Monaco and the automobile exhibition opens to the public
03 juillet 2026
Inaugurated on 30 June in the presence of H.S.H. Prince Albert II, the Grimaldi Forum Monaco’s major summer exhibition is now open to the public and will run until 6 September 2026.
The opening evening brought together nearly 500 guests, including the exhibition curator Rodolphe Rapetti, numerous lenders — institutions and private collectors from Europe and the United States — as well as several leading figures from the automotive world. Among those present were Bernie Ecclestone, Michel Boeri, Jean Alesi, Thierry Boutsen, Daniel Elena, Ari Vatanen, Guy Fréquelin, Jean-Pierre Nicolas and Gilles Valérian.
Spanning more than 3,500 sqm, “Monaco and the Automobile, from 1893 to the Present Day” offers an immersive journey through more than 130 years of history between the Principality and the automobile. More than 50 authentic vehicles, all with a connection to Monaco, tell a story where elegance, innovation, performance, prestige and collective memory intersect.
The exhibition traces the origins of this enduring Monegasque passion: the concours d’élégance held from the late 19th century, the Rallye Monte-Carlo from 1911, and the Monaco Grand Prix from 1929. Thanks to the invaluable support of the Automobile Club de Monaco, the exhibition brings together exceptional and often previously unseen archives, along with numerous documents, photographs and videos that allow visitors to see these cars in action.
Among the major highlights is the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith used for the wedding of Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly in 1956, loaned by an American collector who has owned it for more than forty years. The exhibition also features Rally cars, Grand Prix single-seaters, a Venturi Formula E, a model of the Monaco circuit, and a tribute to Monegasque drivers Louis Chiron and Charles Leclerc.
The exhibition concludes with a dialogue between past and future: on one side, a Panhard & Levassor that took part in the 1893 Paris-Nice and came to Monaco, then a pioneer in the first experiments with paved roads; on the other, the MONA LUNA lunar rover, developed by Venturi Space, designed to operate on the Moon by 2030.
At once historical, aesthetic, cultural and technological, “Monaco and the Automobile, from 1893 to the Present Day” is intended for both enthusiasts and the wider public. This landmark exhibition tells the story of Monaco as much as that of the automobile, from its earliest journeys to its future lunar horizons.
