Report and photos by Csaba Kiss
On the first weekend of February, classic car fans and collectors took again with assault the Porte de Versailles Exhibition Center from Paris, which hosted the 36th edition of the Salon Retromobile. The interest showed was quite easy to understand: almost 400 vehicles could be seen on stands belonging to more than 300 exhibitors that included manufacturers, marque clubs, dealers, insurance companies, as well as books, parts and accessory vendors.
Traditionally, one of the most important classic car events in Europe, Retromobile annually features various special anniversary exhibitions, and this year, the motorsport jubilees were the ones truly in the spotlight.
The four racing cars from the fifties, wherewith the legendary argentine Formula One pilot, the hundred years ago born Juan Manuel Fangio won five World Championships title, attracted a huge crowd. Besides the three blood-red Italian stallions (Alfa Romeo Alfetta 159, Maserati 250F, Lancia-Ferrari D50) the odd one standing out was the German Silver Arrow, the Mercedes W196.
Another spectacular exhibition celebrated the 45 years of Gulf racing adventures. One of the most titled teams in endurance racing presented 14 racing cars from 8 different car builders, amongst which a McLaren M20 that won the Watkins Glen Can-Am in 1972, or a Porsche 917 that finished second at the Le Mans 24 Hour race in 1971. But the visitors of the Retromobile 2011 also had the occasion to admire a Le Mans winner: the Mazda 787B, powered with a rotary Wankel engine. The Japanese manufacturer (so far the only one which won at Le Mans) celebrated the 20th anniversary of this success with a motorsports-related exhibition.
Naturally, the most important local automakers (Citroën, Peugeot and Renault) had a strong presence in Paris, but, although the Lion brand exhibited some of its speed and endurance records achiever prototypes from the past, the most fascinating manufacturer stand belonged to Mercedes-Benz. The German brand is celebrating its 125th anniversary, and on this occasion, the Retromobile-public had the opportunity to see the first automobile ever, the Benz Patent. Surprisingly, the Mercedes-Benz 37/90 PS with a wooden body dating back to 1910, which clearly showcased the skills of the brand’s own restoration facilities, benefited from an even bigger interest of the car enthusiasts.
As expected, some of the fascinating French pre-war cars could not be absent from a classic car event organized in Paris. Three delightful vehicles were there to represent the amazing Bugatti 57 Type. An 57 Atlantic Spider from 1934 was offered for 450,000 euro, whilst a 57C Atalante from 1937 was sold for 580,000 euros at the official auction of the show, held by Artcurial. However, one of the absolute stars of the Retromobile 2011 was the third of what is now believed to have been four 57S Atlantic coupes.
The high quality of Salon Retromobile 2011 was also emphasized by the presence of two Talbot-Lago T150C-SS coupes with coachwork by Figoni & Falaschi: the winner of the Louis Vuitton Classic Award for 2010/2011, as well as the winner of the Best of Show award in 2010 at Meadow Brook. The latest will also be the star of the RM Auctions sale at the Concorso D’Eleganza Villa D’Este to be held in May 2011.
Salon Retromobile 2011 – Photo Gallery (click image for larger photo and description)
[nggallery id=217 images=15]
[Source: Csaba Kiss]
The Seal Cove Auto Museum, in association with the Richard Paine Jr., Automobile Charitable Trust, was delighted to show its extraordinary 1913 Peugeot Type 150 Skiff in the Bonhams exhibit at the Grand Palais during Retromobile.
This magnificent automobile is an outstanding example of the coachbuilders’ art at its finest and was designed by Carosserie Henri Labourdette. Its beautifully sculpted ‘skiff’ design is crafted in layers of mahogany. Manufactured by SA des Automobiles Et Cycles Peugeot, Lille, France the car boasts a 40 HP, 4 cylinder, 7478 cc engine, with a single camshaft married to a 4-speed gearbox.
This car, along with dozens of other wonderful examples of early brass cars, is owned by the Richard C. Paine, Jr. Automobile Collection Charitable Trust and displayed at the Seal Cove Auto Museum, located in Seal Cove, Maine.
The Seal Cove Auto Museum was founded by Richard Paine in 1968 to house his collection. Paine acquired the Peugeot when he purchased the fabled Dr. Samuel L Scher collection. Dr. Scher had, in turn, acquired the car from his close friend, James Melton after the closing of Melton’s Autorama Museum. Melton described the Peugeot as “one of the finest cars in our collection” in his book, ‘Bright Wheels Rolling’.
Dear Seal Cove Auto Museum Curator et al,
Kindly, Information Sought, as follows:
Recently it has been brought to my attention that in March 1954 Dr. Samuel L. Scher placed this “for sale” advertisement:
“3//54 ad – SC 3-4/54 p51 Alfa 2.3 DOHC with dual carb. Convertible with German body $1800 Mamaroneck, NY (824 The Crescent)”
This “could” quite possibly be “THE” Rometsch Alfa Romeo, the only Alfa Romeo as far as we know with coachwork by Friedrich Rometsch of Berlin-Halensee, Shop located at 44 Nestorstrasse- “der grosse unbekonte”(the great unknown)wonderfully stated by the eminent Halwart Schrader (Publisher and Co-Author with Claus Benter)in their book “German Automobile Coachwork”, Page 121.
The distinct possibility, arisen only within the past few days as a thread in a most serendipitous discussion amongst prominent Alfiste, is that Dr. Scher’s 1954 Advertisement is for the 1934 AR 2.3 Litre DOHC Six with twin Solex Sidedraft Carburettors, a 1934 AR Pescara Configuration and clad in later coachwork!
Any Contacts (Family and Friends), personal knowledge, files, photos/photo album abstracts, history and Provenance (as to who commissioned Rometsch) to create this exquisite automobile and how and when she left Italy (what happened to her original coachwork-possibly early Touring Super Leggera akin to the coachwork of the Ferrari prepared competition 6C 2.3 AR’s of Cortese et al in the 1934 Giro d’Italia and 1934 Targa Abruzzo; how and when she got to Berlin to Rometsch – and then how and when and by whom she got to the States and to Dr. Scher is of paramount importance and would be most appreciated.
To ascertain that this is the very car that I have owned for forty-two years would, needless to say, be of profound significance to myself and all Alfiste and to add just one more piece of data to the event horizon of the Odyssey of this very special Creation.
Sincerely,
Robert Stephen Piltch
Tempe, Arizona USA
March 20, 2011
[email protected]
Csaba,
Well done! Spectacular coverage of an event that should be on everyone’s list to attend someday.
Cheers!
Will Silk
sorry, but the text to the photo of The Bugatti Atlantic is not correct. The best of show at the Pebble Beach concours in 2003 was the ex Peter Williamson Atlantic shown lately in Peter Mullin’s museum in Oxnard and one of the 2 remaining original Atlantics. The Atlantic shown at Retromobile is the reconstruction of the Atlantic which in 1955 was completely demolished being hit by a train. The car shown at Retromobile was also shown at Pebble Beach in 2010 but did not take part in the concous due to lack of originality.