Considered by many to be the most beautiful temporary garage in the world, the show Rétromobile has always aimed to bring together the most beautiful vehicles of the 20th century in a magnificent setting. If the pride of place has always been given to automobiles, at all times, the show celebrated last year the centenary of the Dollar brand, and, for the next edition which will take place from January 31 to February 4, 2024, devotes no less than 2 m² to two collector wheels, thus bringing together BMW Motorrad, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Indian Motorcycle, Triumph and Yamaha in a space including the famous English café Ace Café, its atmosphere and its manager, will serve as a figurehead.
That's not all ! A unpublished exhibition will be dedicated to the history of a legendary lineage: the Monneret family.
The Monneret saga: the love of two-wheelers, a family story!
If the history of the Monneret family is intertwined with that of motorcycles in France, it is above all a family saga placed under the sign of passion and intergenerational transmission.
It all began in 1908 with the birth of Georges Monneret. The first big name in this saga is passionate about motorcycles of all kinds and will very quickly take up the challenge of competition. In 1930 he won several races in 350 and 500 cm.3 before making history at just 21 years old by establishing a new hill speed record at Château-Thierry, the Mecca of motor sports at the time. The young pilot, who is now affectionately nicknamed “Jojo the Motorcycle” experienced a meteoric rise and tried out other disciplines at the same time (successfully).
French champion in 3 motorcycle categories (250, 350 and 500 cm3) in 1932, multiple speed records on the Linas-Montlhéry circuit, world speedboat champion in 1936, 2nd place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1939... so many titles that the young prodigy quickly added to his list of achievements. Although the Second World War put Georges' exploits on hold, he quickly returned to service at the end of the conflict. In parallel with the races in which he participates, he becomes an importer and distributor of vehicles. In 1948, he traveled from Paris to Alpe d'Huez in a Vespa. His obsession with records leads him to cross the Sahara on a Vespa but also to carry out a Paris-London in just 5 hours, crossing the Channel on his Italian scooter transformed into a pedal boat-catamaran.
The saga continues with the birth, in 1931, of Georges' children: Jean and Pierre Monneret. Raised in the cult of motorcycles, the two sons quickly set foot on the stirrup. At their twenties, they took turns with their father for a 40 km World Tour on the Montlhéry circuit. on the handlebars of a Puch 125 TS. Despite Jean's serious accident, they complete this challenge in 24 days, 21 hours and 43 minutes. Like his father, Pierre subsequently achieved a series of exploits and remains to this day the only Frenchman to have won two Grands Prix in the same day in 350 and 500 cm3.
In 1958, the last protagonist of our story was born. It is Philippe, youngest of the Monneret siblings. Just like his older brothers, he was immersed in the world of two-wheelers from a very young age and accompanied his father on promotional tours to the four corners of France. At 7 years old, the apprentice pilot finds himself involved in an accident on the Magny-Cours circuit.
An incident which subsequently pushed him to perfect his technique and style at the flying school opened by his father. He would take charge a few years later, at just 15 years old, before to open his own motorcycle school 3 years later. The Monneret name continues to shine through Philippe: Bol d'or, 24 Hours of Le Mans Moto, vice-world endurance champion... these are just some of the titles added by Philippe to the family list. In 2015, he became the fastest rider in the world on a circuit, riding a Kawasaki at nearly 357 km/h. Now aged 65, he continues to pass on his passion through his training school, but also by commenting on motorcycle grand prix for many seasons.
Philippe Monneret will be present at Rétromobile 2024 to introduce collector vehicle enthusiasts of all stripes to the extraordinary history of this atypical family.. For the occasion, around twenty emblematic two-wheelers having accompanied the 3 generations of the Monneret saga will be presented during the dedicated exhibition in the motorcycle zone.
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