The 2026 Paris motor show has been defined by two opposing trends: European brands reaching back into their back catalogues, and Chinese manufacturers arriving in force. Citroën led the nostalgia charge with a reborn 2CV, a £13,000 electric car that could be built under new 'E-car' regulations allowing cheap, European-made EVs.
The retro theme ran through almost every major European stand. Fiat showed two separate Multipla revivals, the Multiplay and Multiplina, while Peugeot hid its new 208 under bodywork inspired by the Group B T16 and revived the RCZ as a 2+2. Renault brought the E-Space and 8 Gordini concepts, plus a stand full of 4s, 5s, Twingos and the R5 Turbo 3E, and Alpine revealed a sports car concept inspired by the 1970s A310.
The reason for all the nostalgia became clear elsewhere in the halls: Chinese brands were represented in all four halls and were the dominant force in two of them. Not long ago they were curiosities at European shows; now they brought genuinely credible machinery, including the Renault 5-rivalling Leapmotor B03, the seven-seat BYD Atto 8 and the sub-£25k Omoda 4.
The retro revival, stand by stand
Citroën's 2CV was the headline act, perched proudly on the brand's stand as a £13,000 EV that could be produced under the new 'E-car' regulations. Those rules are intended to allow cheap, European-built electric cars, which would make the 2CV one of the most affordable new EVs on the continent if it reaches production as shown.
Fair warning for anyone hoping for hard details: the show cars were concepts and previews, and the sources give no on-sale dates, prices beyond the 2CV's £13,000 figure, power outputs, battery sizes or range figures for any of them. Citroën has not confirmed when or whether the 2CV reaches showrooms, and the same goes for Fiat's pair of Multipla nods, Peugeot's T16-inspired 208 and RCZ 2+2, Renault's E-Space and 8 Gordini concepts, and Alpine's A310-inspired sports car.
The Fiat stand was arguably the most confusing of the show. The Multiplay and Multiplina both look back at two very different Multipla models from the company's past, so buyers getting nostalgic about one specific Multipla will need to check which one Fiat means.
Chinese brands are no longer a curiosity
The scale of the Chinese presence is the real story of the show. Brands including Leapmotor, BYD and Omoda brought cars aimed directly at the European mainstream: the B03 takes on the Renault 5, the Atto 8 is a seven-seater, and the Omoda 4 comes in below £25,000.
That threat explains the retro strategy. As the source coverage notes, European brands are betting that mixing advancing technology with friendly nostalgia is a proven winning formula, giving buyers an emotional hook that newer nameplates cannot match. The open question posed at the show itself is whether any of the Chinese models are distinctive enough that anyone will revive them in 50 or 60 years.
European tech confidence is growing
The nostalgia is no longer a crutch. European manufacturers have made real progress on EV technology, batteries and software, and no longer seem worried about the pace or the tech their Chinese rivals bring. Renault Group chief executive François Provost put it bluntly when it came to technology: "we are not afraid of anyone".
Provost's confidence is the notable shift here. A year or two ago the narrative was that European firms were scrambling to match Chinese software and battery costs; now the claim is parity, with retro charm as the tiebreaker.
The counterpoint sits in the sales data. As the latest SMMT figures show, the C...
