Salon Rétromobile was back to its brilliant best in the French capital from 1-5 February as it returned to the larger, pre-pandemic layout for its 47th edition, with a special focus on the Le Mans 24 Hours to mark the legendary enduro's centenary year. And visitors were back out in force, too, with a total of 125,000 through the turnstiles across the event's five days - the second-highest attendance since the show's inception in 1976.
Among the 500 exhibitors the Le Mans theme was adopted by clubs, manufacturers and specialists alike, but was most prominent in a pair of curated displays by the organisers. 'A century of innovations' featured pioneering racers, from the front-wheel-drive 1927 Tracta Type 4 'Géphi' via the 1968 Howmet TX turbine car and 1981 Lola T600, hydrogenground-effect to the experimental, powered LMPH2G from 2018.
More impressive was a set of Gallic racers celebrating 'When the French shine'. A chronological timeline went from 1926 LorraineDietrich B3-6 Sport and 1936 Simca-Gordini Type 5 via famous names such as DB Panhard, Alpine-Renault, Matra-Simca, Rondeau, Courage and Pescarolo to Peugeot's 1992 V10-powered 905 and its latest 9X8 hypercar.
There was further Le Mans heritage on show in the clubs hall - not least with Club Salmson, which brought along the actual Rudge-Whitworth Coupe Biennale trophy awarded to the marque at the 1927 race, along with an intriguing Motto-bodied 1954 2300S barquette. Entered in the tragic 1955 enduro, this pretty sports-racer features a 2.3-litre, 105bhp four-cylinder engine mated to a Cotal electromagnetic preselector gearbox, operated by a tiny shifter on the side of the dash binnacle which forced drivers to be extra vigilant at the sprint start to avoid damaging the fragile transmission.
Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
RAY HILLIER
Double-chevron oddity proves a break from the norm for this Crewe specialist
SHORT BACK & GLIDES
Eccentric enthusiast Captain RG McLeod's series of Manx-tailed Bentley Specials reached its zenith with this unique S2 Continental.
People's choice
The diminutive but multi-million-selling Fiat 850 packed a remarkable diversity of form and function into its compact footprint
PLASTIC BREAKS FROM THE NORM
Glassfibre revolutionised niche car-body production, but just occasionally strayed into the mainstream.
A SENSIBLE SUPERCAR
The cleverly conceived four-seater Elite secured Lotus a place at the big players' table, but has it been unfairly maligned since then?
"I had a habit of grabbing second place from the jaws of victory"
From dreams of yachting glory to the Le Mans podium, via a stint at the top of the motorsport tree, Howden Ganley had quite the career
Still going strong
Herbert Engineering staked its reputation on the five-year warranty that came with its cars. A century on, this Two Litre hasn't made a claim
One for the kids
General Motors was aiming squarely at the youth market with the launch of the Pontiac GTO 60 years ago, and its runaway success popularised the muscle-car movement
A NEW BREED OF HERO
Launched at the turn of the millennium, the GT3 badge has already earned a place alongside RS, CS and turbo in Porsche lore.
Brits with SIX appeal
The straight-six engine is synonymous with a decades-long legacy of great British sports cars. Six variations on the sextet theme convene for comparison
