19-07-2025
Rétromobile Is Heading to New York
In February over five days at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles convention center, 146,000 people attended an event that has been on the Paris show calendar since 1976.
There were oysters from Normandy, Champagne and caviar, along with $300 driving shoes and $1,000 leather jackets. But the classic cars — plus the vintage automobile headlights, taillight lenses, radios and other bric-a-brac for sale on nearby tables — were a sure sign that this was not a fashion gala. Rather, it was a car show, French style. Rétromobile to be exact, an indoor colossus that is coming to the Javits Convention Center for the first time in November 2026.
Rétromobile is unknown to many Americans who are not immersed in the international vintage car scene. It combines a high-end, classic car auction with displays from European and North American classic car dealers and parts sellers. There are vendors of virtually every classic-car product imaginable, including apparel and automotive artwork. In an interview in June, David Gooding, founder of the auction company Gooding & Company, compared it to Art Basel for cars.
The show's ability to surprise and delight with pieces like World War I tanks and early steam-powered vehicles are its calling card. There are no corn dogs or fried Twinkies, but plenty of lobster salad and French wines. Now the big question is, will the show strike a similar chord with a predominantly American audience?
Attendance at Rétromobile Paris has been rising since the pandemic, to 146,000 last year from 122,000 in 2022.
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