Tuesday 11 May 2010

Old Vehicles, Two and Four Wheels - Part 59

Along with the WW II ceremonies last weekend, Chasseneuil was the venue for two small parades of historic motor vehicles, organised I believe to recognise the 8 May opening of the Chasseneuil by-pass a few years ago.

The first parade was of Citroen 2CV cars and the second was of motor bikes of various ages. The dreadful weather was the reason, I suspect, that the numbers on parade were so low, there being only 10 or so of each form of transport.

As a foreigner, it was easy to recognise the 2CVs, which, quite rightly, have global appeal. Apart from the two or three British and Japanese bikes I noticed, the others were presumably French or Belgian and not familiar to me. However, it is a joy to see all these well cared-for old motors out on the road, and a rare opportunity, as for much of the year, they are locked up in garages and barns, out of view of and enjoyment by the general public.

Having owned, cleaned, polished and paraded a number of classic cars in South Africa (with a much better climate) in the past, I remember only too well how reluctant I was to venture out in the rain with them. Those brave souls who went out with their cars and bikes on Sunday deserve applause, not only for turning out, but also for the effort of cleaning and drying their vehicles, which they would have had to do when they got home.

I hope to see them again soon in better weather, but here are a few shots of them in Sunday’s downpour.











17 comments:

  1. Hi Diane,

    I hope you get some nice weather soon! I am sending a link of this post to my son. He loves cars and would enjoy reading your post.

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  2. I love antique vehicles. Those are lovely. Very good shape and shiny. I like to visit antique car shows. Have a good day.

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  3. Hi Linda, I also hope we get some nice weather soon - it is becoming a pain when I want to work in the garden! Hope your son enjoys the post. Diane

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  4. Hi Becca, Yes they were all in very good condition. My husband and I love old cars, but the cost of restoration usually makes them very expensive as we have discovered! Diane

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  5. We have a pair of 1979 Lincolns - big, beautiful American gas guzzlers, each with only 20,000 miles on them. I will not drive them between November 15 and April 1, nor when it rains, and my boys hand wash them after every time we take them out. So I'm with you in admiring those brave souls who took their classic cars and bikes out on such a dreary day. Great pictures, as always, Diane!

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  6. It's really heartwarming to find that the French are just as mad about old vehicles as we Brits are. It's also amazing how often you come across events like this, all over France.

    Wish we could have been there ! Hopefully we will be able to catch the retro mecanique do in LGP later this year, it's always so much fun.

    PS we are having lousy weather too, just now.

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  7. What wonderful photos. It's amazing to see so many of them in one place. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  8. I especially like the bikes Diane. They dont make vehicles like this anymore.

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  9. Hi Marjie, Yes I can imagine the Lincolns are expensive to run but it is so nice to have old cars to use for dry or special weekends. We used to so enjoy ours. Diane

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  10. Hi Jean, They are very proud of their vehicles here, or the old ones any way. David, my right hand here, has a couple of old cars and he loves them. Diane

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  11. Hi Mary, Yes seeing so many in one place is only likely to happen in their home country, France. They are great little cars and so much fun. Have a good day. Diane

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  12. Hi Joan, No you are right they don't make them like it any more. My Dad used to have a motorbike and sidecar many years ago and it was so much fun. Diane

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  13. How fun and they are definitely spiffy, classy cars! We have classic car days here in our little town during the summer and it's always fun to see them but, none of them are as cute as these. Have a good day!

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  14. Hi Pam they really are cute. My husband has always wanted one, but I think at 6'4" he would have to roll himself up to get into the 2CV :-)
    Diane

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  15. I just love those cars... they sort of epitomize France, don't they? great photos and it looked like a fun day even with bad weather!

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  16. longpastremembered, it was a fun day, but the bad weather kept a lot of people away sadly. Yes I also love the cars they are great fun. Diane

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  17. Thanks for your comments Radka, Diane

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