Serious temptation in Paris
Rétromobile, one of the classic car world’s biggest and best indoor events, returns to Paris from 28 January-1 February 2026.
Being a French show, there will be plenty of rare, eye-catching and wonderfully quirky home-grown classics – and some of them will be for sale.
Four auctions are taking place, starting with Artcurial’s 80-car sale at The Peninsula Paris hotel on 27 January. It will be followed by an RM Sotheby’s event in the Salles du Carrousel of the Louvre Palace on 28 January, a Gooding Christie’s sale in the Porte de Versailles exhibition hall on 29 January and a Bonhams|Cars auction at Polo de Paris on 30 January.
Here, we’ve selected 26 of our favourite Gallic cars from all four catalogues – from a turn-of-the-century De Dion-Bouton to Bugatti’s latest track-only hypercar – and listed them in chronological order.
Prices are given in €, GBP£ and US$, and all conversions were correct at the time of writing
1. 1901 De Dion-Bouton 4½hp (est: €90-120,000/£78-104,000/$105-139,000)
Do you think you could master tiller steering, a hand throttle and all the other intricacies of piloting a 125-year-old car?
This single-cylinder-engined De Dion-Bouton, being offered with no reserve in the Gooding Christie’s auction, has lots of history.
Its story has been traced back to 1928, when it was registered in the UK for the first time.
The De Dion-Bouton was bought by a rope-making family from the Cotswolds before being acquired by veteran car enthusiast JJ Cullimore Allen, who restored the car.
It participated in the first post-war London to Brighton run, in 1946.
2. 1901 Panhard et Levassor Type B1 M4E (est: €550-650,000/£477-563,000/$639-755,000)
The joint-oldest car in this slideshow is also from the Gooding Christie’s catalogue.
The innovative Panhard et Levassor has a four-cylinder motor – similar to the one that powered the French marque’s 1898 Paris–Amsterdam–Paris winner – and the now-ubiquitous Système Panhard, the front-engined, rear-wheel-drive set-up that was pioneered by the Parisian firm.
According to automotive historians, this rare model’s coachwork was constructed by Kellner – and it’s believed to be the sole survivor.
Other novel features include a steering wheel (lots of cars from the early 1900s used a tiller) and the four-speed gearbox’s electromagnetic selector.
3. 1912 Bédélia BD2 10CV (est: €30-40,000/£26-35,000/$35-46,000)
There were a number of ways of getting around France in the early 1900s.
If you were rich, you might have been able to afford one of the ornate carriages constructed by one of the country’s burgeoning marques.
For fledgling racing drivers, there was the advent of big, aero-engined beasts.
Those less affluent turned to cyclecars. These basic, ’bike-engined machines were relatively cheap and surprisingly fast.
Bédélia was founded by a pair of students who created the tandem two-seaters after they crashed a motorcycle and could not afford to replace it.
This Anzani-powered example has been part of two huge car collections, although it’s now in need of refurbishment. It will cross the block in this month’s Gooding Christie’s sale.
4. 1920 Ballot 3/8 LC (est: €3.5-6m/£3-5.2m/$4.1-7m)
This French racing blue Ballot represents one of the country’s greatest early motorsport victories – and one of its most disappointing defeats.
Its groundbreaking, straight-eight engine was a 3-litre twin-cam designed by Ernest Henry.
The team had its sights set on victory at the 1921 French Grand Prix, but was beaten by the American Duesenberg team.
However, triumph followed four weeks later, at the first Italian Grand Prix – and this is thought to be the race-winning car.
It’s one of three surviving Ballot 3/8 LCs (four were built, but one was destroyed in testing) and apparently it is the most original. Plus, it featured in the July 2020 edition of Classic & Sports Car.
The Ballot has been consigned to the Gooding Christie’s auction on 29 January.
5. 1931 Bugatti Type 51 (est: €1.3-2m/£880,000-1.7m/$1.5-2.3m)
Jean-Pierre Wimille was one of the greatest pre-war racing drivers. A two-time Le Mans 24-hour race winner, the Frenchman started his motorsport career with Bugatti and competed in this car in 1931.
This ex-works Type 51 also contested the 1931 Belgian Grand Prix, with Albert Divo and Guy Bouriat sharing the wheel.
In December 1931, it was bought by racing driver Marguerite Mareuse. A year earlier, herself and teammate Odette Siko became the first women to enter Le Mans. They finished seventh overall.
Historians have found photographs of Jean-Pierre Wimille and Marguerite Mareuse testing this Bugatti Type 51 at the Montlhéry circuit.
It continued to compete throughout the 1930s, before coming to the UK. The patinated racer is for sale in the Artcurial auction.
6. 1934 Citroën C4 Kegresse (est: €20-40,000/£17-35,000/$23-47,000)
Very different from today’s Citroën C4, this half-track vehicle is similar to the ones used for marque founder André Citroën’s expedition across Central Asia in 1931 and ’32.
By equipping a standard 1930s C4 with engineer Adolphe Kégresse’s caterpillar tracks, the road car was suddenly able to tackle much trickier terrain than it was originally designed for.
Two teams started the journey and one made it to the finish line in Beijing, but expedition leader Georges-Marie Haardt later died in Hong Kong.
This Citroën C4 Kégresse joined enthusiast Pierre Strinati’s collection in March 1984. Apparently, it reminded Strinati of his own adventures in Africa and South America.
It’s one of the lots in the Bonhams|Cars catalogue.
7. 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante (est: €2.25-2.75m/£1.95-2.38m/$2.6-3.2m)
The Type 57C was one of the ultimate pre-war Bugattis, and auction house Gooding Christie’s reckons this black-and-purple car is one of the best.
It’s powered by a supercharged, twin-cam straight-eight and fitted with four-wheel hydraulic brakes.
Lots of coachbuilders turned their hands to Bugatti’s sophisticated Type 57C, however the marque offered several of its own body styles designed in-house by Jean Bugatti and Joseph Walter.
Among them, the Atalante is one of the most sought-after.
According to Gooding Christie’s, this Type 57C is one of just three fitted with a lightweight, aluminium version of the Atalante body. It’s expected to achieve more than £1.95m.
8. 1938 Delage D8-120 (est: €250-350,000/£220-300,000/$217-303,000)
Bonhams|Cars calls this the ‘ultimate expression of the eight-cylinder Delage’.
This D8-120 was ordered by Mr Gossweiler of Bern, Switzerland, in December 1938.
He was a demanding customer: Gossweiler commissioned Parisian coachbuilder Henri Chapron to create the coachwork, but threatened to withhold payments because he wasn’t happy about the body’s finish.
He also requested special glass for the windows, twin indicators, an extra-powerful horn and removable rear seats to make room for hunting gear. Chapron refused the last request, apparently due to the shape of the chassis.
This highly original Delage has remained in Switzerland throughout its life.
9. 1938 Delahaye 135M (est: €225-325,000/£195-282,000/$261-377,000)
This late-1930s Delahaye must’ve passed through Henri Chapron’s workshop around the same time as the Delage on the previous slide.
According to research by Club Delahaye, this Chapron-bodied 135M is a three-owner car.
Its first and second custodians each kept it for more than 30 years, before it was acquired by the current keeper in 2011.
In recent years, more than €90,000 has been spent on restoring this straight-six-engined drop-top.
The Gooding Christie’s sale includes lots of receipts and documents which highlight where the money has been spent.
10. 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS (est: €6.5-7.5m/£5.6-6.5m/$7.5-8.7m)
The Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS was one of the most magnificent pre-war grand tourers.
The short-wheelbase Super Sport’s six-cylinder produced around 140bhp. It was a match for contemporaries from Bugatti and Alfa Romeo.
Just 16 T150-C-SS chassis were built between 1937 and 1938, and the most striking body style was the ‘Teardrop’ coupé designed by Figoni et Falaschi, with help from artist Géo Ham.
This car, chassis 90112, was completed in May 1938 and its first owner was the director of a large Belgian casino.
It was displayed at concours events in Brussels, Paris and France in 1939, before being hidden during WW2.
More recently, it’s racked up trophies at Pebble Beach and Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. It will be offered in the Gooding Christie’s auction.
11. 1939 Voisin C30 Saloon (est: €225-275,000/£190-240,000/$260-319,000)
Aircraft builder Voisin was forced to find new income streams after WW1. The French manufacturer applied its knowledge of flight to create aerodynamic road cars.
Production of the C30 was curtailed by the outbreak of WW2; between 20 and 30 were built, but there are just five known survivors – including this car.
Some mystery still surrounds this Voisin because the maker of its coachbuilt bodywork remains unknown.
The C30 was restored in the 1980s, at which point it was repainted BMW Savanna Beige.
Perhaps the next owner can unearth this Voisin’s full story? It will be offered without reserve in the Bonhams|Cars auction on 30 January.
12. 1951 Citroën Traction Avant (est: €5-10,000/£4300-8700/$5,800-11,600)
Marque founder André Citroën and engineer André Lefèbvre were among those in charge of the Traction Avant project.
The French firm’s groundbreaking model incorporated front-wheel drive, independent suspension, rack-and-pinion steering and a monocoque.
The Citroën 11 was introduced in the mid-1930s, so this 1951 example was built near the end of the model’s 23 years in production.
Its list of previous keepers includes a serial Traction Avant buyer, who purchased the car in 1961 and owned several other examples.
Today, it has just 89,692km (55,732 miles) on the clock, and Bonhams|Cars believes the odometer’s read-out is accurate. It will cross the block without a reserve.
13. 1951 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport (est: €800,000-1.2m/£700,000-1.05m/$950,000-1.4m)
One of a few T26 Grand Sports built for competition, this French racing blue Talbot-Lago is a three-time Le Mans entrant.
Its debut at the 24-hour race was in 1951, when it finished second overall in the hands of Guy Mairesse and Pierre Meyrat.
In 1952, new owner Jean Blanc and mechanic Pierre Tabart entered the Mille Miglia, hoping to secure another podium finish for chassis 110059, but electrical problems forced an early retirement.
It was campaigned across Europe and beyond – including the 1000km of Buenos Aires in 1956 – until it joined a private collection in 1957. In the 1980s, the car was returned to its 1951 Le Mans specification.
It has been consigned to the RM Sotheby’s Paris auction.
14. 1962 Facel Vega Facel II (est: €150-200,000/£130-170,000/$174-232,000)
Facel Vega had its sights set on Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maserati and other luxury car makers, but the French marque’s existence was cut short after it had hand-built fewer than 3000 cars.
The Facel II was Facel Vega’s early-1960s flagship model, but only around 180 were produced before the firm went bankrupt.
Following a crash in 1963, this car’s first owner, Mr Delbreil-Berges sent it back to Facel Vega for repairs.
While it was there, engineers addressed his concerns about the engine’s lack of power by fitting a fresh V8 with twin carburettors.
Delbreil-Berges kept it until May 2005, when he sold the Facel II to its second and most recent owner.
Fancy becoming the car’s third keeper? It will go under the hammer in the Bonhams|Cars sale.
15. 1964 Citroën DS19 Le Dandy (est: €170-230,000/£147-199,000/$198-267,000)
French coachbuilder Henri Chapron is perhaps most famous for his various Citroën ID- and DS-based coupés and convertibles.
These exclusive, low-volume cars featured tweaked rooflines, leather trim, reshaped tails and much more.
The Le Dandy was a fixed-roof version of the Le Caddy drop-top. Around 50 were made, including 22 with reprofiled rear wings, like this car.
The large history file includes correspondence between Chapron and a French dealer, who ordered the car on a customer’s behalf.
The light-blue Citroën stayed with its original owner until the 1980s, when they gave it to their grandson, who commissioned a restoration. It will be offered in the Artcurial auction.
16. 1966 Citroën DS21 Majesty (est: €125-150,000/£110-130,000/$145-174,000)
The two-door Citroën DS19 Le Dandy on the previous slide was fitted with cramped ‘+2’ rear seats, but if you needed more space, Henri Chapron offered the magnificent Majestic saloon.
Fewer than 30 were built and this one’s rarer still, because it has a glass divider to separate the front and rear seats.
The DS Majesty’s angular roofline boosted headroom and the car’s modified rear end added length, although the wheelbase remained the same.
This four-owner example was commissioned by Henri Chapron’s mother-in-law. It will be offered in the Bonhams|Cars auction on 30 January.
17. 1968 Renault 4 Plein Air (est: €20-30,000/£17-26,000/$23-35,000)
Hoping to capture the beach-car market like Ghia’s Fiat 500 Jolly and the Mini Moke, Renault introduced the open-top Plein Air in 1968.
The marque’s in-house coachbuilder, Sinpar, did the bodywork, but the Renault 4 Plein Air was a flop compared to its rival, the Citroën Méhari.
According to Artcurial, between 550 and 650 Renault 4 Plein Airs were produced.
This example was purchased by the current owner’s father, who was a Renault dealer from Champigny, near Paris, in France.
It’s highly original and has covered fewer than 9700km (6027 miles).
18. 1971 Alpine A110 Group 4 (est: €200-250,000/£173-217,000/$233-291,000)
This ex-works Alpine A110 was part of the French marque’s factory team in 1971.
The highlight of its competitive career was a first-place finish on that year’s Acropolis Rally in Greece, considered to be one of the toughest events on the calendar. It was piloted by Swedish pair Ove Andersson and Arne Hertz.
By the time the current owner found it in 1985, the rally-winner was in a poor state and missing its engine. They bought it, thinking it was a standard road car.
They only discovered its significance when they recommissioned the Alpine and started using it for hillclimbs.
In 2020, an Alpine specialist restored the car to its 1971 Acropolis Rally specification.
This special A110 will be offered in the Gooding Christie’s sale.
19. 1973 Citroën SM (est: €90-140,000/£80-120,000/$105-165,000)
Maserati power, Robert Opron-penned bodywork and a five-speed manual gearbox – the Citroën SM is one of the most desirable French cars from the 1970s.
Finished in Sand Metallic with a brown-leather interior, this restored example will be sold by RM Sotheby’s on 28 January.
This Citroën SM comes with a pile of receipts that add up to nearly €175,000.
Between 2000 and 2011, the car visited two Dutch workshops: Maserati specialist Garage Helfferich rebuilt the engine, and Blikwerk Garage retrimmed the cabin and repainted the body.
Now it’s ready to be enjoyed by the next owner.
20. 1984 Renault Turbo 2 (est: €80-120,000/£69-104,000/$93-140,000)
The mid-engined 5 Turbo homologated Renault’s wild hot hatchback for Group B competition.
Although just 400 cars were required for homologation, Renault’s boisterous hatchback was so popular that the French firm shifted more than 1800 R5 Turbos and nearly 3200 Turbo 2s.
This White Pearl Metallic road car was bought by Belgian rally driver Baudoin Lempereur in 2008 and was set to become a rally car.
The project came to nothing and the current owner bought it in 2022. Since then, it’s been refurbished.
Now the Renault Turbo 2 is ready for the road once again. It’s got just 70,288km (43,675 miles) on the clock and it will be sold without a reserve in the Gooding Christie’s sale.
21. 1987 Citroën CX 25 GTi (est: €30-50,000/£26-43,000/$35-58,000)
Think of a French car with a GTi badge on it and you’ll most likely imagine a Peugeot hot hatchback, not a big Citroën.
But those three letters also appeared on the sporting CX GTi, with Bosch fuel injection.
This car was bought new from a main dealer in Saint-Étienne, France, in 1987.
It was serviced regularly at Citroën garages and cherished by its first owner until 2017, when it was acquired by its second keeper.
This highly original example’s odometer shows just 80,500km (50,020 miles).
Whoever is the highest bidder in the Artcurial auction at The Peninsula Paris hotel will become the car’s third owner.
22. 1992 Alpine A610 Olympic (est: €60-80,000/£52-69,000/$69-93,000)
In 1992, Renault released a line-up of cars inspired by the Winter Olympics, which were held that year in Albertville, near Chamonix.
The Renault Clio, 19, 21 and Espace were among the models that received special-edition makeovers with white paintwork, white wheels and badges.
The rarest was the Alpine A610 Olympic, of which just two were made to ferry VIPs around the event.
After the 1992 Winter Olympic Games, this Alpine was sold privately. It stayed in France and in 2017 it appeared on Renault Classic’s stand at Rétromobile.
It will return to the Parisian show in January 2026 to go under the hammer in the Artcurial auction.
23. 1993 Venturi 400GT Trophy (est: €350-450,000/£305-392,000/$410-527,000)
The Venturi 400GT Trophy represents just one chapter in the French maker’s tumultuous story.
The project began with a Volkswagen Golf GTI-engined sports car, but by the time Stéphane Ratel entered the fray in the 1990s the Venturi was powered by a twin-turbo V6.
Ratel created a one-make series called the Venturi Gentlemen Drivers Trophy. The championship ran for four years and around 72 cars were built specifically for competition – and this was one of them.
It contested two seasons before returning to the Venturi factory to be converted into a road car, although the owner decided to keep the rollcage.
It has covered fewer than 5500km (3418 miles). The Venturi will be offered without reserve in the Gooding Christie’s sale.
24. 2001 Renault Clio V6 TWR (est: €70-100,000/£60-85,000/$80-115,000)
Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) developed the Renault Clio V6 and this Phase 2 is believed to be the sole-surviving development car.
Phase 1 cars were built by TWR in Sweden, but production was moved to Renault Sport in Dieppe, France, for the Phase 2 – apart from 12 pre-production prototypes that were constructed by TWR.
According to RM Sotheby’s, the current owner bought this Phase 2 directly from the UK-based engineering firm in 2008.
It was missing wheels and an interior when it arrived, but they sourced the parts to put it back on the road.
This special hot hatchback has covered 32,145km (19,974 miles).
25. 2004 Courage C65 (est: €500-700,000/£434-607,000/$582-815,000)
This Courage C65 is one of just 10 LMP2 racers built by the French outfit, and it’s a two-time Le Mans entrant.
Despite a second-in-class finish in its Le Mans Endurance Series debut at Spa in 2005, this Courage C65 never conquered the most famous twice-round-the-clock race: it retired from the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, in 2005 and 2006.
It became a display car in the USA for a few years, before being restored to its 2006 specification in 2021.
More than £300,000 was spent on bringing the car back to life with a Judd V8 engine.
The Courage C65 has had better luck in historic motorsport, with two race wins at the 2023 Mugello Classic.
It will be looking for a new home at this month’s Gooding Christie’s auction.
26. 2024 Bugatti Bolide (est: €4-6m/£3.45-5m/$4.65-7m)
Bugatti marked the end of its 8-litre W16-engined hypercars with the ultimate send-off: a stripped-out, track-only celebration of one of the 21st century’s greatest motors.
Just 40 quad-turbocharged, 1578bhp Bolides were built. This one has covered just 112km (70 miles) since it left the Bugatti factory and RM Sotheby’s has described it as an ‘as-new example’.
Maybe the next owner will be brave enough to take the Bugatti to a circuit to find out how close they can get to the 236mph top speed?
It will be offered in the RM Sotheby’s auction in the Salles du Carrousel of the Louvre Palace on 28 January.