Rétromobile 2026: curtain up on the 50th edition’s official poster!
Rétromobile: an anniversary edition with an arty theme
Rétromobile is celebrating its 50th anniversary! While many other special events have already been announced (New York show, a new Supercars exhibition co-located with Rétromobile), the best is yet to come! In total, no fewer than four special displays will feature at this anniversary edition. Among them, no prizes for guessing that the first will be dedicated to a global artistic and mechanical phenomenon: BMW Art Cars.
And so, without any further ado, here comes the poster of the 2026 edition:
The Calder BMW Art Car, the icon of the 50th edition of Rétromobile
The car starring on the Rétromobile 50th anniversary poster will thus be the Calder BMW Art Car. This vehicle, which itself turns 50 in 2025, is considered by many to be the pioneer of Art Cars, born out of the vision of Hervé Poulain.
BMW Art Cars: the dawn of an artistic and mechanical movement
Auctioneer, contemporary art buff and avowed ‘gentleman driver’ Hervé Poulain had a yearning to build a bridge between art and motor racing. He came up with a simple yet revolutionary concept to achieve his goal: invite the leading artists of the time to express their creativity… with the car body of a racing car as their canvas.
To produce the first creation, Hervé Poulain called on Alexander Calder, a leading light in the modern art world. Won over by the chance to create a work of art in motion, the artist accepted the challenge. While it took a while to choose the appropriate vehicle, the BMW 3.0 CSL soon emerged as the obvious candidate: an icon of the motor racing competitions of the day, its sleek silhouette and sculpted car body made it an ideal medium for Alexander Calder and his penchant for dynamic forms and colourful compositions.
Early in June 1975, just a week before the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the artist unveiled his creation. The result was captivating: whether through its expressive colours bringing to mind speed and energy, or its organic and wavy forms, the Art Car was designed and conceived to interact with the light and environment of motor racing. The vehicle became a total work of art, intended to be admired not as a static creation but, instead, in action. And that was how the car would be presented to the general public: on 14 June 1975, the Calder BMW Art Car took to the circuit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, raced by Hervé Poulain, Jean Guichet et Sam Posey.
BMW Art Cars: 50 years of collaborations on the clock
Rétromobile 2026, an official leg of the BMW Art Car World Tour
To mark this double anniversary, Rétromobile and BMW Group are pleased to offer car enthusiasts a new leg in the BMW Art Car World Tour. Fifty years on from its creation, the Calder BMW Art Car will return to its birthplace in France to admired for five days by the visitors of the world’s most exciting pop-up garage.
Ready to make you dream again?
The world's finest ephemeral garage dedicated to classic cars is closing its doors... but will be back next year for another exceptional edition! 50 years of the show! Half a century of motoring passion to celebrate together.
The ticket office is open, get your ticket!