As I wrote in my main report from Rétromobile, the area dedicated to classics under 25,000 Euro had gained in size. But was it any GOOD?
Bigger is not always better and in a way the generally very high quality of Rétromobile in Paris is a reflection of that: The event is limited in growth opportunity by the venue at the Expo de Versailles, so I guess they simply had to focus on quality instead. Nonetheless they upgraded the area they introduced a few years ago reserved for classics below the 25.000 Euro price mark, and made it bigger this year.
More importantly I found the general quality of the cars was better, and it was even more surprising to discover that the prices were actually pretty sharp too. Accordingly, when I inspected the area more closely on the Friday (the show opened to a select few of the public on Tuesday evening and properly opened on Wednesday) there were more than a few cars already sold, and I guess everyone was happy. At least I was, because there were a few that could well have come home with me to live happily in MY garage; let’s begin our quick walk-through this area with the best candidate for that:
As regular readers will know I still have to acquire my first Porsche, but I can at least feel myself warming up to it. And a 924 Turbo could very well be my first. In Bremen the previous weekend I was quite tempted by one but the metallic green one there was 2,000 Euro more expensive and not in as good condition as this white one. I nearly entered it as a candidate for Prime Find of the Week, but didn’t as I guess it would sell right here, though I don’t know if it did.
Many did sell – like another old favourite of mine, the Simca 1200 S. With a price over double that of the 924 it settled right on the border of the 25.000 Euro limit, but it is still a very rare and exotic car for the money. In fact, this petite rear-engined sports car is exactly the type of car that still makes me wonder why I really should indeed join the Porsche train when such exotic little gems still exist?
Right behind it was the little brother, Simca Bertone 1000 – basically the same car, but with less war paint, less engine and lower price – and it sold too:
As the name suggests the little Simca Bertones were sort of hybrids, but if you preferred your handsome classic with a pure Italian bloodline there was one for even fewer precious Euros: A very straight Fiat 124 Special T. The bodywork was in really fine condition, the interior not quite as nice but not bad at all – and this for 8,000 Euro? Not at all unreasonable.
There were a surprising number of British cars for sale too, including the most popular British classic of them all, the MGB. However, the B’s generally seemed too expensive, especially in relation to their Danish price level, and without the cars being in better condition for the money. Triumph was represented too, and just like last year they managed to find an otherwise neat GT6 Mk2 in a completely unoriginal and unflattering colour – offered for 24,000 Euro? No, that probably won’t work. I didn’t take any pictures, because it wasn’t pretty.
But then feast your eyes on the litte diamond below: a 1974 Jensen Healey for 16,900 Euro – and it was really, really nice. Very nice, actually. And note one detail: it is even left-hand drive. Another candidate for the Prime Find of the Week, maybe? I certainly hadn’t expected to see such an exotic Brit in Paris, and the icing on the cake is the colour: the seventies in a nutshell. I never even knew I wanted one of these!
Keep in mind that certainly not all the cars under the 25,000 Euros limit were up to the Jensen’s standard, but there was definitely something to buy and take home with you if you were in the mood. So this area is strongly recommended for future Rétromobile visitors – see a further (minor) selection of the cars on offer in the gallery below:
