Classic Cars

[jeanlouis]

 

[jeanlouis]

Panhard&Citroën, a marriage of reason?
A nice book about the last Panhard.

 

[jeanlouis]

Citroën Traction from Slough (UK)

The Super Modern Car 1934-1935



This back axle will be replaced by a cruciform rigid one in 1935


The Big-Six

 

[jeanlouis]

Citroën Twelve and Light Fifteen Fixed-Head Coupé made in Slough
A cute car that seem directly escaped from a cartoon! Named Faux-Cabriolet then Coupé in France, it was stopped in 1938.


New Zealand : The Twelve Fixed-Head Coupé of Mrs Flora Smith, a 90 y/o faithful (and famous) citroënist who, in early seventies, drove yet her Traction bought in 1936!

The happiness!

 

[jeanlouis]

Alpine 1300 vs Matra Jet 6 (1968)


Police-Force chose both to supervise the first French highways

Alpine 1300




Alpine 1300 Berlinette "Tour de France"



Alpine Cabriolet

Alpine Coupé GT4

 

[jeanlouis]

Matra Jet 6



Above left : Match from the magazine L'Automobile (April 1968)
Alpine 1300, Matra Jet 6, Renault 8 Gordini, Austin Mini Cooper, Simca 1200S, Lancia Fulvia Rallye

Alpine 1300 and Matra Jet 6 are both powered by the R8 Gordini engine.

 

[jeanlouis]

Renault 8 Gordini 1300 (1967 - 1970)










Circuit, from R8 to R12.

 

[jeanlouis]

 

[jeanlouis]

Renault 12 Gordini (1970 - 1974)





More comfortable seats and some bumpers for the version TL

 

[jeanlouis]

R 8 or R12? All at the back or all in front? You are leaving the road with both but not in the same way!

 

[jeanlouis]

Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 - 1934

Armstrong Siddeley Star Saphire - 1959

Lancia Astura - 1935

Bentley 3.5 liter E - 1935

Delahaye 135 MS - 1949

Lagonda 3.5 liter - 1934

 

[jeanlouis]

Alpine is 70


The first Alpine is presented in September 1955 by Jean Redélé, the founder of the make. It is the A106, a coupé derived from the Renault 4CV.


The fabrication of the new Berlinette A110 (2017) is now stopped. Alpine is working on an electric coupé and maybe a SUV expected for 2026 (!).


The famous Berlinette A110 first generation.


Jean Rédélé is gone in 2007.


Cry little Berlinette!

 

[jeanlouis]

In the fifties, Jean Rédélé was not the only constructor to use resin polyester (plastic) for the body of his models.
Deutsch et Bonnet (DB Panhard HBR5) and Louis Rosier (4 CV) did it too. Louis Rosier, old pilot winner of the "24 heures du Mans" 1950, created a small cabriolet derived from the 4 CV Renault like Jean Rédélé who had also one coach at his catalog.

 

[jeanlouis]

 

[jeanlouis]

DB Panhard HBR5 VS Alpine A 106/A 108

 

[jeanlouis]

The automobile adventure of two friends René Bonnet and Charles Deutsch


Left, the enginner aerodynamician Charles Deutsch
Right, the pilot mechanical René Bonnet
Both have a passion for the competition and create DB. From 1938, they make some race cars powered by a Citroën Traction engine.

Paris motorshow 1949 : A beautiful coupé DB is presented. Unhappily at the last minut, Citroën refuse to deliver any part to DB.
The two friends ask to Panhard and this way, begin a long story with this constructor. These photos show the last DB Citroën and the first DB Panhard, a small race car named Racer 500.

Left : 1952, this coupé with a body of aluminium announce the future coach HBR5 launched in 1954.
Right : Until 1958 DB HBR5 have some eclipsable headlights.







At Paris motorshow 1959 is presented a prototype of DB Le Mans, a glamourous cabriolet less exclusive than the sportive coach HBR5 behind.

 

[jeanlouis]

Autumn 1960 : The coach HBR5 is no more made for one year but it remain yet some unsold model!


The DB coupé is just a cabriolet Le Mans with hardtop.





Paris motorshow 1961
From above to below : DB Le Mans Racing, Luxe and Grand Luxe with the new headlights double optical Marchal Megalux of the Facel.

 

[jeanlouis]

Late 1961, the clash between René Bonnet and Charles Deutsch


René Bonnet becomes independant constructor.


The production of the cabriolet Le Mans is going on in a new factory at Romorantin (Loir et Cher - France). Today, we find there the Matra Museum.
Left, René Bonnet keeps his old workshop at Champigny sur Marne near Paris for the prototypes and the competition department.


October 1962 : René Bonnet gets an agreement with Renault for the supply of his future models mechanical.
At Paris motorshow, he presents the coupé Djet powered by a Renault 8 engine central fitted.


Coupé René Bonnet is the first production car with central engine, an arrangement come from the competition.


The old DB receive some Renault mechanicals. Above the Missile, a cabriolet Le Mans assembled on a Renault 4 platform. The motor come from one Dauphine 1093.




René Bonnet Le Mans is a DB Le Mans Grand Luxe powered by a Renault 8 engine fitted at the extreme front. The bonnet bulge is enlarged.


Unhappily, the René Bonnet lonely adventure last only three years. Late 1964, the big company Matra create Matra Sports Department and absorb René Bonnet Automobiles. Only the coupé Djet is going on at Romorantin under the name Matra-Bonnet then just Matra...

 

[jeanlouis]

At the opposite of René Bonnet, Charles Deutsch keeps faithful to Panhard for the mechanical.
Summer 1962, at "24 heures du Mans", they are now competitors. Charles Deutsch presents his new model, the CD Panhard.



After around 180 units made, the CD Panhard is stopped in 1964.




No discouraged by the DB failure, Chappe brothers and Gessalin become constructor automobiles in 1966.
They create CG and use Simca 1000 mechanicals for beginning.






Polyester resin bodies specialists, Chappe and Gessalin will make some cabriolets and coupés CG 1000, 1200S and 1300 until 1974.