. Seeing several together changes the impact. It turns a familiar concept into a proper gallery moment.

Auctions: the show week is bigger than the show

Retromobile week is not only about the halls. It is also about the sales around town. Auctions shape the mood. They pull collectors into Paris. They also influence which cars appear at dinners and hotel lobbies.

For 2026, the official in-show auction partner is Gooding Christie’s. The sale is scheduled for Thursday 29 January at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. The organiser highlights a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta as a star lot.

Offsite, Artcurial is also active during the same window. It is staging its “Automobile Legends” sale at The Peninsula Paris on 27 January 2026. Artcurial describes 65 collector cars offered. It also notes Jean Alesi’s Ferrari F92A Formula 1 car.

Exhibitors: how we will cover them in this series

Visitors always ask the same question first. Who will exhibit, and where should I spend my time? The most reliable answer sits in the official 2026 exhibitor directory. It is searchable and tied to hall and stand locations. It is the tool you use to plan.

Instead of dumping a long list, this series will sort the exhibitors into useful groups. We will focus on dealers with serious inventory, specialists worth meeting, and restorers whose work sets standards. We will also highlight clubs and communities that keep certain models alive.

There are also confirmed heritage stands from large groups. Stellantis has communicated six brand displays for this edition: Alfa Romeo, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Opel, Maserati, and Peugeot. These stands often feel like small museums. They also provide context after long stretches of pure commerce.

What we can expect in 2026

This anniversary framing suggests a show that wants to underline its authority. Expect stronger storytelling. Expect careful curation. Expect more links to art and film than a typical classic-car fair.

Auction news will push attention to the top of the market, especially with the Ferraris being promoted around the official sale. Yet the more telling story often sits in the middle. Which categories feel liquid? Which feel overheated? Which feel ignored, despite real cultural weight?

Most of all, expect the real surprises to come from small moments. Retromobile rewards curiosity. It rewards patience. It rewards visitors who look past the obvious hero cars.

Next: day-by-day reporting from the floor

In the next article, we will shift from context to observation. We will cover day one as it happens. We will focus on what felt genuinely new, which exhibits delivered, and where the crowd energy gathered. We will also call out the cars and stands that created real gravity in the halls.