Galerie Vitesse, Paris

Although shows like Rétromobile display the work of many artists for a few days, there’s only one gallery in Paris where you can view a wide range of motoring art all year round. Founded in 1987 by Isabelle Nicolosi, the Galerie Vitesse is a unique venue at which to enjoy drawings, paintings and sculptures.

Géo Ham’s famous Casque bleu. (Courtesy Galerie Vitesse)

The gallery alternates temporary exhibitions devoted to a single artist with permanent displays of the 20 or more artists it represents. Cars – and especially sports and racing models – predominate, but you’ll also find the works of artists like Lucio Perinotto, who specialises in painting historic planes. There is too little space to list all the artists here, but personal favourites include the paintings of Hideki Yoshida, originally from Japan; the striking triptychs of the Polish artist Kapica, and the finely-hewn sculptures of Emmanuel Zurini.

The gallery also regularly sells the works of famous artists from the last century, like Géo Ham and Paul Bouvot, as well as original illustrations for books and magazines such as L’Action Automobile. If the originals are out of your reach, the gallery offers reprints and posters of many of its represented artists.

Drawing of a Bugatti Atlantic by Paul Bouvot. (Courtesy Galerie Vitesse)

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Librairie Passion Automobile, Paris

The perfect counterpart to Doc’Auto, the Librairie Passion Automobile sells only new books. There has been a bookshop specialising in motoring books on this site since the late 1940s, and, originally, it concentrated on technical manuals. Part of the leading automotive publishing group ETAI, the shop was completely refitted in the 2000s. If you’re travelling with friends or family who aren’t so interested in cars, there are plenty of other shops nearby which they can visit whilst you’re browsing.

The extensive stock of new motoring books.

The friendly manager, Raphaël Galdos, with one of his favourite titles.

French technical manuals are now only a small part of the shop’s extensive inventory, although it still focuses on motoring books, together with a smaller selection for enthusiasts of motorbikes, aviation and toys. As you’d expect, it’s very strong on French-language books, and owners of French cars are especially well served, but the shop also holds a good range of titles in other languages, including English, German and Italian. The friendly and helpful manager, Raphaël Galdos, speaks good English. Motorsport is another strength of the shop, which sells videos as well as books on the races, circuits and drivers.

If you can’t visit the shop in person, it offers an efficient mail-order service, by phone or through its website.

The shop front on the busy rue de Rennes.

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Opening Information: Open Monday to Saturday (exact hours on website)

Mercedes-Benz Center, Rueil-Malmaison

Mercedes was one of the first car manufacturers to invest in a new generation of customer centres, at Brooklands in the UK or here in 2005 at Rueil-Malmaison, just off the A86 autoroute and close to Versailles and Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

Mercedes McLaren SLR line-up, outside the Center. (Courtesy Mercedes-Benz France)

Temporary exhibition of Studio Harcourt photographs held in the Center.

The focus is mainly on its newest cars, but for the Mercedes enthusiast there’s plenty to see in this large and airy building. At any one time some 60 cars are displayed, and there are dedicated viewing areas on the upper floor for the high-end AMG versions and premium models of the day, like the SLR McLaren, SLS and Maybach. Test drives can be arranged for almost any car in the range and there is a boutique on the ground floor selling a wide range of ‘lifestyle’ accessories and branded goods.

Mercedes-Benz France has built a collection of classic Mercedes – including a 300 SLR and a 450 SEL 6.9 – and these are regularly shown in the Center. The central atrium is sometimes used for temporary exhibitions of art and photography, and there is a small restaurant, ‘La Bulle,’ revamped at the end of 2013, where you can enjoy lunch or a coffee among the cars.

Replica of 1886 Benz Patentwagen tricycle.

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Mercedes-Benz Gallery, Paris

At the start of the 20th century, Mercedes’ importer in France created the grandly named ‘Mercedes Palace,’ at 70, avenue des Champs-Élysées. Today, the company has moved up the avenue to this bold and modern display space, which offers a regularly changing programme of special exhibitions. Often, these highlight Mercedes’ involvement in racing, with cars from its Formula 1 and DTM programmes, or limited edition sports cars such as the SLS AMG GT3 or Black Series models.

The launch of the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake. (Courtesy Mercedes-Benz France)

The Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 car. (Courtesy Mercedes-Benz France)

Other displays focus more on style and luxury, such as the extensive ‘designo’ programme. As long ago as 2004, the company created a sensation by showing a CLK personalised by Giorgio Armani, which was one of the first cars to use matt paintwork. The Gallery includes a large boutique, which sells the usual range of branded merchandise, but is particularly noteworthy for its wide range of scale models, including many historic cars.

If you have a bit more time in Paris, you can see more of Mercedes’ current range by visiting the Mercedes-Benz Center at Rueil-Malmaison. The company has also invested in a major facility at Stains, just north of the city, where specialist technicians can completely restore any classic Mercedes model.

Red-themed store front for an AMG promotion. (Courtesy Mercedes-Benz France)

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MotorVillage, Paris

Feeling in need of some refreshment? Why not stop at the Fiat group’s MotorVillage, where you can enjoy an Italian-strength ristretto at the street-level Fiat Caffè!

MotorVillage illuminated at night. (Courtesy MotorVillage – Fiat France)

Alfa Romeo 1900 Sprint. (Courtesy MotorVillage – Fiat France)

Opened in 2010, this is one of the newest sites for the car enthusiast on the Champs-Élysées. Built to an imaginative plan by the French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, MotorVillage is a showcase for the best in Italian automotive history and design. The building’s key feature is a central glass tube, 14m (46ft) high, and a single car is displayed on each of five levels. You’ll also find dedicated boutiques for each marque, selling clothing and other goodies.

A regular programme of special exhibitions shows off the history and sporting traditions of each marque: Fiat, Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Maserati and Jeep. Recent shows have included a look back at the group’s history since 1900, the parts taken by its cars in the cinema, and a celebration of their race and rally victories. Many of the models displayed are brought in especially from Italy, giving visitors the chance to see cars like the first ever production Fiat 500 or a record-breaking Abarth 750 Bertone.

MotorVillage also features an outstanding Italian restaurant, NoLita, established by a Michelin-starred chef.

NoLita restaurant. (Courtesy MotorVillage – Fiat France)

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