Updated on May 15, 2026
Summary:
- «Everything was invented very early»
- Bugatti 35, the queen of circuits
With 48 models, 20 of which won the Grand Prix or the Rallye Monte-Carlo, this exhibition is the largest ever held on the automobile and a country, in a museum space.
"This is the first time I have designed an exhibition of vehicles entirely linked to a place. What a place, of course, Monaco, when you know the history that unites the country with that of cars! For an exhibition curator, it is a dream subject," says Rodolphe Rapetti, who presented the collection of Ralph Lauren automobiles at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Paris in 2011.
This summer, it brings together extraordinary vehicles. Models of elegance or the most efficient ever created in F1 or rally, accompanied by nearly 250 documents, photos, films and road books lent notably by the Automobile Club de Monaco.
The arrival of the first cars in the Monegasque urban landscape coincides with the beginnings of the automobile. Witness the Panhard & Levassor type P2D, with which Hippolyte Panhard himself made the expedition to the Principality in 1893. The pioneering spirit still dominates this adventure today with Gildo Pallanca Pastor at the head of Venturi, a symbol of innovation in Monaco. The exhibition welcomes one of its electric vehicles, the Rover FLEX, designed to travel on the Moon.
«Everything was invented very early»
"The history of Monaco and the automobile is early, with the invention of tar by the doctor and adventurer Ernest Guglielminetti in 1902 and many competitions of elegance," says the commissioner. At the height of this glamour, the Rolls-Royce of Prince Rainier’s wedding to Grace Kelly in 1956 is on display. A luxurious vehicle, designed for the parade and bodywork signed Hooper.
The country also has the distinction of hosting two of the most famous motor racing events, the Formula 1* Grand Prix and the Monte-Carlo Rally. In the rally part of the exhibition, a Delahaye Type 58 Double Sedan "Obus" stands out, which won the Monaco Concours d'Elegance in 1912. An icon accompanied by period films from the archives of the Audiovisual Institute of Monaco.
*Since 2026, its name has been the Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Monaco Grand Prix.
Bugatti 35, the queen of circuits
In terms of Formula 1, here come two legendary racing cars: the Bugatti 35 C Grand Prix, which won almost every race, and the McLaren MP4/8, with which Ayrton Senna was dedicated in 1993.
Among the Monegasque figures of this automotive epic, a section is dedicated to the legendary Louis Chiron, and a room celebrates the current succession with the driver Charles Leclerc.
A model of the Grand Prix circuit and an immersive room are also waiting for visitors, to relive the sensations of the race. At the exit of the exhibition, you feel like a pilot’s soul, by testing a real virtual cockpit.
- Dates: from 1 July to 6 September
- Location: Grimaldi Forum Monaco - 10 avenue Princesse Grace, Monaco
- The exhibition brings together 48 iconic vehicles related to Monaco.
- The course highlights the Formula 1 Grand Prix and the Monte-Carlo Rally.
- Visitors discover rare models accompanied by archives, photos and films.
- The scenography plunges the public into the history of the Principality.
This exhibition is a reminder of how much cars are part of the Monegasque identity, between sporting passion, heritage and innovation. It also offers a lively way to rediscover Monaco through the vehicles that have marked its history.
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