Last year my wife and I did a trip to Europe that included a couple of days in France. While classic cars were far from common, there were a number that caught my eye. Let’s check out some in this gallery.
While there were plenty of modern cars that I found interesting, we will mostly stick to the classics. This Peugeot 505 sedan is now old enough to qualify and was parked in the suburb of Paris that we were staying in. A shame about the cheap wheel covers. Sadly, it was the only 505 we saw.
Once we got into central Paris it did not take too long to spy an iconic Citroen 2CV. This one stood out even more with its bright yellow paint. A number of these are in private hands, as well as used as tour cars for hire. What a way to see the city!
Another Citroen 2CV in lovely shape.
While not a classic car, I could not resist sharing this very characterful Citroen Ami electric car. For me this is exactly how to do an electric city car. Give it a strong sense identity and mission, as well as distinctive styling, so that people choose it for reasons beyond just being electric.
There were not too many cars from the 80s and 90s, but this Peugeot 205 was still surviving and street parked. The color mismatch on the door indicates some past trauma.
This ’90s Renault Express van lacked any business signage, so could have been used for business or pleasure.
Is the first generation Renault Twingo the best French car since the 2CV? I think it might just be, with a characterful frog inspired face the Twingo never fails to make you smile. The one box design and seats that fold to a bed also mean it is probably more practical than its size might suggest. It is a shame this was not in a bright color.
Another uninspired color on another Renault Twingo. This too got the minor facelift that included a tweak to the headlights (that lost the orange stripe on the bottom) as well as a modern engine. On its debut the Twingo revived the old pushrod Cléon-Fonte engine with roots dating back to the early 1960s. This one sports a more powerful engine sourced from the Clio, with a single overhead camshaft and multi port injection. Oh le luxe!
I, unfortunately, did not capture any of the very early Twingos. These are apparently quite cherished in France, and I can see them becoming collectable in the same way a Renault 4 or Citroen 2CV is. Better get one before values go up too much.
This brightly colored Twingo was near the end of the MkI line with a 16 valve engine. This one is complete with typical Paris bumps and lumps from full contact parking.
The Mk2 and Mk3 (above) Renault Twingo were still nice cars (and probably a better car) but not nearly as loved or as interesting as the first generation. The current variant is an electric car.
This dirty Renault Trafic was another older, survivor van. Someone invested the effort to clean some, but not all the body panels.
Again, not a classic car but I saw a few of these 2012-2023 Renault Twizys (in the foreground) and they are well worth sharing. It is such a neat and cheerful design that makes sense in this environment.
Since we were in Paris for the first time, we had to visit the Eiffel Tower and were lucky enough to spot this Citroën Traction Avant tour car in front of it as the sun began to set (also seen on our opening photo). I was able to ride in one of these in Cuba as a taxi and should have done a tour in Paris with one as well.
France, of course, has more than just French cars. This 1990s Mk3 Volkswagen Polo is on the edge, age wise, for classic cars but is a neat design in a good color, so I am including it. Top marks to Volkswagen for marking more interesting than normal steel wheels.
Are all delivery vans in France white? This older Mercedes Sprinter van from the late ’90s or early ’00s was street parked in a suburb.
Outside of Paris this Ford Fiesta Mk2 was a most unexpected spot. It appeared to be in fabulous condition and must have been a cherished car for someone.
Back in Paris this Saab 900 convertible fits right in with the classically styled older buildings.
These Alfa Romeo 147s look fantastic in red with the large wheels pushed to each corner. Another small hatchback I would love to own.
A slightly battered Rolls Royce Silver Shadow covered with leaves was perhaps my favorite find.
Paris features quite a few scooters but perhaps none as cool as this BMW C1. A helmet is not required on these because of a seat belt and enclosed bodywork. Sold only in the years 2000 to 2002, these scooters were available with either a 125cc or 200cc engine, but were quite heavy which limited performance.
This BMW 320i with yellow headlights caught my eye more so than the modern Ferrari.
This Iveco RV had an interesting take on a pull out design.
A colorful classic Mini outside a restaurant. According to their website, “Les Petites Cantines is a non-profit network of neighborhood canteens where diners welcome each other and meet through sustainable, participatory, and pay-what-you-can meals”.
There were quite a few of the BMW CE 02 mini motorcycles as well as the CE 04 maxi scooters. These are both electric and would be wonderful for navigating big European cities.
We will wrap up with this lovely Fiat 500.
The 500 looks absolutely tiny compared to even the modern European cars, but was an absolute treat to see. If I could have taken any home with me as a souvenir it would have been this one. So small it practically would fit in the carry on luggage!
This brings back fond memories of our trip to Paris in 2011. We saw some of the same models you saw, including lots of 2CVs running around the central area on tours. I saw the Twizy was just being shown at the Paris Auto Show I attended. And I shot a black 500 just like the one on your final shots; same one?
Love your shots of the TA and the Eiffel Tower; beautiful and evocative.
There cannot be too many black Fiat 500s in Paris so good chance it could be the same one!
I looked it up in my photo files; the license plate is different. Maybe that was changed? It looks very similar otherwise.
Brings back memories of great times in that wonderful city!
I used to live in the center of Paris on l’île de la Cité – the island upon which Notre Dame and the Palais de Justice (where I had my parking spots) are situated. “My” street was Quai des Orfevres, just along from Traction driver Maigret’s police prefecture.
Here’s my old C2 under the Eiffel Tower back then…
Living in Paris with a Corvette – that must have been an amazing experience.
View from my Southern California driveway
Three and all red! Quite the trio. There is a Peugeot 505 STI automatic very close to my house. Not as nice as yours but I am glad it exists.
Great finds – I love “old car tourism!”
That Rolls-Royce shot is fantastic. There’s just something about a regal, aged car just wasting away under piles of leaves that’s very evocative.
You opening shot of a Traction Avant with the Eiffel Tower in the background is also iconic. I assume the Citroen is a for-hire car for tourists to see Paris in “authentic style.” Too much of a coincidence for it to be hanging around the Eiffel Tower for any other reason.
And that 505 may have cheap wheel covers, but they perfectly match the fence in the background.
That Iveco van with the pull-outs is certainly interesting. I guess it belongs to a mobile business of some sort, but that’s a very interesting way of having portable space.
My son clocked this Citroen at Fontainebleau last month.
That’s a Rosalie, the Traction Avant’s direct RWD predecessor.
And this.. it’s a long way from home – I don’t fancy paying for filling it with l’essence.
Also this 404
Amazing how the Pug 404 still looks good in it’s stylish design .
Nice too to see the many classics out and about .
Two questions : is the crime there very high ? . why else would s many houses have safety shutters closed tightly in the day and why does the Eiffel Tower have ugly chain link fencing around it ? .
-Nate
The shutters aren’t for safety; they’re to keep the sun out. Shutters have been used primarily for this purpose in warm/hot climates for centuries. Hardly anyone has ac.
The fencing is just part of the security at the Eiffel Tower. It’s like standing in line in so many other places; there’s a security checkpoint as well as having to pay the admission. How else to keep those that have a ticket and are waiting for an elevator separate from the general public?
And no, crime is not high there.
Crime “is” or was not high there? Alot can change, within 15 years
No Citroen DS?
I saw one in Ohio a couple weeks ago, it turned up at three successive rest stops on the interstate at the same time I did. Beautiful cars.
“No Citroen DS?”
What for? We all know what they look like, after all.
Sadly we did not see one but we were only there for two full days.
Roger, it feels strange to look at a 505 and be told it’s an old Peugeot! But I take your point – when did I last see one?
What is it with Citroen calling cars ‘Friend’ when they look so unfriendly? I agree with a small electric city car in theory, but not if they look so stern and frowny.
That yellow 2CV: it has no C-pillar window, but seems to have a late grille. Is it some kind of fewer-window base model I’ve never seen before, or a ‘Frankenstein’ of found parts (new front/old body)?
Love the early Twingos. A French car with original looks. What a shame later models looked so mundane. I remember reading the design story by Patrick le Quément at Driven to Write recently. With such an iconic shape, I woulder whether Renault should have ‘done a MINI’, and kept the form but upgraded the structure? Or wouldn’t that work in France?
I was driving a 505 identical to it 13-odd years ago! But time does its thing: theoretically, the one in the photo could be (wait for it) a 47 year old car!! (It isn’t, it’s somewhere post-85, but even so).
The yellow 2CV is a mid-70s model, the 2CV4 Spécial. Cheapest of the domestic range, with the 435cc engine. Citroën made these for a couple of MYs to get rid of the four-light bodies they still had in stock.
https://www.bonjourlavieille.com/les-vieilles/juin-2017/citroen-2cv4-special-1975/
Interesting. I had not heard of that variant.
I don’t yet know if the above-pictured Citroen Ami can be had in North America. But its F.I.A.T. re-badge supposedly is: https://www.autoevolution.com/news/fiat-brings-quirky-topolino-to-the-united-states-electric-quadricycle-starts-at-13995-272521.html for quite an extortionate price, compared to what we would pay here. The ones sold here in Europe will peak at 45 kmh. Why they’ll only top at 40 kmh with dealer-optioned software tweaks for export is a mystery.
Another sibling is marketed as the Opel Rocks: https://www.gq-magazin.de/mobilitaet/artikel/opel-rocks-e-guenstigstes-e-auto-deutschlands-im-test . All three re-badges are assembled in North Africa, I think in Morocco, if memory serves right and then shipped back here
And now Opel’s version. 75 kilometers range makes these practical for mostly urban use, until solid state batteries someday go into production for these. An advantage these have over usual electric vehicles is the ease of charge access, given that they could get plugged into any household socket
Some terrific photos, Mr David.
I think the Traction is a Familiale, with the 129 inch wheelbase. Given the crudish front drive, the turning circle must’ve been designed with the road round the Arc de Triumph as the reference.
Totally agreed on the early Twingo, a definite design classic. Chef’s kiss of rightness to it. I really like the rear-engined one too – possibly just for being different – though it didn’t seem to advance the small car much, and wasn’t raved about. Haven’t seen one in reality, mind you, let alone driven.
The opening shot of the big Cit on what seems a warm Paris evening is one for the CC ages. Quite perfect.
Merci beaucoups pour le grande tour! Wonderful commentary to add to the photos.
My father’s son loves those old French license plates with their raised metallic letters and numbers on black background.