Ceret

Céret is one of many villages in the Catalan part of France where cobbled streets with picturesque stone houses still exist. At the beginning of the 1900th century, the city was a meeting place for artists. From our shepherd's hut, we can see into the old garden where Pablo Picasso and George Braque held merry parties 100 years ago - where Salvador Dali was also present.

Céret is located in a very rural setting at the foot of the Pyrenees - very close to the border with Spain. The nearest big city is Barcelona. The city is very far from Paris and the Côte d'Azur - in a positive way. It is not expensive to visit the restaurants, everyone speaks French and there are cars here that you cannot find in the Côte d'Azur. Now there is no longer a 2CV or Renault 4 on it each street corner in Céret. But since we are in an area where cars do not rust, there are still many cars such as Renault 5, Express, Citroen C15, Renault Twingo mk 1 and Peugeot 205 on the roads. These are cars that are almost extinct in other parts of Europe, but here they are common. In 5 years they may be gone for good.

Citroen

Citroen BX Millesime TD

The car in the main picture above belongs in Céret. It is a Millesime edition that appeared in recent years in production with a nice equipment package. The equipment level with, among other things, a rear spoiler is supplemented by yellow lights, integrated fog lights, black signs and a sunroof. The sunroof gives the car character. According to the owner, the panoramic roof is taken from a Twingo. The car has recently been fixed up after an injury and is often on the move in the city with the owner behind the wheel. If you are on Instagram, you can follow him under his username pali_kao.

Citroen Ami 9A and 2CV

I don't think the new electric Ami is sold in Norway. It is also not a big sales hit in our part of France. The car pictured is actually the only one I've seen in town. I think it's a shame that it is only made as moped car. If it had been built as a 4-wheel motorcycle (quadricycle lourd), it could be registered in vehicle class L7e. If the car could go faster than 45 km/h, you could follow normal traffic flow. Then I think it would be better received in the market. The reason I took a picture of it is because of the nice 2CV patina it has - just like the great 2CV on the right.

Lemon Xantia

I forgot to mention that the Citroen Xantia is one of the car models that is still current and drivable here. The car in the picture above belongs to the first series of Xantia. I have passed it several times and have noticed how great it is. For being BX's successor, Xantia seems less distinctive - more "mainstream". But if you get hold of a Xantia with Active Suspension, you have a wolf in sheep's clothing on the road.

Many Citroen 2CVs have been in continuous operation since they were new.

Renault

Renault Espace

Let's forget the 2CV and the R4s for a while. Although there are fewer of them, they still exist. I am particularly impressed by the 2CV and R4 that are still in daily use, like the one parked in front of us at one of the city's supermarkets. I would rather focus on the image of Espace from the first series. This is a model that was designed by Matra – a name that arouses enthusiasm in many. The straight, square lines with large glass surfaces were typical of 80s models. The Espace was not just a minibus, but an MPV with the possibility of converting the compartment into a saloon. I don't know the technology in the Espace 1, but I think the design is really tough - something that belongs among 80s icons like the Aston Martin Lagonda and the DeLorean DMC-12.

Renault 5 Express with the passenger car's front

Renault 5 on the loading platform of a Saviem Renault SG2 (3,5 ton truck from around 1980). I hope the Super 5 is headed for renovation and not the car scrap.

Renault 5 and Express

At the moment there are far too many Renault Expresses for me to take pictures of them all. I liked this one because it is clean (renovated) in the bodywork, got nice rims and equipped with the passenger car front from "Supercinq". Most Renault Express in the city are pure used cars with signs of use all over. À propos Super 5, I thought the motif of the Renault 5 on the loading platform of a Saviem Renault SG2 (3,5 tonnes) was really French and nostalgic. I hope the Super 5 is on its way renovation and not the scrap car.

Peugeot

Peugeot 304

I have the impression that few people take the time to restore a Peugeot 304 Berline. The ones I have seen have been in original good condition - probably also the car in the pictures. I have not seen it in the city before, but discovered it on a Sunday visit to the city close to where we live. I had time to admire the stylish Italian lines. They give associations to the Alfa Romeo Super Giulia. I wish Peugeot would find a way back to previous alignments instead of today's crisscrossing lines.

Peugeot 504 Pickup

The pickup model was put into production a few years before the production of the passenger car was phased out, and continued until the early 90s. If you see a 504 pickup, it doesn't have to be very old. I think most pick-up cars you see on the road today have undergone some form of renovation - like the car in the picture. I have seen it in several places in the city, including recently at the city's Peugeot workshop. Considering how solid the 504 Break was, there is reason to believe that this pickup will be able to serve for many years to come.

See

Join us for a short tour of the city on the undersigned's bicycle. Céret is surrounded by fine cycle paths, whether you cycle to the beach or in the mountains. My road bike is only suitable on the road, but there are also off-road trails for those who dare.

Céret (Wikipedia)

This is article number 5 in a series about the French car industry and French cars - seen through Norwegian eyes in France.

When, a few weeks ago, Renault Norge ran an advertising campaign on Facebook for its new Captur, there were many angry comments from slightly older readers. Not about the Renault Captur, but French cars in general. It didn't help that today's owners praised their cars to the skies.

Captur is a typical result of the modern car industry across national borders. The typically French is gone – for better or for worse. The Renault Captur is unlikely to be singled out as an example of French car-building art.

The fact that modern French cars lack a French character is unlikely to dampen new car sales. The distinctive French character is a thing of the past, which contributes to giving older, French cars an ever-increasing cult status. In France, there is great interest in typical French cars - not least among young people. Air-cooled Citroëns and small Renaults have long had cult status. Now it seems that more and more French cars are being embraced by local car enthusiasts.

Renault 12

I came across a Renault 12 during my last visit to the South of France. They were hugely popular in Norway, not least the station wagon. You couldn't get more car for the money at the time. I never perceived the Renault 12 as distinctly French. In many ways it can be compared to today's Captur.

The Renault 12 was surprisingly conventionally constructed compared to other Renaults. It had a rigid rear axle – not independent suspension like other Renaults. The ingenious, space-saving torsion springs had been replaced with ordinary coil springs. The model lacked much of what was associated with French car design. Nevertheless - or in spite of this - the owners were very satisfied with their cars - certainly at least as satisfied as today's Captur owners.

The Renault 12 did not have a particularly long shelf life, especially on salted roads, - a fate it shared with most other commercial vehicles of the time.

Speaking of short shelf life…

I also came across a Fiat Regata. No, it was not produced in France, but at Fiat's Mirafiori factory in Italy. Nevertheless, it suits our small town with Catalan architecture very well. The navy sedan is owned by a young man with an interest in Latin cars. Several young people in the city where I live take care of such cars. The warm, dry climate means that the cars do not rust. Then even cars like the Fiat Regata can have an eternal life if you don't drive them to wrecks.

It's no secret that Regata had a very short shelf life. Firstly, they were badly screwed together and secondly, the rust was relentless. Other than that, I think it was quite nice to drive the Fiat Regata a few times in the 80s. I liked the soundscape, which was mainly conveyed through the exhaust system. Typical Italian. Then you can see between the fingers that the interior plastic panels occasionally loosened while driving on bad roads.

Air cooled is cool

Air-cooled Citroëns such as the 2CV, Dyane, Ami and Méhari are very popular and prices are now rising. If you are looking for something truly French, Citroën Visa can be a good alternative. Early versions had a slightly enlarged air-cooled 2CV engine, 652 ccm 34 HP and umbrella gear. The drive unit can well be regarded as an attempt to carry on the 2CV spirit. On the road, the Visa drives in typical "Citroën" fashion, softly with a long suspension travel. The models beyond the 80s eventually got water-cooled petrol and diesel engines from Citroën's engine range - as well as floor gearboxes. In France, there are still a great many Visa vans. You see them everywhere. They are fully drivable, although they often look quite battered. When the Citroën Visa was introduced, the air-cooled drivetrain was seen as old-fashioned, at least here at home. Today it's French and cool.

Another French robber is the small Citroën LN and its sister model the Peugeot 104. These are built on the same platform as the Citroën Visa. I find it difficult to imagine that these cars are actually classics, - or future classics. They look way too modern. These are the forerunners of today's subcompact cars, which really took off when the Ford Fiesta was introduced a few years later. The French were first.

dyane — Citroën Dyane and Renault B90 in the background

The 2CV wave

In the "French classics" series, you cannot miss the 2CVs. In the past it was quite common to see abandoned 2CVs. Today it seems that everyone who can be saved has been cleaned up and hit the road. Some look like new, others have a patina over them. I can't think of anything more French than a "clattering" 2CV through narrow city streets. Although the 2CV wave has sent prices up, you can get a usable car for between NOK 50-80.

If you're not too picky about coolness, the Dyane is a good alternative to the 2CV. It follows the same concept, but has a little more space, a little more comfort - and is perhaps less quirky than the 2CV, so to speak. The management at Citroën had intended that the Dyane would be the successor to the 2CV. The paradox is that the production of the 2CV survived both Dyane and Visa. The 2CVs rolled off the production lines long after Dyane and Visa were history. Unlike the 2CV, there are still many abandoned Dyanes out in the countryside. The red Dyane in the pictures was standing outside a workshop that brings old cars to life. I'm guessing someone has plans for it. In the same place is also an Acadiane – the van version of Dyane. Dyanes are rarely seen on the road, but Acadianes are still kept alive – as practical utility vehicles.

Beach cars

The Dyane/Acadiane shares a platform and drivetrain with the Citroën Méhari, the popular open beach car made from soft plastic. It must be easy to get parts for these cars. In terms of coolness, Méhari is probably one of the coolest to drive to the beach with - at least here in France. The model may be a bit reminiscent of the Mini Moke, which is also now produced as an electric car.

In the small harbor town of Port-Vendres, I came across something as rare as an ACL Rodeo. It is Renault's answer to the Citroën Méhari. Renault used the Renault 4 as a platform for its "beach car".

Citroën HY

Finally, I bring one of the coolest French cars at the moment, the Citroën HY or H-type van. The prices of these cars have skyrocketed. Many say that the HY follows the trend we have seen with Volkswagen's Type 2 – T1 and T2 – the so-called hippie bus, samba, van or pickup. The pictured HY is in normal operation. I don't know if it had an errand in the carpentry business (pictured) or in the greengrocer next door. I'm guessing the latter. What could taste better than sun-ripened tomatoes from the South of France transported in the back of a Citroën HY?

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Along the street in Céret