Rétromobile puts the focus on a century of MG… and Loeb

It’s that time of the year again, the most prestigious classic car show in the world opens its doors next week in Paris. Main themes this year at Rétromobile are 100 years of MG, and there’s a special celebration planned for (almost) 50-year-old rally legend Sébastien Loeb.

Of course, these themes are just a side dish for the real event. For some years now, the main classic car brokers have been using their presence at Rétromobile for a ‘mine is bigger than yours’ contest. And bigger not so much in stand size, but rather in the quality of the cars they manage to bring together for the weekend. There was Simon Kidston’s McLaren F1 party, Lukas Hüni’s Lancia Stratos show, Jaap Braam Ruben’s Bugatti fest, and so on. This means that Rétromobile is now a firm ‘worth the visit’ for any classic car enthusiast.

Not much is known yet on what we can expect. We know Girardo & Co. have a Ferrari-only stand, just like last year. We will happily keep you informed on what we will find.

100 years MG

MG still exists today, as a part of the Chinese SAIC group. Even though the current product offering has little to do with the sporty cars Morris Garages used to produce in the UK, we are nonetheless more than happy that the current owners are happy to look back on what has been a fascinating history. The speed record cars, such as the 1957 MG EX181 as driven by Stirling Moss and Phil Hill, will be on display. Phil Hill achieved 406 kph (254 mph) on the Utah salt flats with a 1506 cc-engine in 1959.

Loeb turns 50

Both the Dakar rally and the banked Linas-Monthléry circuit – just South of Paris – are themes at Rétromobile as well. The FFSA, the French motor sport federation, has decided that the fiftieth anniversary of the French public’s darling – Sébastien Loeb, on February 26^th, is worth a bit of a party as well. The nine-time rally world champion will be present on January 31^st, and some of his cars are on display. Loeb is the most successful driver to come out of the FFSA talent program. More on Loeb? In issue 7, we went for a drive in Loeb’s ‘winningest’ car: the 2008 Citroën C4 WRC.

And finally, the auction houses RM Sotheby’s, Bonhams and Artcurial open the sales season with the traditional Paris auctions, creating a full program for any classic car lover. More on Rétromobile here. Pre-sale tickets are 19 euros.