Dear Classic Car Enthusiasts, Collectors and Followers,
Well, if Inter Classics Maastricht and Rétromobile in Paris are anything to go by, we will behaving a very exciting and busy year ahead of us.
The whole classic car scene is alive with interesting cars.
People wanted to talk about the future and what it has in store for us, and the crowds were at pre-COVID level.
Rétromobile was busy from start to finish, with so much to see and many familiar faces.
As always, it is good to catch up with like-minded people who want to discuss classic cars and their future.
However, we did not see that many cars sold on the dealer stands, even though there were some great displays on show to admire and revel in.
The 2026 Paris auctions held around the Rétromobile show unsurprisingly revealed that the European market is not as buoyant as that across the Atlantic.
Nevertheless, Artcurial, Bonhams, Gooding Christie's and RMSotheby's all served up fascinating, storied lots, with over-achievers and under-achievers alike across all four auction houses.
Again, Ferrari cars were the talk of the town, outperforming and outnumbering others.
With over 320 cars on offer across the auction houses, we noticed how far off the estimated values they were, in most instances, with the odd surprise.
It will be interesting to see if the Kissimmee madness weekend was just a blip, or if this week’s Amelia auction follows suit.
A close eye will be kept with intent interest, especially on the Ferrari market: it has been quite clear that the dealer network is close on the heels of the auction houses, with F40s, Enzo's and SP3's being asked for, and prices escalating as we speak.
We wonder how the armchair experts have not (on this occasion…) jumped on the bandwagon and predicted these upturns and how they have come about.
It is a great shame how the market is governed by auction results that our master geniuses have not forecast.
It almost looks like they are always a couple of months behind the times.
Again, we cannot stress the point of market values enough: when looking for a car or trying to sell one, auctions do not always have the answers; just a ‘guesstimate’ opinion of the market.
All classic cars are different in so many ways: ownership, condition and documented history.
We are seeing more buyers quoting auction prices when negotiating a deal with a dealer, a crazy and out-of-touch way to handle the process.
If you are looking to sell your classic or considering a new purchase, we are, as always, here to assist.
Safe and happy motoring
Keith
keith@classicmobilia.com +44(0)7889 805432 +44(0)1908 270672 classicmobilia.comAbout Keith:
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