From January 28 to February 1, 2026, Paris Expo Porte de Versailles hosted a landmark moment in automotive culture. Rétromobile celebrated its 50th anniversary in record-breaking fashion, while the brand new Ultimate Supercar Garage made a striking debut alongside it. Rétromobile welcomed 181,500 visitors confirming its status as the world’s leading show dedicated to classic cars. Meanwhile, the first edition of Ultimate Supercar Garage attracted 63,450 visitors, immediately establishing itself as Europe’s new benchmark event for modern supercars.
Rétromobile at 50: A Celebration of Legacy
Placed for the first time under the patronage of the French Ministry of Culture, this anniversary edition carried a strong symbolic weight. Rétromobile was also awarded the FIA Heritage Cup 2025 by the FIA Founding Members Club, recognition of its pivotal role in preserving and promoting automotive heritage.
BMW Art Cars: Motorsport Meets Contemporary Art
One of the standout attractions was the BMW Art Car World Tour exhibition, which brought together, for the first time in France, the seven BMW Art Cars that competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Alexander Calder Art Car became the visual icon of the anniversary edition, reinforcing the unique dialogue between contemporary art and endurance racing.
Rally Legends and Industrial Icons
Emotion and nostalgia filled the halls during the retrospective “The Golden Age of Rally,” presented in partnership with the Gino Macaluso Foundation and Oreca. Appearances by François Chatriot, Bruno Saby, Didier Auriol and Ari Vatanen drew large crowds, celebrating a defining era of motorsport. Equally captivating was the Bugatti railcar from the Cité du Train – SNCF Heritage collection.
A fascinating blend of automotive engineering and rail innovation, the streamlined masterpiece stood as a tribute to French industrial ingenuity. Iconic manufacturers were also strongly represented, with 32 brands officially present,
showcasing retrospectives, anniversaries and world premieres.
Ultimate Supercar Garage: A Bold First Edition
If Rétromobile celebrates history, Ultimate Supercar Garage celebrates the present and the future. The inaugural edition brought together an extraordinary lineup including Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Bentley, Bertone, Bugatti, Ferrari (represented by Charles Pozzi), HWA, Lamborghini Paris, Lotus, Maserati, Pagani, Praga, Renault Turbo 3E and many more. This was not simply an additional hall, it was a clear strategic expansion into the hypercar universe.
Live Premieres at the Heart of the Action
The live stage became the beating heart of Ultimate Supercar Garage, hosting multiple high-profile unveilings. Bugatti exclusively revealed the second model in its Solitaire Programme, the Bugatti F.K.P Hommage. Bertone presented the new Runabout for the first time, while Donkervoort unveiled the P24 RS in a world premiere. Bentley impressed with the first presentation in France of the Continental GT Supersports, and Lotus introduced its latest electric hypercar. Alfa Romeo and Maserati also captured attention with the joint public presentation of their Bottega Fuoriserie ultra-customisation programme.
A New Generation Engaged
With the hypercar segment reportedly growing at 8.5% annually, Ultimate Supercar Garage clearly resonated with a younger, ultra-connected audience. These machines, embodying performance, exclusivity and technical innovation, attracted a demographic eager to experience modern automotive excellence up close.
Pagani highlighted its artisanal philosophy, Automobili Mignatta showcased its barchetta vision, while Eccentrica and Pirelli closed the segment with a V12 hypercar and smart tyre technology.
Final Thoughts
Walking through Rétromobile and Ultimate Supercar Garage in the same day felt like traversing a living timeline of the automobile.
In one hall: pre-war legends, rally icons and blue-chip collector cars preserving mechanical
heritage.
In the next: cutting-edge hypercars unveiled under dramatic lighting, pushing performance and
design into the future.
Rétromobile 2026 proved that heritage and hypercars are not opposing forces, they are
successive chapters of the same story. And in Paris this winter, that story felt more alive than ever.
Photos and Words by Yaron Esposito
