Postcard from Rétromobile

Celebrating its demi-siècle (half century) this year, Rétromobile is, I would vouchsafe, the world’s classiest classic car show.

Visitors as gorgeous as the cars mingle on glitzy stands with automobiles the like of which you never see anywhere else, along with automobilia as curious as a year’s worth of Antiques Roadshow, speeded up and rolled into one morning’s visit.

There was a time, once, when the French carrossier (coachbuilders) were the envy of the world, leading avant-garde design and craft-construction skills, all with technical accomplishment. Think of names such as Figoni et Falaschi, Pourtout, Vanvooren, Saoutchik, Hubbard & Darrin along with Henri Chapron, and those lovely cabriolet Peugeot models specified by dealer Darl’mat; all purveyors of mastery in metal to the rich and the beautiful.