Perhaps the single coolest indoor car event in the world, Rétromobile, has been a part of the European automotive enthusiast experience since it made its debut in Paris back in 1976 and has been held in the City of Light ever since. The legendary event is finally making its way stateside in 2026 when Rétromobile New York finally happens between November 19 and 22 next year. American enthusiasts will finally get to experience the delight of some of the most bizarre and most important vehicles from history without suffering the indignity of an international flight. You should be very excited about this.
According to reporting from Motor1 and Hagerty, the event coming to the Javitz Center in NYC has been many years in the making. The first event in the U.S. was supposed to happen this year, but the date was pushed back to next year with delays and accommodations. Partnering with Gooding Christie’s, the team behind the event is hoping to draw between 200 and 250 exhibitors, filling 400,000 square feet across four halls of the building. If they meet their plans, the show will be about half as populous as this year’s show in Paris, which drew 600 exhibitors, 2,000 cars and motorcycles, and 146,000 attendees.
What is Rétromobile?
Rétromobile is a massive vintage car show that encourages visitors to “travel back in time to indulge your passion” over three days in a giant convention hall. The event includes a large vintage car auction, giant exhibitions from automakers, car clubs, spare parts sellers, event organizers, coachbuilders, restorers, car dealers, and more. “Anything goes at Rétromobile,” as the organization says. It is often considered part of the vintage car calendar in the same way as Monterey Car Week. Every car has a story, and Rétromobile is where you can hear it.
I, for one, am excited to see this show come to New York, and it might be enough to get me to visit the city, in spite of my general disdain for the Big Apple. See you there?