For 50 years, Rétromobile has been a fixture of the Paris calendar, the place where collectors, dealers and the merely car-curious gather to admire some of the most remarkable vehicles ever built. This November, the show crosses the Atlantic for the first time. Rétromobile New York makes its American debut at the Javits Center from Nov. 19 to 22, with more than 300 classic cars, rare collector vehicles and works of automotive art, plus more than 100 exhibitors from around the world. That’s decades of automotive history, design and craftsmanship, all under one roof on 11th Avenue.
Some of the headliners come with famous names attached. Billy Joel’s motorcycle collection is on display, and so is Steve McQueen’s Ferrari, both presented through Gooding Christie’s, the show’s official auction house. For fans of the Piano Man or the King of Cool, that alone is worth the trip. Look out, too, for a Mercedes-Maybach S 680 benefiting the LeBron James Family Foundation. Many of the vehicles on the floor usually live in private collections, so this is a rare chance to see them up close, all in the same room.
You don’t need to know a carburetor from a camshaft to enjoy it, either. Rétromobile treats the automobile as a work of art and design as much as a feat of engineering. Through its partnership with CART Department, the show brings automotive art into the mix, and world-renowned dealers and restoration specialists are on hand to talk through the stories and craftsmanship behind the machines. Ask how a car was found, who owned it and what it took to bring it back, and you’ll hear the kind of history that doesn’t fit on a placard.
That’s what makes it more than a car show. Whether you’re a lifelong enthusiast who can name a model year from a taillight or someone who simply appreciates beautiful design and a one-of-a-kind New York outing, there’s plenty to discover. And with Paris’s long-running show setting up here for the first time, it’s a chance to say you were there when it arrived.
Rétromobile New York runs Thursday, Nov. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 22. Doors open at 9am each day, with VIP admission from 8:30am, and the show closes at 7pm Thursday through Saturday and at 5pm on Sunday. Give yourself a few hours: with 300-plus cars and more than 100 exhibitors, this isn’t a quick lap. General admission starts at $70 online.
When: Thursday, Nov. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 22, 2026
Hours: Thursday through Saturday 9am–7pm, Sunday 9am–5pm (VIP admission from 8:30am daily)
Where: Javits Center, 429 11th Ave., New York, NY 10001
Tickets: General admission from $70 online