Retromobile 2015: The Cars Outside

Last weekend, I attended the large car show in Paris called Retromobile. It’s basically a new car show, a classic car show, a swap meet, a car auction, and a road rally all rolled into one– in French. I had a great time and there is so much to share. We’ll start with the cars outside the convention hall. Make the jump to see the obscure at the Porte de Versailles Metro station.

As soon as I ascended the stairs from the Metro stop, I saw some tiny, iconic, gold wheels attached to a distinctively blue car behind a row of drab taxis. It was the Renault Clio Williams. I apologize for the blurriness of the photo. I wasn’t quite ready physically, or mentally. It belonged to a group of Hoons, no doubt looking for parking for the event.

Along the wall of the convention center where the car show was being held were four short rows of cars with 2015 Retromobile rally plates on. I suspect that at some point during the day, these oddball cars were going to drive off in a parade around town.
The cars with the rally plates were mainly Porsche 911s of various vintages and a bunch of British roadsters. People were primarily fixated on those. What I made a beeline for was this, a genuine Alpine A310. The acres of flat sheet metal on this Gallic beast really set it apart.

 



I don’t know any French, but even I knew that this sign on the Alpine’s dashboard read: Don’t touch my Frenchie car, fellow Frenchies.

Another car that really stood out was this mid-1980s Mercury Cougar conversion. Is it a Zimmer, an Excalibur, or something else?


This British 3-wheeler also had me scratching my head. Is it a Le Morgan?



Of all the cars outside, this Matra Rancho mini-truck/SUV was by far my favorite. It has really aged well and it’s so utilitarian!

And finally, there was a Renault tent outside with a trio of R16 hatchbacks. I thought they contrasted well with this Peugeot hatchback police car.

Images source: Copyright 2015 Hooniverse/Jim Yu