France: the essential guide 19 · 2019. 3. 8. · to make it easy to check if thereÕs an event...
1
to make it easy to check if there’s an event happening near you on your next holiday. Or simply to provide inspiration for your next French road trip! Highlights for me included: l Citroen’s conservatoire – Citroen’s epic collection of cars from throughout their history. Access is only available to pre- booked groups, but one day I’ll be in one of those groups! l A museum dedicated to the 2cv – in Troisfontaines, in the North East (ish) near the German border. One to visit on the way back from Poland perhaps? l The Citromuseum in the South. Classic Citroens, and the south of France, what’s not to like? l And staying with the South of France, the wonderfully odd sounding Bouchon de Tourves. Legendary traffic jams are all part of the annual summer rush to the south coast for le vacances... but in 1965 this small town (long since bypassed) was host to a 3.7 mile traffic jam said to contain 28,000 cars. In 2011 someone decided it would be fun to recreate the spectacle, so every two years the town recreates the experience. Cars from pre-1960 fill the streets, and drivers in period dress recreate roadside picnics (and roadside arguments) in a fun nod to summers long gone. It sounds fantastic. l Traveversees de Paris en anciennes – Parisian classic car fans like to celebrate the new year with a drive through the city. And a similar run is organised in late July/early August – when the city empties out for the summer holidays. No more spoilers though – buy the book! If I had a criticism at all, it’s that the majority of attractions warrant just a page – with even the bigger events being allowed just two pages. But of course, that’s the trouble with trying to squeeze 200 events from all across France into one compact colour paperback! And it does feature hi-tech touches, like QR codes for each attraction, that you can scan with a smartphone – taking you straight to the appropriate website. Clever stuff. Overall, this would be a great addition to your 2cv travel kit. Or a great book to pore over this winter, whilst planning routes elsewhere. There are certainly a few attractions that might well worth detouring for on the way to the French National at La Rochelle! It’s being released on the 6th of February – and will be available from Amazon, and all good book retailers. 108 Museums Shows & Tours Market Place Motorsport Circuits Southern France Citromuseum, Castellane Practical information Open every day (2-6pm) from mid-April to mid- October; all day (10am- 6pm) in July & August Route de la Palud, 04120 Castellane (opposite the Camping International camp site) 43.857459 N, 6.499149 E www.citromuseum.com +33 (0)4 92 83 76 09 [email protected] F or Citroën enthusiasts, this museum, located amid the breathtaking scenery of the Gorges du Verdon, is an absolute must. Opened in 2004, it houses 90 Citroën cars from the late 1940s to 1990. One hall is devoted to the air-cooled cars, from the first 2CVs to the last GSA models, another to the water-cooled models, from the Traction Avant to the CX. The museum’s owner, Henri Fradet, visited more than 4000 Citroën agents across France as he built up this unique collection. What makes the museum so special, however – and well worth a visit by all enthusiasts, not just Citroën fans – is the history of each car, which is presented in English and French. All the cars are in outstanding unrestored condition and many have incredibly low mileages, with the record currently held by a 1983 GSA Spécial showing just 41km (25 miles) on the clock! Others are a tribute to the care their owners took, like the 1954 2CV with its door cards still protected by the original brown paper. There are rare model variants and prototypes, too, such as the sole surviving CX 2500 GTi ‘Régamo,’ built to test the new suspension for the forthcoming XM. The Gorges du Verdon on the road to Castellane. Fire service Méhari heads this line-up of 2CV family members. / CX Safari, originally from Berkshire in southern England, next to rotary- engined GS Birotor and M35. 11/11/2014 Book review: France: the essential guide for car enthusiasts – Julian Parish – Veloce publishing Fine, so we’re in the depths of winter, it’s cold and miserable – maybe even snowing. Why not cheer yourself up by planning some road trip adventures for the coming year? A uthor Julian Parish has lived in Paris for the last fifteen years. He’s a francophile and a car nut, who discovered plenty of interesting events in the company of French classic car club members... but when he mentioned these outings to friends in the UK realised that there was very little visibility of these events, rallies, museums and shows outside of France. In fact, when he started to research the book, he discovered there wasn’t really a decent text in French listing museums and events across the country either! And so the idea for this book was born. Julian also scores additional brownie points for the admission that his first car was a Citroen Dyane, although he drives a Ford Mustang now. One horse rather than two horses? Hardly an upgrade... The book is subdivided geographically, into broadly North, South, East, West, and Paris and surroundings. Then there are five further (colour coded) subdivisions, covering Museums; Shows and Tours; Market Place (so shopping then!); Motorsport; and Circuits. Each regional section opens with a colour coded map – so it’s easy to find the things you’re looking for – as well as providing a starting point for deciding on an itinerary. There’s something for all car enthusiasts in this book. For those into motorsport, it’s a pretty comprehensive guide to France’s motor racing circuits. I for one was surprised (although perhaps I shouldn’t be – France is a big place) by quite how many motor racing circuits can be found in all corners of France. If classic cars and museums are more your thing – then there are plenty to be found inside, from the smaller and more eccentric collections, to some of the largest and most impressive museums in the world. Not a fan of dusty old museums? Prefer to see cars out and about on the open road. Once again, Julian has got you covered – with all sorts of rallies, meetings and convoys. There’s even a handy calendar in the back of the book, l Paperback: 248 pages l Publisher: Veloce Publishing Ltd l Language: English l ISBN-10: 1845847423 l ISBN-13: 978-1845847425 Spain Sardinia Italy Southern France 6 Using the guide With so much to see and do, this guide provides plenty of signposts to help you find your way around! This guide is divided into five main chapters, each covering a large region of France. Each is colour-coded ( ) and opens with a regional overview map ( ), so that you can locate places on your journey across the country, or near your destination; a ‘minimap’ ( ) shows where in France the region lies. Each entry is pinpointed on the map ( ), and is also colour-coded, to match the section in which it appears; its page number is listed in the map key ( ). E ach chapter is divided into five sections, each carrying a colour-coded tab at the page edge and a unique symbol in the top corner ( and , opposite page). The number of entries in each section varies by region; Paris & the Ile-de-France, for example, has relatively few Motorsport events, but lots of Market Place entries, covering automobilia as well All of the main chapters carry colour-coded top bars. Chapters ains raguignan Fréjus Sainte-Maxime Grasse Antibes Menton Nice Monaco 8 7 10 15 16 19 18 26 2 Map markers show where each entry is located and are colour-coded to denote the section it falls in. Map markers 11/11/2014 0 210 Museums Shows & Tours Market Place Motorsport Circuits North-East France Practical information Open most Saturday afternoons 2-5pm, but may change, so check in advance Rue de la Cristallerie, 57870 Troisfontaines 48.678556 N, 7.126366 E musee2cv.free.fr +33 (0)3 88 91 11 65 [email protected] Musée de la 2CV, Troisfontaines E ven allowing for a personal interest – the author’s first car was a Citroën Dyane! – no guide to the car museums of France would be complete without this shrine to that most idiosyncratic of French popular cars, the Citroën 2CV. The 2CV and its derivatives (the Dyane, Ami and Méhari among them) are hugely popular in France, and there are significant displays of the 2CV at the Conservatoire Citroën outside Paris (page 13) and the Citromuseum in Castellane (page 108), but this is the only museum dedicated exclusively to ‘la Deuche.’ Run by an association which also organises the Fête de la 2CV in May each year, the museum displays 2CVs of all generations, from the early models of the 1950s to late-model Charlestons. In between there are many limited edition models, like the France 3, Dolly and 007 series, as well as a special version of the 2CV designed for use by the fire brigade, and a Méhari-based ice cream van, ideal for a Mediterranean beach. The prize for the most bizarre adaptation of a 2CV, however, is a tie ... between a light plane built on top of a 2CV bodyshell, and another hiding Porsche running gear! Extraordinary tracked version of the Citroën Méhari. (Courtesy Pascal Irlinger/Musée de la 2CV) All generations of the 2CV are represented. / As simple as it gets; the interior of an early 2CV. (Both courtesy Pascal Irlinger/Musée de la 2CV) 13 Museums Shows & Tours Market Place Motorsport Circuits Paris & the Ile-de-France Conservatoire Citroën, Aulnay-sous-Bois Practical information Open by appointment only – book in advance Boulevard André Citroën, 93601 Aulnay-sous-Bois. Use Visitors’ entrance, gate 1 48.961151 N, 2.488276 E www.citroen.fr/ conservatoire-citroen +33 (0)1 56 50 80 22] martine.darblade@citroen. com or conservatoire@ citroen.com F or any Citroën enthusiast, this collection should be at the top of the list of places to see in France. Although the factory at Aulnay closed in 2013 after 40 years’ production, Citroën has committed to keeping this site open. Its Heritage staff personally lead tours of the collection (in English and French), so you’ll need to book in advance. Originally opened in 2001, the Conservatoire brings together more than 250 cars from the manufacturer’s sites around Paris and in Rennes, and also from Spain and Portugal. Citroën’s factory at Slough, west of London, is remembered with British-built 2CV and Traction Avant models. Many of the cars were taken straight from the production lines, but there are some extraordinary prototypes and one-offs, too, such as the 1982 Visa Lotus, effectively a Lotus Esprit Turbo powertrain under a modified Visa body. An RE-2 helicopter from 1975 marks Citroën’s take on personal transportation of the future, as well as an attempt to diversify its business. The Conservatoire also houses Citroën’s extensive archives, and visitors can buy thematic dossiers for nearly 20 different models, as well as a personalised document set for every Citroën car built from 1919-90. Citroën’s 2CV family (Ami, Dyane and Méhari) with period advertising poster by André François. (Courtesy Citroën Communication/ N Zwickel) / Citroën BX4TC rally cars and RE-2 helicopter. (Courtesy Citroën Communication/Jérôme Lejeune) Citroën Traction Avant and early 2CV models. (Courtesy Citroën Communication/N Zwickel) | 2CVGB News | FEBRUARY 2015 | www.2cvgb.co.uk www.2cvgb.co.uk | FEBRUARY 2015 | 2CVGB News | 24 25
Transcript of France: the essential guide 19 · 2019. 3. 8. · to make it easy to check if thereÕs an event...
to make it easy to check if there’s an event happening near you on your next holiday. Or simply to provide inspiration for your next French road trip!
Highlights for me included:l Citroen’s
conservatoire – Citroen’s epic collection of cars from throughout their history. Access is only available to pre-booked groups, but one day I’ll be in one of those groups!
l A museum dedicated to the 2cv – in Troisfontaines, in the North East (ish) near the German border. One to visit on the way back from Poland perhaps?
l The Citromuseum in the South. Classic Citroens, and the south of France, what’s not to like?
l And staying with the South of France, the wonderfully odd sounding Bouchon de Tourves. Legendary traffic jams are all part of the annual summer rush to the south coast for le vacances... but in 1965 this small town (long since bypassed) was host to a 3.7 mile traffic jam said to contain 28,000 cars. In 2011 someone decided it would be fun to recreate the spectacle, so every two years the town recreates the experience. Cars from pre-1960 fill the streets, and drivers in period dress recreate roadside picnics
(and roadside arguments) in a fun nod to summers long gone. It sounds fantastic.
l Traveversees de Paris en anciennes – Parisian classic car fans like to celebrate the new year with a drive through the city. And a similar run is organised in late July/early August – when the city empties out for the summer holidays.
No more spoilers though – buy the book!If I had a criticism at all, it’s that the majority of attractions warrant just a page – with even the bigger events being allowed just two pages. But of course, that’s the trouble with trying to squeeze 200 events from all across France into one compact colour paperback! And it does feature hi-tech touches, like QR codes for each attraction, that you can scan with a smartphone – taking you straight to the appropriate website. Clever stuff.
Overall, this would be a great addition to your 2cv travel kit. Or a great book to pore over this winter, whilst planning routes elsewhere. There are certainly a few attractions
that might well worth detouring for on the way to the French National at La Rochelle!
It’s being released on the 6th of February – and will be available from Amazon, and all good book retailers.108
Muse
um
sShow
s & T
ours
Marke
t Place
Moto
rsport
Circu
its
Southern France
Citromuseum,
Castellane
Practical information
Open every day (2-6pm)
from mid-April to mid-
October; all day (10am-
6pm) in July & August
Route de la Palud, 04120
Castellane (opposite the
Camping International
camp site)
43.857459 N, 6.499149 E
www.citromuseum.com
+33 (0)4 92 83 76 09
For Citroën enthusiasts, this museum, located amid the breathtaking scenery of the Gorges
du Verdon, is an absolute must. Opened in 2004, it houses 90 Citroën cars from the late
1940s to 1990. One hall is devoted to the air-cooled cars, from the first 2CVs to the last
GSA models, another to the water-cooled models, from the Traction Avant to the CX. The
museum’s owner, Henri Fradet, visited more than 4000 Citroën agents across France as he built
up this unique collection.
What makes the museum so special, however – and well worth a visit by all enthusiasts, not
just Citroën fans – is the history of each car, which is presented in English and French. All the
cars are in outstanding unrestored condition and many have incredibly low mileages, with the
record currently held by a 1983 GSA Spécial showing
just 41km (25
miles) on the
clock! Others are
a tribute to the
care their owners
took, like the
1954 2CV with
its door cards
still protected
by the original
brown paper.
There are rare
model variants
and prototypes,
too, such as the
sole surviving
CX 2500 GTi
‘Régamo,’ built
to test the new
suspension for the
forthcoming XM. The Gorges du Verdon on the road to Castellane.
Fire service Méhari heads this line-up of 2CV family members. / CX Safari, originally from Berkshire in southern England, next to rotary-
engined GS Birotor and M35.
11/11/2014 10:02
Book review: France: the
essential guide for car enthusiasts
– Julian Parish – Veloce publishingFine, so we’re in the depths of winter, it’s cold and miserable – maybe even
snowing. Why not cheer yourself up by planning some road trip adventures for
the coming year?
Author Julian Parish has lived in Paris for the last fifteen years. He’s a francophile and
a car nut, who discovered plenty of interesting events in the company of French classic car club members... but when he mentioned these outings to friends in the UK realised that there was very little visibility of these events, rallies, museums and shows outside of France. In
fact, when he started to research the book, he discovered there wasn’t really a decent text in French listing museums and events across the country either! And so the idea for this book was born. Julian also scores additional brownie points for the admission that his first car was a Citroen Dyane, although he drives a Ford Mustang now. One horse rather than two horses? Hardly an upgrade...
The book is subdivided geographically, into broadly North, South, East, West, and Paris and surroundings. Then there are five further (colour coded) subdivisions, covering Museums; Shows and Tours; Market Place (so shopping then!); Motorsport; and Circuits.
Each regional section opens with a colour coded map – so it’s easy to find the things you’re looking for – as well as providing a starting point for deciding on an itinerary.
There’s something for all car enthusiasts
in this book. For those into motorsport, it’s a pretty comprehensive guide to France’s motor racing circuits. I for one was surprised (although perhaps I shouldn’t be – France is a big place) by quite how many motor racing circuits can be found in all corners of France.
If classic cars and museums are more your thing – then there are plenty to be found inside, from the smaller and more eccentric collections, to some of the largest and most impressive museums in the world.
Not a fan of dusty old museums? Prefer to see cars out and about on the open road. Once again, Julian has got you covered – with all sorts of rallies, meetings and convoys. There’s even a handy calendar in the back of the book,
l Paperback: 248 pagesl Publisher: Veloce Publishing Ltdl Language: Englishl ISBN-10: 1845847423l ISBN-13: 978-1845847425
A9
A750
N88
E80E80
E11
E11
E11
E11
E70
A75
A89
A75
A75
E7
E7
E80 E80
E9
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E9
E72
A64
A645
A66
A20
A20
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A61
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E5
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E70
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POITOU-CHARENTES
AQUITAINE
MIDI-PYRÉNÉES
LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILON
PROVENCE-ALPES-CÔTE D’AZUR
CORSICA
The Regional Nature Park of
the Causses de Quercy
Landes de Gascogne Regional
Natural Park
Cévennes National Park
Pyrénés National Park
Écrins National Park
Vercors Regional
Natural Park
Niort
Saint-Jean-d’Angély
SaintesCognac Angoulême
La Rochefourcauld
Brantôme
Périgueux
BergeracSarlat-la-Canéda
Brive-la-GaillardeTulle
UsselIssoire
Courmon-d’Auvergne
Thiers
Montbrison
Firminy
Monistrol-sur-LoireAnnonay
Tarare
Roanne Villefranche-sur-Sa
Givors
Le Pont-de-Claix
Modane
Moûtiers
Albertville
Chambéry
Aix-les-Bains
RumillyGuéret
Aubusson
Annecy
Belley
Lagnieu
Bourgoin-Jallieu
Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne
Riom
AurillacSaint-Laurent-Médoc
Ambarès-et-Lagrave
Saint-Médard-en-Jalles
La Teste-de-BuchLangon
Bazas
PissosMoustey
Marmande
Agen
Condom
Dax
OrthezTarnosBayonne
Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Oloron-Sainte-MarieLourdes
Saint-Gaudens
Foix
Prades
Rivesaltes
Céret
ElneArgelès-sur-Mer
Pamiers
Auterive Castelnaudary
Carcassonne Narbonne
Béziers Agde
Limoux
MazametCastres
Graulhet
Muret
Tarbes
Mont-de-Marsan
Aire-sur-l’AdourAuch
Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Moissac
Cahors
Saint-Affrique
Millau
Ganges
Alès
Mende
Arles
Beaucaire
Orange
BollèneNyonsPierrelatte
MontélimarAubenas
Le Puy-en-Velay
Saint-Flour
Yssingeaux
Privas
Valence
Romans-sur-Isère
Carpentras
L’Isle-sure-la-Sorgue
CavaillonApt Manosque
Digne-les-Bains
Gap
Briançon
Pertuis
Miramas
Salon de Provence
IstresMartigues
Vitrolles Gardanne Brignoles
Draguignan
Fréjus
Sainte-Maxime
Grasse
Calvi
Porto-Vecchio
Corte
Ghisonaccia
Cervione
Sartène
Bonifacio
Antibes
Menton
La CrauHyèresLa Ciotat
SèteFrontignan
Bédarieux
LodèveCastelsarrasin
Montauban
GaillacAlbi
Carmaux
Rodez
DecazevilleFigeacVillenave-d’Ornon
Saint-Junien
Royan
La Rochelle
Rochefort
Soustons
Bordeaux
Pau
Toulouse
Perpignan
Montpellier
Marseille
Toulon
Ajaccio
Bastia
Nice Monaco
Aix-en-Provence
Nîmes
Avignon
Grenoble
Lyon
Saint-Étienne
Clermont-FerrandLimoges
Spain
Sardinia
Italy
107
Southern France
The Grand Prix de Pau Historique (top). / The Ronde Hivernale at Serre Chevalier.
(Courtesy Circuit de Serre Chevalier)
1
30
37
3139
329
5
8
11
28
22
7 1015
1619
18
26
14
23
38
29
2
6
3
12
1317
33
27
36
4025
20
3424
21 35
Contents
Page
1 Citromuseum, Castellane 108
2 The collection of historic cars of the
Prince of Monaco 109
3 Musée Automobile de Provence,
Orgon 110
4 Les Anglaises ont la Côte, Bandol 111
5 Avignon Motor Festival 112
6 Bouchon de Tourves 113
7 Monaco Motor Legend 114
8 Rétro Auto Forum du Var, Fréjus 115
9 Salon Auto Moto Prestige et
Collection, Nîmes 116
10 Top Marques, Monaco 117
11 Trophée en Corse 118
12 Bourse-expo de Cavaillon 119
13 Motors Mania, Pau 120
14 Mont Ventoux 121
15 Grand Prix Historique de Monaco 122
16 Grand Prix de Monaco F1 124
17 Grand Prix de Pau Historique 126
18 Rallye Monte Carlo 128
19 Rallye Monte Carlo Historique 130
20 Les 100 Tours, Nogaro 132
21 Les 100 Tours, Circuit du Castellet 133
22 Corse Sud Classic Rallye 134
23 Critérium des Cévennes Historique 135
24 Les Dix Mille Tours, Circuit du
Castellet 136
25 Passion et partage, Alès 137
26 Rallye Hivernal Classic, Vallauris 138
27 Ronde Hivernale Historique, Serre
Chevalier 139
28 Tour de Corse Historique 140
29 Circuit d’Albi 141
30 Circuit AT2000, Isola 2000 142
31 Circuit du Grand Sambuc,
Vauvenargues 143
32 Circuit de Nîmes-Lédenon 144
33 Circuit de Pau-Arnos 145
34 Circuit Paul Armagnac, Nogaro 146
35 Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet 147
36 Circuit de Serre Chevalier 148
37 Circuit du Var, Le Luc 149
38 Grand Circuit du Roussillon, Rivesaltes 150
39 Michelin test track, Fontange 151
40 Pôle mécanique d’Alès-Cévennes 152
The Regional Nature Park of the Causses de Quercy
Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park
Cévennes National Park
Pyrénés National Park
Écrins National Park
Vercors Regional Natural Park
Jura Mountains Regional Natural Park
Morvan Regional Natural Park
Northern Vosges Regional Natural Park
Spain
UK
reland
Switzerland
Italy
TheNetherlands
Belgium
PARIS
Le Mans
LimogesLyon
Rheims
Bordeaux
Toulouse
Perpignan
Marseilles
Calais
Dijon
Montpellier
Corsica
Germany
Luxembourg
4
02/06/2014 11:31
6
Using the guideWith so much to see and do, this
guide provides plenty of signposts to
help you find your way around!
This guide is divided into five main chapters, each covering
a large region of France. Each is colour-coded ( ) and
opens with a regional overview map ( ), so that you can
locate places on your journey across the country, or near
your destination; a ‘minimap’ ( ) shows where in France
the region lies. Each entry is pinpointed on the map ( ),
and is also colour-coded, to match the section in which it
appears; its page number is listed in the map key ( ).
Each chapter is divided into five sections, each carrying a colour-coded tab at the page
edge and a unique symbol in the top corner ( and , opposite page). The number
of entries in each section varies by region; Paris & the Ile-de-France, for example, has
relatively few Motorsport events, but lots of Market Place entries, covering automobilia as well
All of the main chapters carry
colour-coded top bars.
Paris & the Ile-de-FranceChapters
Western France
Southern France
Central France & The Alps
PROVENCE-ALPES-CÔTE D’AZURDigne-les-Bains
Draguignan
Fréjus
Sainte-Maxime
Grasse
Antibes
MentonNice Monaco
1
8
7 1015
1619
18
26
2
Map markers show where
each entry is located and are
colour-coded to denote the
section it falls in.
Map markers
North-East France
11/11/2014 09:58
210
Muse
um
sShow
s & T
ours
Marke
t Place
Moto
rsport
Circu
its
North-East France
Practical informationOpen most Saturday afternoons 2-5pm, but may change, so check in advance
Rue de la Cristallerie, 57870 Troisfontaines
48.678556 N, 7.126366 E
musee2cv.free.fr
+33 (0)3 88 91 11 65
Musée de la 2CV, Troisfontaines
E ven allowing for a personal interest – the author’s first car was a Citroën Dyane! – no guide to the car museums of France would be complete without this shrine to that most idiosyncratic of French popular cars, the Citroën 2CV. The 2CV and its derivatives (the
Dyane, Ami and Méhari among them) are hugely popular in France, and there are significant displays of the 2CV at the Conservatoire Citroën outside Paris (page 13) and the Citromuseum in Castellane (page 108), but this is the only museum dedicated exclusively to ‘la Deuche.’
Run by an association which also organises the Fête de la 2CV in May each year, the museum displays 2CVs of all generations, from the early models of the 1950s to late-model Charlestons. In between there are many limited edition models, like the France 3, Dolly and 007 series, as well as a special version of the 2CV designed for use by the fire brigade, and a Méhari-based ice cream van, ideal for a Mediterranean beach. The prize for the most bizarre adaptation of a 2CV, however, is a tie ... between a light plane built on top of a 2CV bodyshell, and another hiding Porsche running gear!
Extraordinary tracked version of the Citroën Méhari. (Courtesy Pascal Irlinger/Musée de la 2CV)
All generations of the 2CV are represented. / As simple as it gets; the interior of an early 2CV. (Both courtesy Pascal Irlinger/Musée de
la 2CV)
13
Muse
um
sShow
s & T
ours
Marke
t Place
Moto
rsport
Circu
its
Paris & the Ile-de-France
Conservatoire Citroën, Aulnay-sous-Bois
Practical information
Open by appointment only
– book in advance
Boulevard André Citroën,
93601 Aulnay-sous-Bois.
Use Visitors’ entrance,
gate 1
48.961151 N, 2.488276 E
www.citroen.fr/
conservatoire-citroen
+33 (0)1 56 50 80 22]
martine.darblade@citroen.
com or conservatoire@
citroen.com
For any Citroën enthusiast, this collection should be at the top of the list of places to see in
France. Although the factory at Aulnay closed in 2013 after 40 years’ production, Citroën
has committed to keeping this site open. Its Heritage staff personally lead tours of the
collection (in English and French), so you’ll need to book in advance.
Originally opened in 2001, the Conservatoire brings together more than 250 cars from the
manufacturer’s sites around Paris and in Rennes, and also from Spain and Portugal. Citroën’s
factory at Slough, west of London, is remembered with British-built 2CV and Traction Avant
models. Many of the cars were taken straight from the production lines, but there are some
extraordinary prototypes and one-offs, too, such as
the 1982 Visa Lotus, effectively a Lotus Esprit Turbo
powertrain under a modified Visa body. An RE-2
helicopter from 1975 marks Citroën’s take on personal
transportation of the future, as well as an attempt to
diversify its business.
The Conservatoire also houses Citroën’s extensive
archives, and visitors can buy thematic dossiers for
nearly 20 different models, as well as a personalised
document set for every Citroën car built from 1919-90.
Citroën’s 2CV family (Ami, Dyane and Méhari) with period advertising poster by André François. (Courtesy Citroën Communication/
N Zwickel) / Citroën BX4TC rally cars and RE-2 helicopter. (Courtesy Citroën Communication/Jérôme Lejeune)
Citroën Traction Avant and early 2CV models.
(Courtesy Citroën Communication/N Zwickel)
| 2CVGB News | FEBRUARY 2015 | www.2cvgb.co.uk www.2cvgb.co.uk | FEBRUARY 2015 | 2CVGB News |24 25
