Paris Sets Historic Records at Rétromobile 2026

Paris did not merely celebrate the 50th anniversary of Rétromobile. It confirmed its standing as the dominant arena for automotive collecting in Europe. The RM Sotheby’s auction assembled some of the most coveted machines on the market and closed with more than €80 million in total sales.

The top lot was a Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider (1960), hammered at more than €14 million — a figure that reaffirms the singular weight of open Ferrari machinery from the 1960s within the international collector car market.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider (1960)

A second protagonist was the Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta “Tour de France” (1956), sold for €12 million. Its competition history and original configuration sustained fierce bidding throughout.

Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta “Tour de France” (1956)

The auction also embraced machinery of a different order. The Bugatti Bolide (2024) achieved nearly €4 million in one of its first public auction appearances, placing the contemporary hypercar segment on equal footing with the most established classics.

Bugatti Bolide (2024)

On the competition front, the Ferrari F310 B Formula 1 car reinforced the presence of track-pedigreed machinery within a sale dominated by storied names from Maranello.

Ferrari F310 B Formula 1

Four automobiles. Four distinct chapters of European engineering, united beneath the same hammer.

Paris, once again, put a price on documented excellence.