- Paris, Rétromobile 2012-

This Mercedes SSK, from the Mercedes Benz Museum, finished 2nd at the 1931 24 Hours of Le Mans. It is propelled by a 7.065 cc six-cylinder in-line engine producing 225 hp (165 kW) with a supercharger. The claimed maximum speed is 192 kph. For further details and illustrations see Mercedes Super Sport Kurz – SSK 1928

The Mercedes 300 SL was conceived as a purpose built racing sports car (W194). In 1952, the coupe notched an impressive record of success in major races. At the Grand Prix of Bern the 300SL sealed a clean sweep of the podium. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 300 SL obtained a double victory with first and second position. The Nurburgring yielded a one-two-three finish. At the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, the 300 SL claimed victory. The car in exhibit is equiped with aerodynamic brake that was only used in practice sessions.For further information and illustrations see Car Reviews

Two Sauber-Mercedes C9 racing sports cars won the 24 hours race at Le Mans in 1989. This double victory (1st and 2nd places) came 37 years after the first win in 1952. The racing cars were powered by the water-cooled four-valves per cylinder V8 M 119 HL engine with five-liter displacement, developing 720 hp (530 kW) at 7000 rpm.
The Swiss engineer Peter Sauber has been constructing sports racing cars since 1970. For further information and illustrations see Car Reviews.

50 Years Anniversary Renault Alpine A110 - 1962

Following in the tracks of the venerable A106 and A108, the A110 was also part of the fruitful partnership between Renault and Alpine, a guarantee of quality for enthusiasts and a promise of victory in competitions the world over.
The Alpine A110 was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1962.  The new vehicle featured the steel backbone frame, glass-fibre polyester composite bodywork and offset rear-mounted engine of its illustrious predecessor. It also used parts from Renault production models, particularly the R8. It was thus a powerful and efficient model, featuring all the improvements made to Alpine models over the years. The Alpine A110 did, however, feature one innovation: the 4-cylinder Renault engine with 5 bearings. To make room for it, the rear end of the vehicle had to be made bigger. This gave the A110 an “aggressive” style that remained its hallmark.
The A110 made its mark in international events right from its debut.
The original Alpine A110 was propelled by a 1300 cc engine later substituted by a 1600 cc unit. A 1969 Renault Alpine A110 1600 was sold for 66.700 Euros during Artcurial Auction at 2012 Retromobile.
Several Renault Alpine A110 were on display on the Renault exhibit.

The Ferrari 250 GTO is certainly the most prestigious Ferrari berlinetta prepared for racing events. The Ferrari GTO was derived from the Ferrari 250 GT SWB and appeared for the first time in 1962. GTO was for Gran Turismo Omologato a statement concerning homologation were a minimum of produced models was requested. Ferrari accounted the 250 GT examples within this figure. The Ferrari GTO shape was designed by Giotto Bizzarini, Ferrari Chief Engineer at the time, and was tested in Pise wind tunnel.
36 cars were made in the years 62/63. In 1964, a 'Series II' body was introduced, which had a slightly different look. Three such cars were made. A total of 39 GTOs were produced. (Source : Wikipedia).

4. 50 Years Anniversary AC Shelby Cobra

By the end of the 1960s, Carrol Shelby was known as successful racing driver with victory at Le Mans 24 Hours in 1959 driving an Aston Martin DBR1. He wanted to build its own sports/racing car combining European engineering and American big engines. His vision of a real contender was based on an European designed chassis combined with an big American V8 engine. After several consultations, he concluded agreement to collaborate with AC Cars Limited and Ford Motors Company. The roadster AC Bristol was missing its engine when Bristol stopped production. The tubular chassis and open aluminium body were modified to receive initially a Ford V8 260 (4,2 Liter) , later to be 289( 4,7 liter) . The new car called AC Ford Cobra was made in England and sent to California Shelby facility for implementation of the engine and transmission. First cars were completed in 1962 and soon were engaged in American Sports Racing series with success. In 1963, the Cobra was entered in several European racing events, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans (hard top fitted versions). In the US the AC Ford Cobra was sold through some Ford dealers. The success can be illustrated in the number of replicas proposed later on the market. For more photos see Car Reviews

5. Peter Mullin Automotive Museum

Only four examples of this exclusive two doors coupe with factory riveted aluminium body were produced. The car was propelled by a 3.257 cc. 8 cylinder double overhead camshaft engine with compressor producing 170 hp at 5.500 rpm. The car exhibited as part of Peter Mullin Museum is the first Atlantic produced and was delivered to Lord Victor Rothschild in England on September 2nd 1936. For more details and illustration see Bugatti 57 SC Atlantic.

This is the first of four race cars built for the Ecurie Bleue Racing Team owned by American Laury and Lucy Schell. This car won the Grand Prix du Million with a one million francs prize offered in 1937 by the French Government to encourage French automobile manufacturers to beat German contenders. Rene Dreyfuss put in the performance of his life at the Montlhery race track setting a new record with an average speed of 146,7 kph over 16 laps. The engine is a 4.496 cc. V12  producing 225 hp at 5.500 rpm and is connected to a 4-speed manual geabox.

Delahaye produced only six 12-cylinder Type 165 as production variants of the successful Type 145 competition car. This car was built to represent France at the 1939 New York’s World Fair. The engine is a 4.495 cc. V12 producing 184 hp at 4.000 rpm connected to a 4-speed Cotal Pre-selector gearbox.

Andre Dubonnet was the heir to the Dubonnet aperitif fortune and the man responsible for this automobile. Rene Dubonnet was an accomplished racing driver and inventor. In order to showcase his inventions, he purchased and extensively modified a Hispano Suiza H6 C chassis.  The car was designed by Jean Andreau, a man known for designing avant-garde streamlined automobiles. It is fitted with sliding doors. The coachwork was built by built by Saoutchik and the car was named Xenia after Rene Dubonnet’s late wife. The engine is a 7.983 cc. in-line 6 cylinder producing 160 hp at 3.050 rpm.  For further information and illustration see Hispano Suiza H6 C Dubonnet “Xenia” 1938. For more information see car review.

The Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport was first displayed as a shortened chassis at the October 1947 Paris Auto Salon, and only 12 were made during 1948. The Grand Sport was noted for its estimated 124 mph (200 kph) top speed. The coachwork of this two seats coupe was prepared by Jacques Saoutchik at Neuilly sur Seine, Paris, France. The T26 was built for racing or luxury road use. A Talbot T26 Grand Sport won the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans with Louis Rosier at the wheel. For further information and illustration on the Le Mans racing version please see Talbot Lago T26 Le Mans.

The birth of the Renault 5 in 1972 was a milestone in the history of Renault. The meteoric success of this stylish urban vehicle, aimed originally at young female buyers, turned the French automotive market on its head.
 The Renault 5 drew upon post-war technological progress but was nevertheless completely unlike its contemporaries. Its rounded lines, short bonnet and – above all – 3-door layout broke with existing trends. In the cabin, the bright colors and square dials expressed the styling trends of the 1970s.
The Renault 5 was not only revolutionary from a design standpoint. It was also at the forefront of technical innovation. In a world first, the new central structure was designed to keep the cabin intact in the event of impact. The reinforced wraparound plastic bumpers were built into the body, replacing the conventional chrome bumpers and making a huge step forward in terms of safety and body protection.
Innovative and original, the R5 quickly became hugely popular with young urban buyers. In the 1st year after launch, the R5 took 5 % of the French automotive market. Its low fuel consumption became a key asset after the oil shock of 1973. In 1974, the R5 became France’s best-selling car. 3 years later, it claimed the No. 1 spot on the European market. For over 10 years, it was France’s most popular compact vehicle.
 
Renault sold more than 5,325,000 R5  units worldwide. Today, it continues to rank among the vehicles that gained cult status in the 2nd half of the 20th century, alongside the 2CV, the Beetle and the DS.

7. Walking around the exhibition

Carrosserie Auto Classic Touraine exhibited this 14/35 hp four cylinder 2,6 litre engine AUDI Type C 1913 restored with stretched aircraft fabric body on a wooden structure. Audi heritage picture shows the Audi   Type C with 14/35 hp 4 cylinder engine participating at the 1914 Austrian Alpine run.

This Bugatti prototype was first displayed at the 1921 Paris Auto Show in the form of a complete chassis to illustrate new technologies prepared by the Company. It was the first 8 cylinder engine made by Bugatti. The car was completed in 1922 and served as a prototype at the factory. It has been fully restored by funding of MOTUL and is part of the Musee National de l’Automobile de Mulhouse.

The Delage 2LCV GP with 2,0 Litre V12 engine was the winner of the 1925 French Grand Prix at Montlhéry. The Delage indeed finished first and second with Benoist and Wagner at the wheel over the 80 laps (621 miles/1.000 km) of the combined oval-track and road circuit. See Car Review for more pictures and information

When fire at the Browns Lane factory crippled Jaguar’s race program and destroyed their means of production, the company quickly turned to George Lister and Sons, a well-known Cambridge engineering firm, to build their chassis.
With the full support of Jaguar, who provided not just competition engines but referred key customers such as the British Petroleum race team and US-based Briggs Cunningham, Brian Lister built what many saw as the natural successor to the Jaguar D Type... story continues in : Car Review for more pictures and information

The homologation in Group B by FIA requested the production of at least 200 examples of the car in road legal version. At Retromobile 2012 it was possible to see both the road legal version and the Rallye competition version. A red Lancia Beta 037 Stradale was eventually sold for 191.000 Euros at the Artcurial Auction. The Competition 037 was displayed by Youngtimers. The Group B had a central monocoque structure with front and rear tubular frames to support the mechanical elements. The 4 cylinder mid-ship mounted engine with 1995 cc produced 325 hp at 8500 rpm with an Abarth compressor. Claimed weight was 960 kg for competition 037 and 1170 kg for the Stradale road legal example. A Lancia 037 Group 5 even participated and finished in 15th position at 1981 24 hours of Le Mans with Finotto, Pianta and Schon at the wheel.

The 1908 French Grand Prix of Dieppe saw the coming together of the Titans of Motorsport, a showdown between all the great car manufacturers of the time.
Organised by the Automobile Club de France, it was a 10 laps endurance race of almost 50 miles (80 km) per lap, which saw average speeds of 80 mph (128 kph) on roads of loose gravel. It was a spectacular event, with grandstands lining the route, to which a truly international entry flocked. Beyond the French entries, there were Mercedes, Benz and Opel from Germany, Italia and Fiat from Italy, Austin from England and Thomas representing the USA. story continues in : Car Review for more pictures and information

The 3,8 Litre Type K Renault caused a sensation when it won the 1902 Paris-Vienna race. Driven by Marcel Renault and running in the Light Cars Class, it surpassed the Large Capacity Cars and set a new standard. See Car Review for more pictures and informations

This single seat car was developed by Hermann Holbein, Chassis Development manager at BMW. The chassis is a tubular frame. The engine comes from a BMW 328, is a six cylinder 1971 cc. 66 x 96 mm, producing 130 hp at 5.750 rpm.  The front suspension elements come from a BMW 326. Claimed top speed is 200 kph (124 mph). Un-laden weight is 510 kg.

Introduced in 1928, the Bentley Speed Six was Walter Owen Bentley’s way of ensuring the standard Six-Litre to be competitive against privateer Supercharged 4,5-Litre of Birkin as well as the ever powerful Mercedes. The Speed Six is known for being the most successful of all of the W.O. Bentley’s with two victories at Le Mans (1929 and 1930) and the Brooklands Double Twelve as well as speed records at Brooklands. All the great ‘Bentley Boys’ drove a Speed Six at some point: Wolf Barnato, Tim Birkin and Glen Kidston, to name but a few.
Besides its success on the track, the Speed Six was predominantly produced as a fast road car. To begin with, almost all of those built were closed cars with only a handful originally supplied as open four seats tourers. As with so many closed body Bentleys, after the war a great proportion had their original body removed and a replica Vanden Plas open touring four seat body was fitted. Whilst this arguably insured their continued longevity, it does mean that today, original closed body Bentley Speed Six are very rare.
Chassis FR2630 exhibited by Fiskens during 2012 Retromobile and illustrated here is one such Vintage Bentley.
Chronology - The first 6,5-Litre Bentley leaves the factory on March 1926. The ‘Speed Six’ high performance 6,5-Litre Bentley is revealed in September 1928. ‘Speed Six’ Bentleys claim the top four places at Le Mans in June 1929. Race winners are Barnato and Tim Birkin.

This Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder 1959 with factory hard top and covered headlights (Chassis n° 1283GT) was once the property of famous French movie-maker Roger Vadim. It was sold for 4.507.104 Euros at Artcurial Auction during 2012 Retromobile in Paris. It was the 22nd model built out of a total 47 examples. See Car Review for more pictures and information

The BMW 700 RS was a racing car specially developed for the hill climb championship and with the purpose to support the BMW 700 publicity. The chassis is multi-tubular and the body is made of aluminium. A large number of components came from the production 700 while two cylinder 697 cc. engine received a special development. It produced 70 hp at 8.000 rpm. The two 700 RS produced were extensively raced with success in hill climb races at Robfeld, Gaisberg and Schauinsland between 1961 and 1964. Race drivers include Hans Stuck Sr., Walter Schneider, Herbert Linge, Heinz Eppelein and Alex von Falkenhausen.
Claimed top speed 160 kph (100 mph). Un-laden weight 630 kg.

This factory racing prototype was built in three examples. The displayed car finished 10th in the 1925 24 Hours of Le Mans. The engine is 1.095 cc with compressor. Claimed top speed is 152 kph without compressor and 172 kph with compressor. The car is extremely light which save on tyres wearing and allows less replacement in endurance races compared to heavy and powerful machines. The car in exhibit is from the Musee des 24 Heures – Collection Automobile Club de l’Ouest.

The Talbot Monoplace Décalée was launched to respond to the new international regulations of 1938 for car up to 3.000 cc with supercharger or 4.500 cc with normally aspirated engine. Competing against the German government-financed Mercedes Benz Grand Prix and Auto Union Grand Prix was a hopeless undertaking, but a few firms including Talbot Lago made the effort. See Car Review for more pictures and information

In 1880, Charles Jeantaud and Zenobe Gramme produced a four wheel electric dog-cart. The vehicle unfortunately took fire just after a few hundred meters of operation and was entirely destroyed. In 1881, in England, researchers William Edward Ayrton and John Perry presented the first operational electric vehicle. This tricycle with one seat was able, according to sources, of a top speed of 14 to 18 kph (8 to 11 mph). The operating range with one battery charge was 40 to 50 km (24 to 32 miles). The electric vehicle was used essentially as a demonstration of the new electric techniques. The vehicle was fitted with voltmeter, ammeter, and lamps that had just been patented by Thomas Edison. This example is fully operational and comes from Autovision Museum directed by Horst Schultz. The exhibit at 2012 Retromobile was organised by Gasoline magazine.

As the 1960s progressed so did the confrontation between Ferrari and Ford. The Italian firm’s slight-rejecting Blue Oval’s offer to buy them - saw the birth of the Ford GT40 project, with Ferrari’s response being to build some of the prettiest and most competitive cars ever to emerge from Maranello.
In 1964 Ferrari introduced the 330P... story continues here and more pictures

  Bentley’s early participation in motor sport was a mixture of both factory entries and wealthy privateers and both enjoyed success. The factory fielded cars at Indianapolis and the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, whilst privateers like John Duff would take their own cars to race at Brooklands and, significantly, Le Mans. Though Walter Owen Bentley thought that the 24 hours race was madness he could not stop Duff entering in 1923 when he finished 4th. Returning in 1924, Duff not only bettered the results, but won the race. By 1925 W.O. Bentley realised the huge publicity benefits and decided that a factory entry was the best option for the Company. As such, the Bentley Factory Team Entry joined Duff in a two Bentley line-up to take on the predominantly French opposition.
Chassis 1138 exhibited by Fiskens at 2012 Retromobile, was the first factory works Le Mans entry, a 3-Litre Bentley diven by Dudley Benjafield and Bertie Kensington Moir. W.O. Bentley had learnt much from Duff’s previous Le Mans achievement and he went about preparing chassis 1138 in his usual fastidious manner. The chassis was fitted with a Vanden Plas four-seat body with a lower, more aerodynamic windscreen. A large 25 gallon fuel tank was installed as well as a stone guard to the radiator, headlights, oil sump and fuel tank. A leather strap held the bonnet in place whilst the standard road springs were tightly bound so as to stiffen the suspension. The engine was also up-rated to Supersports specification, which included a higher compression ratio and two S.U. ‘sloper’ carburettors. Dual fuel pipes, sheathed in rubber, as well as a dual wiring system similar to those used on aircraft were further measures to help defeat the rigors of such a tough race.
1925 was the first year of the classic Le Mans start, with rules stating that the first 20 laps had to be run with the roof up. A similar 20 laps rule governed when a car could first stop for fuel and water and Bentley decided to combine lowering the roof and petrol refuel stop into one. The minimum amount of fuel for the 20 laps had been calculated and both cars started well, setting a remarkable pace, with Kensington Moir regularly achieving over 90 mph. However there had been a serious error in calculations; no one had taken into account the extra fuel used when the roof was erect, and both cars failed to make the 20 laps.
Later the chassis 1138 was used as a demonstrator at the factory. The car has since been through a complete restoration.
Bentley won 24 Hours Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930 and 2003.

The old timer Citroën 2CV was engaged in the "Le Raid des Baroudeurs" (Adventurer's Raid) race around the world. It has won since 1990 at multiples times in rallies such as Maroc "Relance Grands Raids"(1990), Abou Simbel, Egypt (2003), "Route de la soie" (Silk Road), "Croisière Chine", "Tibet" in China respectively 2007, 2007 and 2009... It should be engaged in the next years in Paris -Pékin (Beijing) -Istanbul (2012), Buenos Aires - Rio - Cayenne (2013) or Bombay - Pékin (Beijing) (2014).

The Origin of the Citroën 2CV : First prototypes of the Citroen 2CV were built in 1937 with design and performances objectives so it would be a popular and economic car (transport four people with 50 kg of luggage, 4.5 litres of fuel for 100 km) with innovative design illustrating the formula: “More than a vehicle, a lifestyle”.
The initial car weighted no more than 500 kg and reached a modest top speed of 65 km/h with 500 cm3 motorbike engine ... story continues here

This Ferrari 312 T3 was driven by Gilles Villeneuve throughout the 1978 Grand Prix season. Gilles Villeneuve won the 1978 Canadian Grand Prix in this car. The car was powered by a flat-12 normally aspirated 2.992 cc. engine producing near 510 hp. The gearbox was 5-speed transverse. This Ferrari 312 T3 was displayed by Hall & Hall at the 2012 Retromobile.

 BMW was involved in the Formula 2 Championship in 1967 with this Brabham BT7 equipped with a 16 valves 2,0-Litre (1.994 cc.) engine derived from a BMW unit. This engine produced 310 hp at 8.500 rpm and with a 5-speed gearbox allowed standing start 0 to 200 kph (124 mph) in 10,5 seconds. Claimed top speed is 310 kph (192 mph). Un-laden weight is 460 kg

Anthony Lago, when established as the new director of the Talbot SA company at Suresnes (near Paris) in 1933, brought new vitality into the already well established car company. His idea was to build cars that could win races. He was convinced that racing was not only the best test-bed, but also the greatest promotional platform. His development concept was to use as many production car components as possible, hence reaching a high degree of reliability and endurance. The results were impressive, since no less than 21 first, 21 second and 18 third places were achieved in international Grand Prix and Sports Cars races between 1936 and 1951. This included outright wins at Le Mans in 1950 and a 5th place in the Carrera Panamericana race in the same year with Louis Rosier in the 4,5 litre Talbot Lago. Story continues here ...

The ‘saga of the 200” started when Peugeot introduced the 201 at the Paris Auto show in 1929. It is the one who started the three number designation articulated around a central ‘0’. The success of the 201 allows Peugeot to overcome the financial crisis of the thirties. The 201 C launched in September 1931 is considered the first mass production car with independent front suspension.
The definition of the main specification for the design of the 201 came from a survey prepared among the company’s clients; this was, at the time, quite an innovating technique for defining a new product. The production tools implemented at the Sochaux factory for this model are the start of a new generation of a line of models. With the 201, Peugeot starts a full line of versions including saloon, torpedo, coupe and convertible (‘cabriolet’), commercial and van.
This 6 CV ‘cabriolet’ receive a 1.122 cc four cylinder engine producing 23 hp and is capable of a top speed of 80 kph (50 mph). The transmission is to the rear wheels and the gearbox has 3 speed ratios.
The Peugeot 201 was produced at 142.309 examples between 1927 and 1937 including all versions. The 201 convertible was produced at 3.765 examples.

For the 1926 Grand Prix season, the rules had changed and maximum engine capacity was 1.500cc. rather than the previous 2.000 cc. Delage decided to prepare three cars with a new eight cylinder in line engine derived from the V12 of the 2LCV. Two Rootes superchargers were mounted on the side and exhaust was on the right side. The cars showed interesting performances but required further development. For 1927, Delage prepared four updated 1500 GP. The eight cylinders engine was turned around to have the exhaust on the left. The twin supercharchers were replaced by a single one in front in line with the engine block. There was needle bearing or ball bearing for every moving part. The engine produced 150 hp at 7.500 rpm. The 1927 GP season was exceptional for the Delage 15-S-8 (1500 cc. – Supercharger -8 cylinders) or 1500 GP as it won the Championship and most of the races including some races where it took the three first places. The following ten years saw Delage 1500 GP driven by privateers; three private drivers were British specialists such as Malcolm Campbel, Richard “Dick” Seaman and Lord Howe. It is estimated that today there are still three Delage 1500 GP in running condition.

In 1939 Fiat introduced the 1100. It was basically an updated 508 (1932-1934) better known as the Fiat Balilla . The Fiat 1100 was produced until 1948 during which time over 75.000 units of various versions were built. There were six types of body. The 1100 S berlinetta was one of them and was introduced in 1947. It is claimed that up to 1950, 401 examples of the 1100 S were produced. The sports coupe directly descended from the pre-war 508 C MM with a considerably improved engine. The 4 cylinder 1.089 cc produced 51 hp at 5.200 rpm. The Fiat 1100 S MM in exhibit was sold for 131.000 Euros at Artcurial Auction during 2012 Retromobile. The bodywork on this car is a Rappi design similar to the future Otto Vu (see Car Reviews for further information). This Fiat 1100 S MM participated  in several Mille Miglia races, especially in 1948 when they took 2nd, 3rd and 4th position behind the winning Ferrari 166 driven by Biondetti and Navone.
Fiat 1100 S MM top speed is claimed 150 kph (93 mph) while average fuel consumption was rated at 12,5 litre per 100 km (22.6 mpg).

The Fiat 1500 6 Cylinders was engaged in Le Mans 1950 and was driven by Jean Brault and Louis Paimpol.