For half a century, Paris’s Rétromobile has stood as a premier indoor gathering place for car collectors, master restorers, and automotive culture enthusiasts from across the globe. Now, this storied institution is preparing to cross the Atlantic Ocean to stage its inaugural American edition, taking over the expansive halls of the Javits Center from November 19 to 22, 2026.
Unlike traditional open-air concours events, Rétromobile operates as a multifaceted indoor experience that seamlessly blends a bustling trade show, a fine art gallery, a high-stakes auction, and an expansive cultural festival built around emotion, nostalgia, and a profound passion for automobiles. Visitors walking the floor can explore historic automobiles, modern restomods, rare automobilia, and automotive fine art side by side in an immersive environment.
The flagship Paris salon dates back to its origins in 1976, when it debuted as a humble, informal flea market for vintage automobile parts designed primarily for working mechanics. As the decades progressed, the salon expanded its footprint and its vision, incorporating fine art, historical ephemera, major live auctions, ultra-rare supercars, and diverse cultural elements that elevated it into a global touchstone for car culture.
To understand how the organization plans to transplant its distinct European perspective to the bustling landscape of New York City, industry observers have looked to Gérard Neveu, the CEO of Rétromobile New York. Neveu brings more than 25 years of extensive executive experience within the international automotive and motorsport industries. Most notably, his decade-long tenure as the CEO of the FIA World Endurance Championship saw him champion cutting-edge hybrid technology and pioneering Hypercar regulations that successfully attracted major global manufacturers and legions of new fans. Drawing heavily upon his vast international network and his deep familiarity with the American market, Neveu is tasked with establishing Rétromobile New York as a permanent, enduring fixture on the American cultural calendar.
Why Now, and Why New York City?
The timing of this transatlantic expansion is no coincidence. This year marks the golden anniversary of Rétromobile in Paris, celebrating 50 years of automotive heritage. When examining comprehensive global market statistics, industry leaders noted a compelling trend: over half of the world’s collector car volume and an overwhelming three-quarters of global auction value in 2025 were driven directly by American collectors.
The decision to plant roots in New York City rather than traditional automotive hubs stems from a shared cultural energy between the French capital and Manhattan, drawing parallels to the dynamic atmosphere of Fashion Week in both cities. From a purely logistical standpoint, shipping valuable historic vehicles from European ports to the East Coast of the United States is significantly simpler and more efficient than moving them across the country to the West Coast. Furthermore, positioning the major event during the week immediately preceding Thanksgiving places it strategically at the close of the calendar year, well outside the traditional summer car week season, allowing both local residents and visiting tourists to enjoy the experience during a vibrant time in the city.
A Celebration of Emotion Rather Than Competition
The philosophy driving Rétromobile differs significantly from traditional American automotive gatherings, such as the storied events held during Monterey Car Week and the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. While a traditional Concours d’Elegance tends to be intensely selective, highly competitive, and strictly focused on a carefully judged field of immaculately restored vehicles, Rétromobile positions itself as an inclusive celebration and a living show.
Attendees do not arrive to compete for a trophy or fight for an award; rather, they come to experience genuine emotion and pass down a shared passion across generations. In Europe, private collectors can sometimes remain quite reserved about publicly showing their prized automobiles. Conversely, American collectors possess a well-known enthusiasm for sharing their collections with the public. In New York, organizers are curating a dedicated collector gallery consisting of cars displayed purely for the simple pleasure of sharing them. It is designed to be an open, welcoming space where visitors can appreciate fine automobiles, rare art, intricate timepieces, and lifestyle items all under a single roof.
An Immersive Urban Landscape at the Javits Center
Stepping into the massive 400,000-square-foot exhibition hall at the Javits Center, visitors will encounter an atmosphere intentionally styled to evoke an urban streetscape. Rather than relying on standard, utilitarian booth numbers or plain, repetitive aisles, the layout will feature custom-designed Manhattan street signage to guide attendees through the space.
The exhibition floor will host approximately 200 diverse exhibitors, ranging from international automotive dealers and specialized restorers to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) heritage divisions and niche publishers. Hosted in partnership with presenting partner Richard Mille, the event will feature a curated artist gallery, innovative restomods, vintage automobilia, lifestyle exhibits, live restoration workshops, and a multi-day live auction presented by Gooding Christie’s Auctions. To round out the cultural immersion, the venue will also house a classic watch gallery, dynamic food truck courts, and signature French hospitality.
Honoring Historic Motorsport Heritage
Beyond the display of classic street cars and artistic interpretations of the automobile, the New York edition will feature significant tributes to historic motorsport. The official organization behind the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race will cross the Atlantic to participate in the New York event, bringing historic race cars to showcase their new museum initiative and offer exclusive previews of upcoming endurance racing programs. Additionally, organizers are establishing a dedicated motorsport island in collaboration with the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) to celebrate the rich and enduring heritage of American sports car racing.
Engaging the Tri-State Community
Reaching out to local enthusiasts is a central pillar of the launch strategy. Organizers have focused their outreach efforts on three core groups: commercial exhibitors, the dedicated tri-state collector community, and the broader general public living within a convenient three-hour radius of Manhattan. To build organic momentum, the team has been organizing targeted Cars & Coffee gatherings in partnership with local automotive clubs, motorcycle groups, and regional enthusiast hubs. The ultimate objective is to unite families, casual fans, and hardcore collectors alike while establishing a long-term home for the event in New York City.
Art, Culture, and the Debut of CART X
The American program will also feature an extraordinary selection of 70 art cars curated by prominent collector Larry Warsh through his CART Department, an organization recognized for managing significant archives including the works of Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The CART Department presentation is designed to examine the automobile far beyond its basic utility, challenging conventional perceptions of industrial design.
Among the striking works on view will be Keith Haring’s 1971 Series III Land Rover Defender, hand-painted with his signature bold, graphic motifs; the heavily stripped-down 2004 Maybach 57 custom luxury car famously featured in the music video for Jay-Z and Kanye West’s hit song “Otis”; an eclectic BMW covered meticulously in thousands of colorful LEGO bricks by artist Ai Weiwei; and Shepard Fairey’s 1937 Packard 115C Touring Sedan, layered with intricate graphics exploring complex themes of wealth, power, and consumerism.
Additional featured vehicles within the exhibition include creations by renowned contemporary artists and designers such as Daniel Arsham, Damien Hirst, Kenny Scharf, Richard Prince, Olafur Eliasson, Zaha Hadid, Jeff Koons, and Barbara Kruger. This major collaboration marks the public debut of CART X, a new hybrid global platform established by Warsh that bridges the worlds of automobiles, fine art, music, and fashion. The platform aims to fundamentally redefine how automobiles are appreciated within a broader lifestyle context and seamlessly absorbed into contemporary popular culture.
Rétromobile New York will hold its inaugural edition from November 19 to 22, 2026, at the Javits Center. Single-day general admission passes begin at $70, while VIP preview tickets are available for $320. Meanwhile, the flagship Paris salon prepares to host its 51st edition from February 3 to 7, 2027, once again kicking off the bustling European classic car circuit.
