For Mrs_Seth's birthday a couple of weeks ago I presented her with this voucher.
As luck would have it she decided the ideal date to cash it in would happen to coincide not only with the date for which I had already bought Eurostar tickets but when, coincidentally, Retromobile was on. Fab! Left home about 05:20 to catch one of the first tubes down to Kings Cross to then jump on the 07:01 to Paris Gare du Nord. Arrive a Paris at about 10:20, Metro to the Porte de Versailles and we were in the show by about 11:00 local time.
It was in a different hall to the last couple of times we'd been so it took a little while to get some bearings and work out a route round to hopefully see most of what was there. First photo was Voisin, obvs. Dissapointingly ordinary looking interior.
Peugeots.
(with Simca)
One of the main secial attractions/displays was of a bunch of vehicles and other things designed wtih the involvement of Phillip Charbeneaux. Many of the vehicles are in the car museum at Reims which we visited a few years ago but it was good to see them again and there were others in addition.
Can you tell what it is yet?
Interesting to see amongst the manufacturer stands that Jaguar/Land Rover had a big display, with a kit E type and several whole vehicles and restoration projects. Good to see a UK company getting in on this promotion of its heritage.
I think a person on this stand look at me scaldingly for taking a photo of this over the the 300S Grand Prix car that was next to it.
Mrs_Seth wanted to take this DB pedal car home.
There were obviously quite a few Bugattis around but perhpas loosing out to the Ferrari quotiant this time.
I'm not sure what the signigicance of the Fruit and Veg stall was here.
This is part of a Talbot Lago that came out of that French barn find collection last year where many of the cars were rusted & damaged heaps. Looks like they are retaining some small elements of the original wood here.
BMW badge on this. Might have been bike engine'd
I wanted this.
A pair of 2 inch SUs on a B series! In an Elva.
If someone saif they'd half restored their car this is probably not what you'd have imagined.
Modern supercars rarely interest me. But this. This was astounding.
But being Retromobile it was just the other side of a gangway to this monstrous beast!
8 cylinders, twin plugs in a Bugatti means a lot of HT leads.
We were impressed by the simplicity but effectiveness of this display.
Dark car.
Phwoar.
A group of Rhomboid cars was another of the special themed displays. Again, a couple had come from Reims but not all.
This is the front. You can tell because there are headlights.
This is the back. Note tailight glued on.
This is from the future. But it is a future where people stare and point and laugh at you.
Whereas this is also from the future. But this is a future where you are fuggin' cool and jet set and everyone wants to be you.
'I come from Barthelona' Pegasso.
Do Mercedes do a wooden bodied car these days?
'Yeah, so I bought a '50s Porsche, you know like those really cool shaped ones. I haven't seen it yet but I know it is something special'
'WHAT HAVE I DONE!'
Panhard.
White bumpers!
Cute Abarth.
Get that ass in the air!
Renault had a great selection of racey cars.
Smaller hall 2 coming up....