There is something special about the idea of selling a race car. You’re not selling an object. You’re selling proof that a problem has been solved—the problem of speed, of grip, of surviving corners at full throttle. A Porsche 906, an Alpine A450B, or a Lotus Type 78 aren’t just historical artifacts. They’re technical achievements whose relevance hasn’t faded with time.
Artcurial Motorcars has long recognized this. For the 2026 edition of Le Mans Classic—the world’s largest gathering of historic race cars—the auction house is offering two complementary auctions that together span more than a century of automotive history.
The Official Sale: July 3, in the heart of the paddock
The official auction will take place on Friday, July 3, at 5:00 p.m. in the Artcurial Motorcars tent, located in the circuit’s paddock itself, right next to the Drivers Club. This location is more than just symbolic: these cars will be sold right where they raced—or where cars like them still race today.
The selection includes cars that have directly contributed to the legend of the 24 Hours—from the 1940s to modern endurance prototypes. The Lotus Type 78, the first Formula 1 car with ground effect, stands alongside the Duckhams LM, the first project by future engineering genius Gordon Murray. The Dodge Viper GTS-R ORECA and the Alpine A450B serve as a reminder that auto racing is also a story of national brands defending their technical identity at high speeds.
The “Online Only” Auction: Sixty Cars, 125 Years of History
At the same time, from July 2 to 8, an all-digital auction will feature nearly sixty cars on display in the Rotonde at the Parc des Expositions, across from the circuit’s main entrance and the M24 Museum. The timeline spans from the 1898 De Dion-Bouton Vis-à-Vis—a vehicle that predates the very concept of organized auto racing—to the GTs and sports cars of the 1980s–2000s, which have become the new stars of the market.
What stands out about this online auction is its commitment to accessibility: nearly 90% of the lots will be offered without a reserve price. This is a bold editorial decision on Artcurial’s part—one that avoids fetishizing market value and instead allows less-established collectors to enter the history books through the back door.
What We’re Really Buying
At Le Mans Classic, classic cars aren’t just on display behind barriers. They’re driving. They’re roaring. Their drivers are often their owners. This setting transforms an auction into something else entirely: a conversation between objects that have lived and buyers who want to extend that life.
With this event, Artcurial has found the ideal setting to convey a simple belief: a classic car is not an investment. It is a way to hold on to time.
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