The European auction season kicked off with the Salon Rétromobile auto show in Paris, and as we did last year we’re covering the results from this year’s sale. There were adjustments in the dates and locations for some of the auctions in 2026, meaning for some houses this was their debut sale in a new format. Early analysis suggests more market optimism than I saw in 2025, but read on for detailed numbers and my key takeaways from the 2026 Rétromobile auction results.

Salon Rétromobile is an annual collector car show in Paris showcasing automobiles, clubs, parts and automobilia. As with many large automobile events, auction houses hold adjacent sales to take advantage of the buzz and car-crazy audiences gathered in one place. I previewed some of the wild lots at last year’s Rétromobile sale, but this year you’ll find a detailed write up of the 2026 Rétromobile auction results, followed by a few highlights.

Until last year, the French auction house Artcurial was the official auction sponsor for Rétromobile, but that honor now belongs to Gooding Christie’s. Despite this change, Artcurial still held an Automobile Legends sale just before the classic show. Total lots on offer were down significantly, with 70 total consignments crossing the block (compared to 195 in 2025). Sell through rate was a dismal 61% with just 43 of the cars hammering sold compared to last year’s 84% STR. Total dollar volume was $18,000,000, however, which is pretty commendable for a first-time format.

Back in Paris again for their flagship European sale, RM Sotheby’s hosted 83 vehicles at their Salles du Carrousel location in the Louvre Palace. This is down compared to last year’s 113, and sell-through-rate was also down from 86% in 2025 to 76% in 2026. Total dollar volume was an impressive $82,300,000, a 21% increase over last year’s take. The top sale was a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT California that hammered for $16,841,456.

This year, Gooding Christie’s assumed the role of primary sponsor and auction for Rétromobile. Many of the 83 total consignments were impressive, though the sell-through-rate was a mediocre 77%. That said, dollar volume more than doubled over Artcurial’s last sale with $59,700,000 taken in during the single day of bidding. The top sale, interestingly, was a 932-mile 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO that hammered for an outrageous $10,807,793. That’s a hammer price over $2M more than the Bachman Collection’s Ferrari 288 GTO from the Mecum Kissimmee Sale.

Shifting its location to the historic Polo de Paris, Bonhams again held a Paris sale this year. The number of total lots was down to 65 from 136 last year (though last year had a plethora of motorcycles not present in this year’s auction and Bonhams has an online sale of bikes coming up in February). The consignments were impressive, however, and included 11 remaining vehicles from the Pierre Strinati collection dubbed “The Sleeping Beauties.” Sell-through-rate was a decent 82%, but dollar volume was down 43% to just $10,300,000.

While there were plenty of high-dollar sales, this one leapt out at me, as it’s not your typical modern supercar and unlike any of the wild sales we saw at Mecum Kissimmee or in Scottsdale. This 1975 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale sold at Gooding Christie’s for a new record price of $996,092. This result is below the auction house estimate, but almost a cool quarter million dollars above the most recent sale price of a similar Lancia Stratos.

To this car’s credit, it is probably the lowest mileage example publicly sold with a verified 2,000 kilometers on the odometer and 45 years of continuous ownership. It was presented in original and unrestored condition with its original Celeste paint and interior upholstery. This car will probably be the benchmark for Lancia Stratos restoration and preservation, and I hope marque experts were able to take a detailed look.

Below are a handful of cars whose sales I found interesting for one reason or another. You can find descriptions of each lot and my reason for calling them out below..

A car can be restored to concours-winning condition — far better condition than when it left the factory — but one thing no restoration can do is create originality or provenance. In the highly competitive arena of high-dollar collecting, these things matter. The owner of a low-miles car with its original paint, interior, and specification with a known history will have something more special than the other guy, assuming condition is equal. The results for cars with these qualities demonstrates that bidders consider them worth paying for.

The “barn find” is far from dead. Based on results seen in January, collectors still value the opportunity to acquire one of these neglected, yet highly original relics. How many can possibly be left is a constant question, but they keep showing up at auction.

Across most price ranges, classics or cars built prior to 1970 are seeing the most declines in value relative to newer models. The top results for the January auctions were dominated by supercars, exotics and 90s-2000s era sports cars. Exceptions exist, of course, but are limited to high-end customs, extremely high-end restorations and cars with excellent provenance.

All in all, the 2026 Rétromobile auction results are pretty consistent with auction performance in the States for January. I’m not seeing a significant difference in trends across the pond when extracting outlier sales like the Bachman Collection at Mecum Kissimmee.

The nearly $1M sale of a 1975 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale is a big deal for those cars and though the example sold at Gooding Christie’s was fantastically original, it still sets a new benchmark for a #1 concours condition Stratos.

Online auctions are the primary sales venue in the coming weeks as we get ready to kickoff the Spring live auction season with ModaMiami and the Amelia Island sales at the end of the month.

Have a great week everyone!

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisals, and auction services for buyers and sellers of collector European cars. If you’re interested in acquiring an overseas car, give us a call or drop a line!