National Automobile Museum, Mulhouse, France
April 5 to November 5, 2023
With On Stroll with Louis De Funès, the National Automobile Museum pays tribute to the famous actor through the automobile. In the films played by Louis de Funès, the iconic cars of the 60s and 70s are often characters in their own that have marked the imagination of a whole generation of spectators!
Thus, the exhibition brings together about twenty cars, 4 of which were actually used during filming. From the film “ The Sucker“, there is the 2 CV dislocated following its encounter with the Rolls driven by De Funès, and the Cadillac Deville cabriolet type 64 then driven by Bourvil. 2 other American convertibles were used in “The Troops in Saint Tropez”, a Ford Mustang (1964) and a 1963 Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass convertible. The Mustang was used in pursuits, so it has since been completely restored.
Other cars on display are models similar to those seen in the films, such as the Citroën Méhari, inseparable from the “Troops” series, the DS 23 Pallas from “The Adventures of Rabbi Jacob“, or the Citroën DS 21 from «Fantomas unleashed”, where it turns into a flying car. DS Automobiles has prepared, in the form of a drawing presented in the exhibition, a modern reinterpretation of this flying DS.
Others have been seen in a single film, and the choice is eclectic from the small Autobianchi Bianchina to the Rolls Royce through a Simca Aronde Elysée, a Fiat 124 Coupé, a Facel Vega Facellia Convertible, a yellow cab… Let’s mention 2 cars a little apart in the selection, a VW 1200 Beetle that recalls an advertisement shot by Louis de Funès before being the movie star we know, and a Renault 6 TL, his favorite car that he found so convenient!
A tribute will also be paid to Rémy Julienne responsible for the stunts of several films. A fun course planned for children will address different themes such as pedestrian licenses, speed limits or the evolution of the automobile, based on the cars presented and film extracts. Film posters, shooting photos, film objects, clothing complete the exhibition, as well as dioramas depicting some of the most well-known scenes from the films.
Louis de Funès gets also to the restaurant with recipes from his films, while the museum shop offers a choice of marked objects (posters, postcards, mugs …), and a catalog specific to the exhibition.
The photos on this page belong to the National Automobile Museum, no right of reproduction without the express permission of the museum.
The image of the Flying DS on this page belongs to DS Automobile, no right of reproduction without the express permission of the owner