Way back in 1951 the 3A Club (les Amateurs d’Automobiles Anciennes) was founded in Lyon, France’s second city. A general classic car group, it started to run an autojumble which in time evolved into a full-blown classic car gathering. By 1979 Epoqu’Auto was born, and it has run every year since then apart from in 2020, making the 2025 event the 46th so far.
Run over the weekend of 7-9 November, Epoqu’Auto isn’t a commercial venture as such; instead it’s run by around 300 volunteers as a sort of community interest project. This year there were more than 900 exhibitors (traders, museums, artists and clubs) filling the 88,000 square metres of floor space, and over the three days more than 110,000 enthusiasts poured through the doors.
A major part of Epoqu’Auto is the themed displays that run thoughout the event. There were 11 of them this year, encompassing topics as diverse as the 205 Turbo 16, Opel, fire appliances from Lyon’s own Firefighters Museum, and French microcars. Also in the mix was a fabulous display marking 70 years of the Citroën DS (complete with contemporary fashions), and to make it that bit more special some rare variations on the theme were sourced, including many in colours that have all but disappeared over the years.
Other displays focused on Ligier, Berliet, and Autodiva, as well as one which featured an array of brands that had been based in Lyon; all but one of them were pre-war. The counterpoint to this was a dozen or so modern supercars and hypercars in a display that ran from a Gumpert Apollo and Jaguar XJ220 to a Bugatti EB110 and Veyron, taking in a Maserati MC12 and Venturi 400 GT Trophy along the way.
What really makes Epoqu’Auto worth visiting is the diverse array of clubs, although there’s a definite focus on French marques. There were entire halls filled with Citroëns (including numerous Chapron-bodied rarities), Peugeots and Renaults, but also represented on a smaller scale were Mercedes, Triumph, Volkswagen, Alpine, Matra, Jaguar, Panther, Maserati and Lancia, among others.
There weren’t as many car dealers at Epoqu’Auto as you’ll find at some similar shows, although there were numerous classics up for grabs, most of them at the more affordable end of the spectrum. What did fill the halls was a huge number of stands laden with parts, literature, tools and much more. One area was dedicated to people selling their classics, which included a Renault Espace Mk1, Porsches of every kind, a brace of BMW Z1s and a very fetching Porsche 914.
Osenat held an auction of cars and motorbikes with the latter sold on the Friday, youngtimers followed on the Saturday, while on the Sunday the older stuff crossed the block. This included one of just three surviving Leyat Helicars (which didn’t sell), a glorious Renault Fregate Cabriolet (which sold for €112,800 including fees) and a Honda S800 roadster (€37,200). Other unsold lots included a 1962 Fiat 600 Multipla, a 1969 Renault 8 Gordini, a 1963 Facel Vega Facellia F2 B and a 1950 Talbot Lago T15.
It was easy to fill all three days just scrutinising the contents of the five halls, but there were also two car parks crammed with classics that were worth a gander too. Many were less than 40 years old, but there were masses of Citroën DSs (including a unique four-axle Tissier-bodied transporter), the odd Facel Vega and a raft of Americana.
Very much a French event, with very few voices from Britain or even the rest of Europe in evidence, it seems that despite almost half a century of Epoqu’Auto running, word is yet to get out about this Gallic gem. To see why you should go to the 2026 event, which will be held on 6-8 November, check out epoquauto.com for the latest.
