It could have disappeared - the monthly car meet in Perpignan that has been running on the first Sunday of every month for 24 years. This spring, however, the organizers had had enough. They had grown tired of the ever-increasing number of BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes without classic status - with owners more interested in 'kids' and 'robbers' than cultivating a passion for old cars.
When the organizers tried to stop the influx of these cars, conflicts arose. Car meetings in Perpignan are run as a personal initiative. The organizer is free to limit access to the meetings.
But the matter has several sides. A broad event like this is of interest to many. Is it discriminatory to exclude certain vehicle groups? What criteria should be used as a basis for excluding "popular" street cars? Car model, year model, tuned engines and fat tires – or the drivers' appearance? This is a problem for other car meets as well. Earlier this year I was on my way to a car meet in England ONLY reserved for supercars. There, the organizers had made it clear in advance that people with Audis, BMWs and Mercedes were not welcome on the grounds that these vehicles are not special enough.
In Perpignan, the organizers have come up with a good solution with registration in the form of an annual pass and rules for how to behave. There are also requirements for the vehicles – age or that the vehicle is special and exceptional, etc.
I am happy that the organizers chose to continue and that many participants have appreciated the scheme. Last Sunday, not only vehicles that were old, but also rare, exclusive and special arrived to the delight of many.
Pictures
Citroen BX GTI
This edition of the Citroen BX has a 16-valve engine of 1,9 liters producing 160 HP. It can do 0-100 in 7,9 seconds. The Citroen BX is a rare feature at car fairs. Where has everyone gone? This was a very popular model in the 80s. There were two Citroen BXs that had found their way to Perpignan this Sunday.
Citroen GSA X1
The Citroen GSA was the successor to the GS. A major improvement with the GSA was that it was styled as a hatchback coupé. The GSA X1 has been given sporty equipment, including round instruments and rear spoiler. The engine was 1300 ccm with 65 HP. The model was produced between 1983 and 1985.
Puma GT
Brazilian car factory that built light sports cars with mechanics from other Brazilian car brands. The Puma GT and GTE were built on chassis from Karmann Ghia (Volkswagen) and with engines from Volkswagen. This car is from around 1980 and has an air-cooled Volkswagen engine of 1600 ccm and 70 HP. The bodywork is made of fiberglass and the entire body weighs less than 700 kg. Rare car from Brazil to Perpignan.
Renault 4 Sixties
The Sixties was a campaign model of the Renault 4 GTL produced in 1985 in a limited edition. What made the variant special were special colors - both outside and inside. It also got two plexiglass sunroofs. The cars were equipped with the 1,1 liter engine and 4-speed gearbox which was operated via "umbrella gear". According to advertising at the time, Renault was targeting a young audience – perhaps in an attempt to make the Renault 4 cool again. The Renault 4 was easy to drive and offered plenty of space for a reasonable purchase price.
Ford Capri GT 1700 XLR
The Ford Capri was produced both in England and in Germany. They used the engines they had. The car in the picture has a 1700 V4 engine manufactured in Germany. English Ford also had the V4 from the Corsair series which was also used in the Capri.
Carre d'Or
The car meet is held at one of the many shopping centers around Perpignan. Carre d'Or is located along the flyover between Perpignan city and the coastal town of Canet-en-Roussillon. Over the years, the event has been held in several places around the city.
After having lunch at one of the eateries there, we found these beautiful Volkswagen buses left after the meeting.
See
RVA66 – the organizer's website
