Dressed to impress
Rétromobile, the brilliant classic car extravaganza in the heart of Paris, makes a welcome return this year and, even if COVID-19 restrictions have moved things back from its usual February slot to 16-20 March, there’s still plenty to see.
One of the big draws is the Artcurial auction, which always bring a diverse selection, from the heart-stoppingly gorgeous to the mind-blastingly peculiar, and everything – and we do mean everything – in between.
It’s not just the usual auction big hitters with a soupçon of French specialties – the auction usually brings out some truly fascinating metal from across the globe. And it all starts at 3pm (French time) on 18 March, resuming the next day.
Here are 25 of our favourites from Artcurial’s 2022 Rétromobile catalogue.
All prices are in Euros
1. 1969 Alpine A110 1300 VC Berlinette ‘Tour de France’ (est: €70-100,000)
We start with something quintessentially French, an Alpine A110.
This lightweight mid-engined sports car was styled by Giovanni Michelotti, and in 1300 form delivered around 105-120hp.
The model would become a major force in rallying, winning events across Europe, including the 1971 Rallye Monte-Carlo with Ove Andersson behind the wheel.
The car for sale with Artcurial had one owner between 1969 and 2020, who chose not only a rare orange colour but also a five-speed gearbox and bucket seat for the driver. While the paint is original, the mechanicals have been comprehensively refreshed.
2. 1991 Ford RS200 (est: €180-260,000)
The Ford RS200 was the Blue Oval’s big hope for the World Rally Championship, arriving at the tail end of 1985. Although it showed promise, and won the British Rally Championship in 1986, by the end of the year Group B was canned.
This left Ford with a problem – what to do with 200 road cars built to homologate the competition cars, but with not much in the way of pedigree?
That explains why this car is registered as a 1991 car – sales were very slow. It was originally red but its first owner preferred white.
It’s also one of 20 ‘S’ models built for a Canadian contract with better roadgoing equipment, though this deal didn’t happen and Ford sold the cars directly. It’s believed these examples had a more powerful version of the Cosworth BDT 1.8 turbo engine, pushing out 300bhp.
3. 1989 Citroën 2CV6 Charleston (est: €25-35,000)
The Citroën 2CV lived a long life – production began in 1948 and wrapped up in 1990, making this one of the very last built.
It’s a 2CV6 Charleston, too, which had been the top-of-the-range model since its inception in 1980.
An upgraded carburettor provided 29bhp and a breezy top speed of 71mph. You also received such luxuries as a new rear-view mirror and inboard front brake discs.
This particular example is a rare Cormorant Grey and Night Grey example, with a grey fabric interior, and has covered just 20,845km (fewer than 13,000 miles).
It’s been upgraded with electronic ignition, a second exterior mirror, a stainless-steel exhaust system and a combustion catalyst for it to run on unleaded fuel. It’s offered at no reserve…
4. 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Aérolithe replica (est: €1.5-3m)
Artcurial describes this as: ‘probably the most beautiful replica in the world’.
The original car was unveiled at the Paris show in 1935 with a futuristic, Art Deco-inspired design that took cues from an aeroplane cockpit. It was built on a Type 57 chassis, but it wasn’t functional.
Matters were made worse by the car being constructed from Elektron, an aluminium and magnesium alloy which, while lightweight, was difficult to work with due to its propensity to catch fire. It was completed by 1936, and took to the streets of England.
By this point the Type 57 Atlantic was being readied using much-easier-to-work-with aluminium, meaning the Aérolithe was forgotten, then lost in 1939.
Fast forward to 2008 and Christopher Ohrstrom, of the World Monuments Fund, and David Grainger, a restoration specialist, set out to make a replica. They began with a chassis that was close to that of the Aérolithe (believed to be #57103) – #57104.
This chassis was one of the earliest in the series, and came with its engine, transmission and part of the running gear. This replica’s stunning body is crafted from Elektron, keeping it true to the original.
5. 1950 Porsche 356 Pre-A 1100 (est: €450-600,000)
The Porsche 356 did much to set the template for what the Stuttgart firm still produces, making this very early Pre-A a true find.
The 188th car built, it was bought by a snappily titled company Südbad Automobilgesellschaft. It then went on to have owners across Austria and Germany, before the current custodian bought the car in 2014.
He set about a full restoration, respraying the car in black using nitrocellulose paint. The original engine had parted company with the rest of the car in 1964, but a similar engine (with the block in two pieces) was fully rebuilt and brought back to life.
6. 1980 Citroën Méhari 4x4 (est: €35-50,000)
Citroën’s Méhari proved to be a success, but the concept of a four-wheel-drive version for better off-road ability was deemed to be a good way to develop the platform further.
While the engine remained the same as the standard Méhari, another transmission system was added to the rear wheels, as well as a reduction gear and a diff lock.
Citroën had hoped the military, firefighters, farmers and oil firms would find a use for it, but it wasn’t to be and just 1213 were built.
This example has been restored by its owner, who grew up in a family obsessed with Méharis. More than €40,000 has been spent on its restoration, which included a new gearbox and transmission. And it is being offered at Artcurial’s Rétromobile 2022 sale with no reserve.
7. 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ (est: €1.2-1.4m)
Alfa Romeo and Zagato were on a roll – the Giulietta SS had been super-successful. However, the pace of development among its competitors had moved the game on and, despite the addition of a 1600cc engine, Alfa needed something radical to stay ahead of the pack.
Giuseppe Busso’s solution was to take the Giulia and its twin-cam 1600cc motor, and clothe it in a Kamm tail Zagato body – the tubolare Zagato, or TZ, was born.
Autodelta prepared the car for competition, and with just 650kg to haul around with 150bhp it could easily crack more than 210kph (c130mph).
The model proved highly successful in motorsport, taking class victories at Sebring, the Targa Florio, the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Tour de France Auto.
This particular car is one of 112 built, and was originally yellow with two vents in the rear wings to attach the first owner’s fishing rods to.
Since then it’s obviously been repainted red – and the fishing-rod holders have been removed.
8. 1979 Ford Escort RS2000 (est: €65-85,000)
The Mk2 Ford Escort is a legendary rally car, proving competitive even as four-wheel drive, turbochargers, electronic assistance and more have all come to rallying’s door.
The simple, balanced chassis makes it a firm favourite.
This particular example was first registered in Belgium, and has been restored to Group 1 spec.
The Ford Pinto engine has a camshaft control with phased shift pulley, while two Dell’Orto carburettors are fed by an electric pump. All in it produces around 140bhp, which is marshalled via a five-speed Type 9 gearbox.
Not one for those who value originality, then, but one that’ll leave you with a grin as wide as its drift angle.
9. 1961 TVR Grantura (est: €20-30,000)
While it is Lotus that is best known for the simplify and add lightness ethos, the TVR Grantura follows a similar path.
Its tubular frame and independent suspension are draped in a glassfibre body, which means its 1588cc BMC engine has just 650kg to haul around. The result is a seriously quick little sports car.
This example’s first owner kept it for 28 years, before its next custodian set about a bare-chassis restoration and engine rebuild, while retaining the original upholstery.
It’s been in France since 2011 – could you be the one who brings it home to the UK?
10. 1968 Porsche 907 (est: €4-6m)
This Porsche 907 has had quite a life.
It took part in the 1968 Nürburgring 1000km, driven by Jochen Neerpasch and Joe Buzzetta, and finished fourth in an epic battle with the Fords, as well as playing a key role in the Porsche 1-2 further up the road.
Chassis 907-031 was sold to a Spanish privateer driver called Alejandro Soler-Roig, who campaigned it alongside Rudi Lins. After a multi-car pile-up at the Daytona 24 Hours, it was sent back to the factory for repairs before finishing fourth at the Sebring 12 Hours. It later won at Jarama in a Spanish championship.
It was then sold to Swiss racer André Wicky, who entered the car into Le Mans over several years, scoring class victories in 1971 and 1972.
It competed across the world, before being sold to a series of collectors. The current owner had it comprehensively restored in the mid 1990s.
11. 1978 Toyota Land Cruiser BJ40 (est: €50-80,000)
The Toyota Land Cruiser has developed a huge following, and big-league restorations of the BJ40 model are happening with increasing frequency.
Over the past 15 years the Teseven Toyota Classic workshop has developed a reputation for its restoration work, and is now building seven numbered models to form a 70th-anniversary limited-edition run.
This is the first one. Finished in Capri Blue, it’s equipped with a folding roof tent and four long-range headlamps.
It also has a mechanical winch, three-point seatbelts, power steering and Koni dampers. It’s being sold at Rétromobile with no reserve.
12. 1949 Delahaye 135 MS Coach par Chapron (est: €100-150,000)
The Delahaye 135 was a development of the Type 138, and featured independent front suspension with transverse leaf springs, plus a 90bhp 3.2-litre six-cylinder engine.
The 135 set many speed and endurance records, and won the Rallye Monte-Carlo, ACF Grand Prix and the Le Mans 24 Hours, bringing glory and prestige to the Delahaye name.
This Chapron-bodied car was found in a barn in 1967 by a student. At the time it still had its original engine, but it was unrepairable, so this was replaced with a more powerful 135 MS motor.
A full ground-up restoration ensued over many years. It was restored again in 2014, and today features a refurbished Cotal gearbox, and rebuilt braking and electrical systems.
13. 1970 Citroën SM Prototype (est: €80-140,000)
The hydropneumatic wizardry of Citroën, the sporting engineering verve of Maserati and styling from one of automobile design’s true talents, Robert Opron, all came together to create one of the finest GTs ever made, and one that hints at a future we could have had.
All SMs are special, but this one is a prototype used by Citroën’s research and development team.
It features ventilated front discs, a strengthened engine subframe, a double oil cooler, a 120-litre fuel tank and a cutaway front bumper with a central grille, as well as special suspension spheres and Michelin-reinforced resin wheels.
Not only does it have a few minor styling differences, it has a spare 2.7-litre Maserati race engine from the 1974 Spa 24 Hours, which produces 190bhp. Jacques Né, who headed the car’s development, bought this prototype in 1984, and owned it all the way until 2017.
14. 1976 Ferrari 308 Vetroresina (est: €100-150,000)
The Italian language always has the potential to make the humdrum sound exotic, and this is a good example.
‘Vetroresina’ translates as ‘glassfibre’, which means this is one of 712 examples built out of the lightweight material. It’s powered by a quad-cam, dry-sumped 3.0-litre engine.
The current owner bought it from the publisher of Flat Six magazine, who’d acquired the car as a gift for his son upon his graduation.
It’s been completely restored, with a new clutch, brakes, suspension, exhaust, hoses, ignition and belts.
The car’s been prepared for regularity rallies – and we absolutely love the fact it looks like a Bburago model from the ’80s. It’s even going to be supplied with a quad-headlight bar, just like the toy…
15. 1950 Gordini Type 18S €800,000-1.6m
This is the very car that Juan Manuel Fangio used for the 1950 Le Mans 24 Hours. It is one of two Gordini Sports fitted with a supercharged engine and has the only supercharged Gordini engine in existence in the world.
It used Type 15 Dubonnet suspension at the front, and torsion-bar suspension from the Type 45G and Type 16 Formula One models at the rear, connected via a tubular chassis. Its 1491cc Type 15C engine was fitted with a Wade RO15 supercharger made from magnesium. The bodywork was crafted from Drualumin, with a keen eye on aerodynamics.
The Le Mans effort would end in retirement after 95 laps, but Fangio was clearly taken with the car. Fast forward to 1990, and he bought it to display in his museum, but customs problems saw it exported back to Europe in 1997.
Since then its subsequent owners have improved and restored this car, bringing it back to how it looked in 1950. It still has the upholstery Fangio sat on, as well as its glass and Plexiglass windows, Duralmin panels, underbody fairing and some of the original paint from 1950 to 1956.
16. 1926 Bugatti 37A (est: €900,000-1.2m)
This Bugatti Type 37A has quite the history. It was owned by French actor Jacques Dufilho.
However, his passion was for Bugattis, and had bought several of them by the time he found chassis 37211 and engine 114 in the courtyard of Henri Hauswald’s Bugatti workshop. He chose to customise it to his taste, with the restoration taking 10 years as the work was paid for by Dufilho’s films and plays.
The list of changes was extensive, from the aesthetics to the interior, and from the suspension to the engine. Most notably, it had a Bugatti Type 71 supercharger attached.
The result was a very quick car, one that would whisk him to 200kph (124mph). It was later sold, to pay for tax arrears, to a Parisian collector who had a Type 37 block fitted.
It has changed hands again, but hasn’t been run since 1987. Could you be the one to get it going again?
17. 1954 Vega 54 Prototype (est: €500-800,000)
Say hello to the very first Facel Vega ever produced. Jean Daninos, the founder of Facel, had crafted bodies for Bentleys via Pininfarina, and had also worked with Panhard, Ford, Delahaye and Simca.
His next challenge was to build his own car, and after a first attempt with a Hotchkiss engine and an Allard chassis, his thoughts turned to something resembling his work for Bentley. After trying Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Delahaye and Talbot for engine supplies, he went to Chrysler for a 180bhp 4.5-litre V8.
This prototype was built in 1952 and was used for middle-of-the-night runs around Paris and the Eure-et-Loir. It was also sent to Detroit for engine tests at Chrysler.
According to Jean Daninos, this car served as the mule for all Facel Vegas and it remained in his possession for several years; it was also exhibited at the 1954 Paris show.
It differs from production Facel Vegas in having a 120mm shorter wheelbase, a painted ‘wooden’ dashboard, and a perfume bottle in the armrest of each door. It’s had three additional owners and had a mechanical overhaul in recent years – and you can read its full story here.
18. 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ Coda Tronca (est: €400-600,000)
The Alfa Romeo Giulietta had provided lots of competition success for its maker, but the efforts of Zagato saw the release of the Sprint Zagato.
Built on the short-wheelbase Spider platform, it was powered by a four-cylinder, twin-cam 1300cc engine that produced 116bhp. Seeing as it weighed just 785kg, it had no trouble hitting 200kph (124mph).
This is one of just 200 built, and was ordered new in Byfleet, in the UK. It is equipped with removable tubular bumpers intended to preserve its delicate aluminium bodywork when being used on the road.
In later life it’s called Italy and France home, and has been restored.
19. 1938 Peugeot 402 Eclipse (est: €110-150,000)
The Peugeot 402 Eclipse was the first car to allow the roof to fold into the boot, thus turning a hardtop coupé into an open-top cabriolet.
The earliest examples were actually made by the Pourtout workshops to a design by Georges Paulin for clients of Émile Darl’Mat, but Peugeot was so impressed it launched its own model based on the 401. This was followed by the more advanced 402 model.
This 402 is an ET5 version with Pilote wheels, and is believed to be one of just 27 built. Its first owner was a doctor from Nice.
In the 1990s it headed to the USA, only to return in 2016. Two years later it was fully overhauled mechanically. It now has a Cotal gearbox, though the original manual will be sold with the car.
20. 1976 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 (est: €30-50,000)
A brown 450SEL 6.9 will be instantly recognisable to anyone who’s enjoyed the France-set Robert De Niro/Jean Reno film Ronin, in which this gloriously over-endowed super saloon tears through Nice and Marseille in an epic car chase.
However, a 450SEL 6.9 also played a key role in Claude Lelouch’s C'était un rendez-vous. While the soundtrack is a heart-searing Ferrari V12, the actual filming was done with an SEL 6.9, because it not only had the power but also the hydropneumatic suspension necessary to keep the shots steady, particularly as the car careers round Parisian streets.
This example has had just two owners and is being offered by Artcurial in Paris with no reserve.
21. 1997 Venturi Atlantique Turbo 300 (est: €80-100,000)
Venturi took a Lotus approach to sports car building – make it svelte-looking, make it lightweight.
In the case of the Atlantique, that meant taking the 3.0-litre PRV V6 in 281bhp tune (the same as the Alpine A610) and placing it in a 1250kg body. The top speed was a creditable 280kph (174mph), but this wasn’t enough to save the company; in the end, just 57 300 Turbo Atlantiques, like this one, were built.
This car’s first owner was a Mr Moretti, an architect from Parma, Italy. By 2015 it was in France, where it was given a complete overhaul, including a full respray in Nimbus Grey. It’s covered a mere 15,000km (just under 10,000 miles) from new.
22. 1977 Citroën CX 2400 GTi (est: €15-25,000)
We’ve brought you some fairly expensive machines in this list – so how about something a little bit more down to earth?
The Citroën CX is nearly extinct in the UK, and original examples in a condition like this one (it’s covered 83,750km – c52,000 miles) are rare even in its homeland.
There is some patina, but the mechanicals have been restored – the five hydraulic spheres, fuel tank, hoses, tyres and engine mounts have been replaced, while the injectors have been overhauled.
This example is particularly special because it has Jersey upholstery with a matching Greek pattern, which was offered for only one year.
23. 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 (est: €1.8-2.4m)
As Porsche 911s go, the Carrera RSR is pretty special. An evolution of the RS 2.7, it dominated racing circuits around the globe and set the template for the later 934 and 935 turbos.
Its 3.0-litre engine produces 300bhp at 8000rpm, which means it could hit 60mph in less than 5 secs. It was seriously light, too, with thinner body panels and a stripped-out cabin, tipping the scales at just under 900kg. Only 60 were built.
This car, number 9077, was sold to Georg Loos for the Gelo Racing Team. It claimed two class victories at the Nürburgring 1000km and Le Castellet, as well as many podiums. In 1975, it won at Imola and took two second places at Hockenheim.
It was then sold to Mario Balestra in Italy, and it would be raced there by various drivers, before being sold to its current owner. He gave it a four-year restoration in the late ’80s and it hasn’t competed since.
Over the years, John Fitzpatrick, Toine Hezemans, Rolf Stommelen and Jürgen Barth have all driven this car – quite a roster…
24. 1975 Mazda 1000 berline (est: €6-10,000)
One of our favourite lots is one of the quirkiest, most obscure and, happily, least expensive.
Even the vendor isn’t sure what year it was produced, but we love its eager-terrier-type look. Its 1000cc four-pot produces around 50hp, which you row through a floor-mounted gearlever. Apparently it’s good for 180kph (112mph).
It’s largely original, aside from the modern wheels. There are front disc brakes and an original Grundig stereo. The downside is that the ‘mechanicals require a check/overhaul before starting, because the car has not been driven for a while’.
You’d think that’d be a disincentive, but there’s something about this that screams big fun for not a lot of cash… In theory, at least.
To find out more about this and all the other lots in Artcurial’s Rétromobile 2022 auction in Paris on 18-19 March, click here.