While the Rétromobile show opens its doors this Wednesday, February 1 until next Sunday, the collector car market has just closed a good year in France. In 2022, with just over 98,000 transactions for models aged 30 or over -the fundamental age to claim the gray collection card- sales increased by 3.1%, underlines a study by L’Argus, based on data from NGC Data. In two years, the market growth is even more impressive, around 22.4%.
Less than a third of sales in gray card collection
Of the total sales in 2022, L’Argus points out that less than a third of the vehicles that changed owners had a collection registration document.
“Despite the advantages that this reserved status grants to people over 30 years of age (technical inspection every 5 years, right of access to ZFE, etc.), not all vehicles are eligible since they must be strictly original. procedures that can contain owners who suffer from administrative phobia”, underlines the press release presenting the study.
Logically, the models sold in 2022 roulent encore principalement à l’essence, 88.9% du marché l’an dernier, mais le Diesel gagne du terrain avec +55.8% en deux ans, reflétant la montée en puissance de cette motorisation In the 80’s.
market stars
In 2022, it is the Peugeot 205 that struts at the top of sales, with 8,036 copies sold in France. The Citroën 2CV is in second place, with 6,150 units sold, but “its prices have also reached all-time highs, diverting fans on a budget towards more accessible models”, such as the small Peugeot, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. The Renault 4 completes the podium with 4,199 models sold last year.
One Renault Clio made a sensational entry into the top 10, with its first three years of marketing, starting in 1990, having entered the category since 2020. With 1,453 sales (including 5.5% on gray pickup cards) , is ahead of the Porsche 911 (1,434 sales) and the Citroën AX (1,357 sales).
The latter is also one of the future nuggets for collectors, with “the Sport, GT or even GTI versions starting to become very popular”. The press release also cites another mythical chevron model: the BX, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year and saw its sales increase by 16.3% compared to 2021.
Disappearing marks are also attractive
The NGC-Data data also highlights much lesser-known brands, most of which have disappeared. 817 Simca thus changed hands in 2022, including 17% of Aronde.
Talbot, a brand that had been bought by Simca in 1958, represents for its part just over 600 transactions, with the compact Horizon as the star model.
We also find Matra, with 278 transactions in 2022, including 94 Murena, a coupé that has the particularity of having 3 seats in the front, or Panhard.
The volumes remain more confidential for names like Rosengart, AmilCar, Facel Vega, Delahaye, Mathis, Salmon or even Delage.
Source: BFM TV
