From Feb. 2 (Wed.) to 6 (Sun.) Europe's one of the biggest classic car show, Rétromobile, was held at the Paris Expo convention centre, where Mazda's local sales unit Mazda Automobiles France (MAF) ran a display booth.

Rétromobile is an exhibition and trade show for antique road and racecars, along with related parts, merchandise, models and publications. This year, the 20th anniversary of its victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991, MAF's booth mainly focused on Mazda's motorsports history. The company borrowed a replica Mazda 787B from the ACO Museum in Le Mans, which was displayed along with a Mazda RX-7 Group B rally car owned by a Belgian enthusiast, the Mazda 323 Group A machine that appeared as part of the Mazda Rally Team Belgium from the European Rally Championship, and the Chevron B16 Mazda that was the first car with a rotary engine at Le Mans (the engine has since been switched from the 10A used at the time to a 12A), among others. Joining these retro machines was a 2010 Mazda MX-5 created for a one-make endurance race to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the sale of the Roadster.

The booth was a reproduction of the standing pits and guardrails at the Circuit de la Sarthe used for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, overflowing with realism. As if remembering Mazda's Le Mans victory once again, enthusiasts crowded in for a fond look at the displays. Meanwhile, at the official reception held at the booth, Pierre Dieudonné, a Mazdaspeed team driver who drove in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991, put in an appearance. Dieudonn? announced that he is currently working on a "Le Mans Memorial Book" with the story of the development of the Mazda rotary racing engine and a history of motorsports, which would be published ahead of this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans.