My Holiday Scrapbook - Mission Parlez-Vous-Francais? Non.

[I.K.Brunel]

Were any of the diamond-wheelbased vehicles powered by a 777cc radial 7 engine by any chance?

[Barrett]

Excellent stuff! Those elipsis-shaped vehicles and the lovely photo of M.Charbonneaux just rung a huge bell, this place (or at least a sizeable part of the collection) is the former Charbonneaux personal collection, with examples of most of the cars he styled over the years (hence R16 in such a prominent place & crazy truck model at the start). I didn't actually know where this place was or even what it was called, but I've wanted to go there for years! Now I'm looking forward to the rest of the photos even more than I was before....

[Seth]

Were any of the diamond-wheelbased vehicles powered by a 777cc radial 7 engine by any chance?

Probably*

Right, Barrett probably knows what's coming later but lets continue (he's just going to have to fix his stupid plastic car so he can go himself)

A ramp lead on ahead past a classroom type space that was perhaps for use by school visits or maybe club meetings? Next to it was the pedal car collection.







Back down to floor level and we were in amongst the few commercial vehicles. This was fabulous.



Photocopes of some period newspaper articles were shown for info.



I'd love to turn it into a camper and tour around, possibly while dressed in 1950s sci-fi garb.



This 504 coupe in front of it looked like it might have been there so it was easy to get in and drive out of the place.



Smile!



But what was next to that. Only the real thing of that model in the lobby!



Looking at that /\ photo you might think there was a Mercedes parked next to it. RONG. Best Milkfloat ever.



I think those two front ends are worth another look.



There were a few fire engines there as well.



And this top end of the museum was also home to the moderns.



and some sports cars.



Since it is in keeping with that style, this Ligier was hiding behind the Elipsises.



Last set later.

[Jon]

Lovely photos there Seth, looking forward to the conclusion. Great* to see the popular European tradition of displaying automotive stuff with scary dolls/mannequins being upheld there. That Marconi broadcasting/transmission thing (I assume) is also great to see, especially as the pairing have managed to stay together. Not quite sure why there are two very similar looking 505s but it's nice to know that I drive a worthy museum candidate.

[Seth]

Thanks Jon, I'm not even sure that the Marconi-mobile wasn't even just a promotional vehicle (much like the GM Futureliners) rather than being stuffed full of transistor sets. I'm afraid to say I only had a cursory look at the line of 'cooking' cars there as there were other interesting things attracting my attention.

I'll leave this here as a temporary teaser.



Right how's about this then. Hirst look I reckon.





and if you hadn't worked it out...



4x4 BX Group B homologation machine.



Back to the wierdo thing above. What on earth!



Sadly a post trolley prevent a decent side view of it.



The plaque tells us its based on a Peaugeot 403 underpinnings with a body by 'M. Radovitch' and apparently wond a Concours D'Elegance in Monaco. Ithink it says parts of the body come from Citroen DS and Mercedes 190SL.



Paint free Peugeot 504. Not rusty though. 'Cos its made of STAINLESS STEEL!!! Just two were made as show pieces by a supplier. One is owned by Peugeot and this is the other.



I don't know the mechanical state of this car.



There was a small line of stupid small cars.





I quite fancy one of these.



Best for people without driving licences







Right there'll actually be another episode soon but I'll break it here for now.

[Seth]

OK, back to ordinary cars. Can you see the Renault 16 a few up the line?



Yeah, its not ordinary.



I think these two showing design progression were though.





Must not make joke.



Hey! Last one I saw of these was parked on my road and covered in flames!



Barrett earlier asked if this was there.



It was. But he'll have to tell you what it is as I've forgotten. It scared me with its angry face.



Car on the left is a 2CV with Bijou looking front (and rear?) ends.



If you hadn't figured it out, the R16 on the truck was on this.



With fabulous design drawing.



Things went a bit upmarket now. Loved the fake WWII aero style exhaust outlets on these Delahayes.





A couple of the more bulbous ones too.



And to finish off the visit inside there were these two contraptions.





Rear engined - with Ford V8s (one I think the baby V8-60 version)



Wimille the maker, a pre-war GP racer who made these proposals after the war but was killed in a raciong incident in '49



So, that just leaves the wrecks outside.











Panhard bonnet made me sad



And then since I forgot to put it in earlier, this was perhaps the most major 'spot' of the holiday, on the way back to Paris from Riems along more minor roads.



I hope you've enjoyed that rather comprehensive tour of the place. It really was so much better than I could have imagined. All those one offs and designs. Magical.

[tone_depear]

Brilliant. That's next year's daddy-daughter holiday sorted. She'll be so excited*.

[garethj]

I love the blue and silver streamliners, I'd happily teeter around corners at 5mph in either of them.

The blue scary one - was that made before the 1966 Batman series or immediately after it?

Ace photos btw, I'll let the management have a look later, I bet she'll be keen as mustard* to go there next summer

[Barrett]

Excellent photos. I've never actually seen any really good shots from here before. This has just made me want to go even more. Hopefully it won't have closed down/ exploded by the time BOND and I are ready for a nice continental jaunt.

The pale blue Delahaye 135 with the dark blue wires is one of my favourite cars ever, somehow incredibly tasteful and totally overblown at the same time. I would love to own something unique like that and 'do' the proper posh concours events.

The scary blue thing is a Salmson 2300 GS Barquette and dates from the mid '50s so way before Batman, and probably before the Lincoln Futura too. I think it's made of GRP as well! Une voiture plastique ridicule par excellence.

[Spottedlaurel]

Ace photos btw, I'll let the management have a look later, I bet she'll be keen as mustard* to go there next summer

Then Mrs SL-to-be and I went 19yrs ago, we're still together now so I reckon you'll be alright.

Fantastic photos Seth, very enjoyable lunchtime viewing. I'll have to dig out any snapshots I took from when I went, though there won't be many from those pre-digital days.