Valençay Automobile Museum, France
April 1st to November 5, 2023
As every year, the Valençay Automobile Museum offers a thematic exhibition throughout its opening period (until November 5, 2023), increasing the permanent collection and renewing the interest of visitors. For 2023, popular is in the spotlight, with about twenty cars. As they were on the roads of that time, French manufacturers are in the majority in this presentation, with Citroën, Peugeot and Renault, but also Panhard and Simca.
If the Citroën 2 CV, Renault 4L and R8, Peugeot 404, Simca 1300 are great classics, others like the Panhard 24 CT, a very nice coupe that will be the last Panhard models, the Renault Ondine, chic version of the Dauphine, the Renault Caravelle and Peugeot 304 convertibles, or the Renault Rodeo competitor of the Citroën Méhari are rarer. Not really “popular” by their production, the Matra Bagheera and its 3 seats front or the Citroën SM and its Maserati V6 made many drivers dream in the early 1970s.
Among the cars on display, there are also 3 emblematic European cars of this period, the Austin Mini, the Fiat 500 and the Volkswagen Beetle. The permanent collection of the Valençay Museum will complete the panorama of French roads of the 1960s/1970s. The exhibition also presents a dozen 2 wheels. The unmissable Velosolex and the Motoconfort Cady moped are typical of this category then very popular in France.
There are also a few motorcycles, including the rare Motobecane 125 and 350, a reminder of a short attempt to revive French motorcycle production, and the best-known BMW R60, Kawasaki, KTM or Suzuki 125 Van Van. A Welcome Caravette caravan completes the exhibition, while some models dressed in 1960/1970 fashion enhance the presentation of the vehicles.
The photos on this page belong to Valençay Automobile Museum, no right of reproduction without the express permission of the museum.