Swooping Figoni et Falaschi-bodied beauties or obscure techno-marvel Gallic classics are regular features of Rétromobile, the annual Parisian celebration of everything old and automotive.
But the real joy of this ever-growing – and ever-improving – show in the French capital is what we like to refer to as the 'weirdies', the stuff that you will never find at any other European event, but which always makes me feel grateful that there's someone out there caring for it.
This year's unofficial theme was commercial vehicles, with an amazing number of hard-working vans, trucks and buses – quite aside from the wacky little Voisin camionette mentioned in our main show report.
Specialist Tradex SRL brought along the truly wonderful Fiat 642 RN2 Ferrari transporter – which was almost upstaging the P4 racer on the back – but I've seen that before, so found myself drawn to a rather smaller load-hauler on the same stand: a gorgeous little first-series Lancia Appia pick-up that belongs to German milliner von Lanzenauer (top). Presented complete with a display of period hats, it looked as if it had been teleported in from the Goodwood Revival Car Show.
But stealing the show for sheer commercial chic was the Alfa Clasic Club de France's glass-backed Alfa Romeo 'Romeo 2'. One of 21,722 Romeo 1, 2 and 3 vans built from 1954-'63 before the model was replaced by the updated F12 – and one of only two in the country – it featured the all-alloy twin-cam Giulietta motor or, even more intriguingly, an optional Perkins diesel with Roots supercharger.
Fans of Renault buses were particularly well served this year. One private vendor brought along a charming 1959 Renault Galion three-quarter coach (above), with a body by coachbuilder Amiot, a rare survivor of the type used to transport passengers between isolated French villages.
Nearby, there was a fascinating display of early Parisian buses from the Musée des Transports Urbains. The 1927 Renault TN and 1932 TN6A represented the kind of vehicles that were pounding the streets of the capital after the closure of the tramways.
