On Sunday we visited the monthly collection of old, special, rare or exclusive cars in Perpignan. We arrived a little late, so people and cars were leaving the event. So good that people take out their beautiful cars on a Sunday, - not only for us who visit the event, but also for everyone who can view the beautiful vehicles along the surrounding roads.
American muscle cars
Do you remember "Smokey and the Bandit" with Burt Reynolds og Sally field who had been assigned to be a "decoy" for the police so that Jerry reed managed to transport a load of Coors beer from Texas to Georgia in 28 hours. To help with the task, they borrowed a Pontiac Trans Am. Today this would be called "product placement". I myself was a young man at the time and wished I was the one driving the Trans Am with beautiful Sally Field by my side.
I've seen several Pontiac Trans Ams - but they haven't been real Trans Ams, - or they've been in very bad shape. A pure Trans Am is a beautiful sight.
One could wonder what the film team behind "Smokey and the Bandit" would have chosen if they couldn't get their hands on a Trans Am. Ford Mustang? Then Burt Reynolds had to settle for a Ford Mustang mk2 – a car that never got the same muscle car status as its predecessor and successors. If the movie had been made today, maybe they could have chosen a Shelby Mustang?
Air-cooled camping cars
Early Volkswagen buses are often called hippie buses, because they were popular among American hippies when the movement started in the late 60s. A hippie bus was a Volkswagen T1 decorated with flowers and psychedelic decorations. At the time, the Volkswagen buses were cheap both in acquisition and operation. Today, a nice hippie bus can reach staggering sums. On Sunday, this tough T1 with Belgian plates stopped by the car meet. It served as a means of transport and a home for the owner and his dog. I think that when you travel in such a great bus it is not difficult to make friends on the trip.
Peugeot Classics
I can't remember the last time I saw a Peugeot 604. They have simply disappeared and no one seems to see any value in looking after them. Truth be told, Peugeot did not manage to create any prestige model of the 604. Many problems arose during a turbulent time for the company. But the Peugeot 604 looks fantastic!
French and special
In France, the unsnobbish van Citroen C15 has the same status as the Volvo Duett had at home in Norway. The C15 is cheap, unsnobbish, simple and almost immortal considering that this was a model based on the Citroen Visa. One could probably also add that the C15 is a car that has a masculine and tough feel. The pictured C15 is, as far as I can see, a regular C15D with an external air intake and creative paintwork. The fact that it looks like a 4×4 can be defended by the fact that the C15, with its long suspension travel and drive on the front wheels, has impressively good passability in rough terrain.
See
The event's website – RVA66.com
Citroen Visa and C15
