Rétromobile Paris 2025: the summary

The annual Rétromobile 2025 show in Paris again demonstrated its dominance as the premier show of its type, displaying a quantity and quality of cars which you simply don’t see anywhere else. The Schaltkulisse team were in Paris for the duration of the event, meeting with friends and clients, attending the sales, and walking the halls to share with you a flavour of the event and our view on the market at the beginning of the year. Firstly, and most importantly, let’s talk about the cars. Within the team there were some clear favourites. In the auctions, two cars stood out as candidates for our dream garages — firstly, the Le Mans winning Ferrari 250 LM offered from the Indianapolis Speedway Museum. Unusually retaining its matching numbers engine and gearbox (probably less than 10 cars which can boast that), the car was presented with fabulous patina and provenance — more on the sale later.

Remaining on a Ferrari theme, our friends at Girardo & Co presented one of our favourite Ferrari 250 GT SWBs, chassis 2127 GT, one of the most famous alloy-bodied competition cars, appropriately known for its second overall in the Tour de France Automobile in 1960. Joe Macari and his team were exceptional hosts for the week; they displayed an exceptional range of cars including the 1996 24h Le Mans McLaren F1 GTR, a triple-podium McLaren MP4/20A F1 car, and a firm favourite of ours — a Maserati MC12. We keep saying it, but with fewer than 50 cars produced it’s one to watch. The second topic of the week was the state of the collectible car market. In contrast to last year, there was a definite commercial energy, borne out by the sale of several significant cars at the Rétromobile show itself and solid auction results. The auctions: RM Sotheby’s presented a two-day auction which became the largest grossing in European history. The first day was an entirely no-reserve single-owner collection, headlined by the ultimate-specification Bentley R-Type Continental, a former Pebble Beach prize winner. The estimate was ambitious, but the result reflected the market (barring one very unusual result in 2022, it was the first R-Type to surpass $1,000,000 in 8 years). During the second day there were some major casualties including the Bugatti Centodieci, Ferrari 512M, and Ferrari BBLM. The sell-through percentage was lower than expected, but the headline numbers clearly gave RM Sotheby’s the ‘win’ they desired. Bonhams returned to the Grand Palais with two headline cars, the Ferrari 166 MM barchetta by Touring and Ferrari Tipo 555; both were offered without reserve but with wildly ambitious estimates. In the end both cars sold for prices which reflected their condition and history. Overall, the sell-through rate was the best of the week and, despite the recent staffing changes and a fairly ordinary catalogue, the British firm produced a €17,000,000 sale. For the local auction house Artcurial, this event is the most important in their calendar. As always, the room was packed and there was plenty of activity. The Ferrari 275 GTB in original Celeste looked well bought in our opinion, although the car was UK-registered which exposed it to tax. The most interesting car of the sale was probably the single-owner Bugatti EB110 GT in a unique colour for a GT and with its original service books and luggage. When recommissioning costs are considered, the €1,530,000 sale price shows a potential resurgence in prices for this iconic supercar. In summary, both Bonhams and Artcurial improved their sell-through rates and totals over last year, as did RM Sotheby’s in dramatic fashion — but only when the sale of the Ferrari 250 LM is considered. For owners and buyers looking at individual results, we’d encourage you to look closely at the cars in question; many of the cars we looked at throughout the week sold for market-correct prices given their condition, provenance, and history, but initially might have looked cheap. Taking the temperature of the rooms and speaking with buyers and sellers throughout the week, it’s clear that there is renewed enthusiasm and energy in the market and a distinct tone of optimism for the months ahead.

Singer ACS — Kevin. I remember being blown away with the ACS concept when it was unveiled some four years ago. Inspired by the Porsche 959 and 953, the ACS concept is deeply impressive not only for the exceptional attention to detail in its styling but also for its genuine technical capabilities thanks to the work of specialists Tuthill in the UK. Seeing the car in person, it’s remarkable to consider the quality of the build against those images of it flying through the air or charging through water on a sandy beach. Bugatti EB110 GT — Amin. The EB110 GT is a longstanding favourite of mine. I love what it represented in the supercar arms race of the mid-90s and the audacity of the story behind this era of Bugatti. The car is finally getting the appreciation it deserves alongside its contemporaries from Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche. This car was sold at auction a couple of years ago having just returned from Kuwait; the owner has done an exceptional job restoring it to factory-fresh condition. I remembered reading about the project last year and it was great to see the final result in person. Ferrari 250 GT SWB Alloy Competition — Paul. For me, the 250 GT SWB is simply one of the greatest classic cars ever built. It’s a classic Ferrari which in my opinion really merits its special status from an engineering, driving, and historical perspective. Chassis 2127 GT must be one of the very best examples out there — not only an alloy-bodied competition car but one with an illustrious history, most famously and appropriately in the Tour de France Automobile in 1960. Tastes and fashion may be shifting, but for me this car is a true masterpiece.

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