PARIS.- Led by Matthieu Lamoure, President of Artcurial Motorcars, and Pierre Novikoff,Vice-President, the sale was first conducted under the hammer of Maître Anne-Claire Mandine, then passed to the legendary Maître Hervé Poulain for the Formula 1 lots, before concluding with Maître Arnaud Oliveux. Over four days of exhibition, the event drew impressive attendance, bringing together Renault enthusiasts, classic car collectors and families, who came to celebrate a major chapter in French automotive history.
A packed saleroom and over 1,000 registered bidders fueled intense competition, leading to spirited bidding battles and numerous record prices.
Outstanding results
Among the remarkable lots, a 1957-1958 Cargo Liberty Ship scale model sold for €17,212, while a 1994 Renault Clio Williams Series 2, preserved since new within Renault Sport, achieved €54,180. The extremely rare 1983 Renault Maxi 5 Turbo Prototype B0, developed by Jean Ragnotti and featuring components no longer available, found a new owner for €216,720.
The competition cars established themselves as the highlights of the auction. The legendary Renault Alpine A442 (1975-1978), ex-1977 24 Hours of Le Mans (Arnoux / Pironi / Fréquelin) and the very first A442 built, was sold for €1,278,080. The Renault RE40-03 Formula 1 car (1983), victorious at Spa-Francorchamps with Alain Prost, reached €1,198,000. The undisputed star of the sale, the Williams Renault FW19 (1997), a World Championship-winning single-seater preserved in the collection since 1998, was hammered down at €1,312,400.
Other major pieces also left their mark on the auction. A Renault EF15 Type E engine (1986), used by Ayrton Senna during qualifying in Adelaide, sold for €225,080. The Lotus 95T Formula One car (1984), which finished second at the Detroit Grand Prix with Elio de Angelis and which was designed by Gérard Ducarouge, achieved €866,88.
Among the collectible display pieces, a Renault R23-00 Show Car (2003), a spectacular exhibition model finished in Lotus colours, climbed to €99,932, while a Benetton-Renault B195 Show Car (1995), a highly accurate replica of the World Championship-winning model, was sold for €126,420. More contemporary and forward-looking, a Renault 5 GTL “Retrofit” electric (1983), a special Roland-Garros edition created for the R5’s 50th anniversary, found a buyer at €26,488.
The art of preserving automotive heritage
The proceeds from the auction will be dedicated to enriching Renault’s historic vehicle collection, through the reacquisition and restoration of missing models, ahead of the museum’s opening in 2027. This “white-glove” sale stands as a powerful testament to collectors’ deep attachment to the brand’s history and heritage, and once again confirms Artcurial Motorcars’ ability to deliver exceptional results.
