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Spotted's Spottings (2023 final holiday updates 08/10/23)


Spottedlaurel

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  • 7 months later...
On 10/25/2020 at 7:16 AM, Spottedlaurel said:

I'm grouping this lot together as they came from just one trip out, a rare day when I was on my own and had time to waste. Ended up randomly driving around housing estates and suburbs, going to a boot sale, visiting a toy fair and driving along the coast, including stopping for tea and a teacake at a seaside cafe I've always wanted to frequent.

1985 Nissan Micra 1.0 SGL Auto

This Micra has since been scrapped, it's now in the yard where @greengartside also found the Mazda 929.

The L-reg Camry saloon has also been sold by its long-term owner, he did offer it to me but I'd moved by that time and had got rid off all my Camry stuff. No tax or MoT showing on it so I don't know if it's been properly scrapped or exported.

An attempt was made by @YugoLada to save the V-reg Mazda 121, but the garage had already already loaded it up with scrap so that one is now no more.

After that sad start, I'll move onwards with this year's holiday finds. It'll take a while and won't be complete yet as I'm still in France at the moment - who knows what else I'll find?......

1962 Jaguar E-Type 3.8

M25 spot. Anything seen on the way down to Newhaven counts, this was it for a busy Friday evening.

Citroen Traction Avant

First French sighting. Whenever I see a Traction Avant I think of an old article I read in something like Road & Track, where a chap used one in an attempt to set a long distance driving record. I don't know if he was successful and as I recall the article ended on a slightly sad note. I need to unearth it.

Toyota Picnic

 

Honda Shuttle 2.2i ES

Compare and contrast '90s Japanese people carriers. By this time we'd got to Tours and were heading across country between autoroutes, so there was much more chance of seeing interesting stuff. Also caught sight of a Mk1 Espace, for example.

Renault 4CV

Driving straight through a town rather than around the ring road paid off when I found this charming 4CV. I had a somewhat one-sided chat with the owner as my French is pretty poor, but he seemed pleased that I liked it and showed me the super-clean engine bay.

Mercedes TE

This stern-looking couple followed us through the same town.

Citroen 2CV 6

The first of many. As other AS people in France have noted, most now seem to be in rather smart condition rather than everyday hacks.

1991 Renault 21 Nevada

The same cannot be said of 21s. Still a surprising number of them in use, mostly the 5-door hatchback, but most looking somewhat time-worn.

Citroen Acadiane

 

Citroen 2CV 400 Fourgonnette

These were seen in the same village.

Renault 19 16v

 

Toyota Land Cruiser

 

Volvo P1800ES

 

Fiat 124 1800 Coupe

The batch above were all seen in/around a garage, where they also had......

Fiat Panda and Renault 30

Ding-ding ding-ding ding-ding! As I tediously mentioned to several people at FOTU the previous Saturday, finding the Holy Trinity of Renault 30, Peugeot 604 and Citroen CX is my aim whenever visiting France. As yet I haven't managed the other two but I remain optimistic....

French Military Trucks

 

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I'd seen this place on Google Maps, a couple of fields full of old military vehicles. Apparently they're Simca Marmons, part of a project to recondition/remanufacture them for use in North Africa and presumably other places needing transport in challenging terrain. More here: https://actu.indre.cci.fr/entreprises/rbh-industrie-constructeur-eco-industriel and here https://business.lesechos.fr/entrepreneurs/idees-de-business/0603487330124-rbh-industrie-la-pme-du-berry-qui-reve-de-faire-revivre-les-camions-sumb-339083.php

The fields were also home to goats who seemed quite excited to see some visitors.

Mercedes MB100D Camper

 

Renault 21 Hatchback

Back on the autoroute.

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I presume that at least some of this load belonged to holidaymakers whose trip hadn't ended so well, whether through mechanical FTP or accident. A salutory reminder to take care out there.

Peugeot 205 XRD

Obligatory tatty 205 at the supermarket, an XRD in this case.

Renault 4

First (and so far only) 4. Previously I've got to the point where I don't photograph all those I've seen, as they've been sufficiently commonplace not to keep getting excited about, but that certainly isn't the case this year.

Citroen Visa Super E

 

Citroen Visa Super E

Classic brown colour on this mid-period Visa. A few C15s still to be seen, photos to come.

Volvo 960(?) Estate

French division of the SVM, beng enthusiastically driven. As mentioned in the Grin thread there's a hillclimb on this road next Monday, looking forward to that.

Renault 5 GTR Saga

Good to see a few Supercinq 5s still in everyday use (there will be more here). This tidy example is a GTR Saga, which seems like an amusing juxtaposition.

More to follow, another day.

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  • Spottedlaurel changed the title to Spotted's Spottings (2022 holiday update #1 12/08/2022)

Great spots SL, as ever! I’m heading home from La Baule tomorrow, have got slack in recent years so little to report yet but saw an identical Visa to yours somewhere in the Vendee. Also a Dyane this morning in either unrestored, or restored a long time ago, condition (but on pre 2009 format plates). And my son has figured out how the new format registrations work, the highest he’s noted so far is GH prefix so those cars you snapped with GG are pretty recent issues. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've been back at home so I now know the full extent of what I saw on the two weeks away. A few things I'd like to find, but didn't, and as ever a few unexpected gems. Some more from the first few days......

Peugeot 605 SRi

Didn't see many 605s (and I ended up finding this same one in another town a few days later).

This next batch were seen at a place where they had some good stuff back in 2019, so I hoped it would be worth stopping:

Renault 6 L

Second day of the holiday and I've found a 6!

1980-85 Cadillac Seville

Unusual American stuff. Wonder if the Seville is/was a diesel?

1964/65 Rambler American 330 Wagon

 

1964/65 Rambler American 330 Wagon

It'd be nice to think this will see the road again.

A bit further along the same road, someone in the car mentioned seeing some old cars. They only have themselves to blame.....

French and German Assortment

Certainly looked like it was worth further investigation.

Renault 10

Minutes after seeing the 6 I find a 10.

French and German Assortment

Luckily there was a road up beside this place, so I could get a look from the other side. J7 van, Merc's and Renault 5 good to see, but the Opel?!

Opel Rekord 1900

Best shot I could get, looks to be a fairly straight survivor from Paris.

That's it there, but as a bonus this tidy dropside Master was on a driveway nearby:

Renault Master Dropside

And slowly getting back before the shopping melted.....

Honda Civic

This wasn't quite as out-of-use as it first appeared, it'd gone when we went past again a few days later.

Peugeot J9

Ex-Sapeurs Pompiers J9, now a camper?

Next batch to follow......

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Shopping safely back home, it was time to head back into town for a show and demonstration of vintage agricultural equipment. I'll keep the majority of that for the Tractorshite thread, but from attending back in 2019 I hoped there would be some other stuff to be seen on a sunny Sunday and I wasn't disappointed......

Citroen 2CV6 Special

Inevitable that there'd be one of these somewhere.

At the show:

Citroen, Renault and Peugeot Assortment

Properly old things.

1951 Panhard Dyna X86 Cabriolet

Closer look at the Panhard, apparently a 1951 Dyna X86. Beige one alongside it is a '57 Dyna Z15 which was on display last time I attended.

Citroen Mehari

Didn't see so many Meharis this year, but then we were some distance from the coast where they are very popular.

Renault Dauphine

This Dauphine drove past and later found its way into the show.

Peugeot 403 Cabriolet

This 403 was my favourite.

Zetor 5211

Most of the tractors were of the cabless and older-looking variety, but I thought this tidy Zetor was particularly AS-worthy.

Lots of other stuff around town:

Citroen C25 Autostar Motorhome

 

Mercedes 307D

 

Toyota Hiace Diesel

 

Peugeot 206

At first I thought there was a bit of odd-panel work going on here, then realised it was extreme fading.

Mercedes 230E

 

Mercedes 300D

230E and 300D respectively. Coincidentally in the same car park, I can imagine going back in 5+ years' time and seeing them still in day-to-day use.

Peugeot 205 Color Line

This Color Line edition was a bit tidier than most of the daily driver 205s.

Rover 75

This 75 apparently a 2.0 diesel.

Toyota Starlet 1.3 Friend

Ex-NL Starlet still around from 2019.

Renault 21 Turbo DX

Quite a few 21s seen. Not sure if this one was out of action, although it was tidier than some I saw still in use.

1986 Ford Sierra 2.3D

 

1986 Ford Sierra 2.3D

And this is why I enjoy my French holidays so much. Wandered back to the car after a pleasant afternoon and this was parked just a few spaces along. No way of knowing if it's enthusiast-owned or just someone's everyday transport, possibly the latter with the cost of used cars in France. Seems to have been local for a long time and apparently they don't put salt down which must have helped its cause.

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  • Spottedlaurel changed the title to Spotted's Spottings (2022 holiday update #2 29/08/2022)
15 minutes ago, sierraman said:

How come there’s so many interesting old cars still on the road there? Rural France looks great, I’d heard houses etc were fairly cheap there?

Hmmm, good question. Cost of living, kinder climate (in some areas at least), different culture? The British chap who runs the place we stayed at says it's cheaper to buy used cars in Germany or Portugal, but that at least getting repair/maintenance work done is cheaper/easier. From that I assume the garages have more knowledge/interest in keeping older things going, because for many people it's a necessity.

Yes, it seems that comparable houses are cheaper in many areas there. Older places don't seem to be of so much interest to many of the locals - they don't seem to build vast, sprawling estates like we do, but don't seem to worry about putting up a few new houses on the edge of a village where it would be difficult/impossible to get planning permission here.

 

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8 minutes ago, mk2_craig said:

That Sierra is awesome! And love that tat hoard in the open barn, France is great for people hanging onto (relatively) worthless old chod in bulk, presumably because the land values mean it is practically free to do so. 

That shed was alongside a place that did car bodywork repairs and paintwork, so I'd like to think they are due for restoration or at least being saved in some way.

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On 8/29/2022 at 11:23 AM, Richard_FM said:

Great pictures they remind me of my holidays in France, especially the second one in 1993 when there was still a lot of 1970s-80s cars still in everyday use.

The first holiday Mrs SL-to-be and I took together was France in 1993. I can only wish I took more photos back then, sadly there's no way of downloading the image I have in my head of a tatty Datsun 220C.

Anyway, I'm making amends now......

This next batch were all seen on a morning bread run to the next village along. I needed an excuse to go there, it was very productive back in 2019 with the best that time being a Renault 14.

Peugeot J9

 

Renault Estafette

Typically French vans. The Estafette appeaed to have been out of use for some time.

Renault Twingo + Peugeot 406

 

Peugeot 309 Vital

Street furniture. The 309 was there in 2019, as was a Golf Cabriolet just visible behind the little Suzuki/Opel. Sadly no sign of the 305 estate that was here previously.

Toyota RAV4

Appeared to have been out of action for a little while. Miss SL has expressed interest in getting one of these, as an eventual replacement for the Avensis SR. Would sit nicely in the family fleet with her BF's MR2 and my LS400 (if I can get it back on the road).

Quick trip into town the next day......

VW Karmann Ghia

 

Citroen 2CV 6

First thing I saw was this pair, I think just there by coincidence.

Honda Civic 1.6i ES

Civic looked to be a visitor from Paris. Don't know what was going on with the Clio...

Ford Escort 1.6 Cabriolet

 

Ford Escort 1.6 Cabriolet

Very tidy. However, now I've looked at it a few times I'm mildly bugged that they didn't have a black top to the rear bumper.

Opel Corsa Viva 1.5D

Only Corsa of this generation seen on the road (well, in a covered supermarket car park here but you know what I mean).

Off to an evening food market in another nearby town.....

Nissan Primera P11

 

Peugeot 405 Estate

 

Renault 21 GTD

 

Renault 21 Turbo DX Symphonie

'90 bilge.

Toyota Liteace DX

I usually see a Liteace or two on each trip. Also caught sight of an older, square-fronted version on the road.

Renault Express

Although though I did see one or two others, these were certainly outnumbered by Citroen C15s.

Renault Master T35D Livestock Carrier

Typically French livestock carrier.

Finally, my top find for this particular day:

Peugeot 505 GTI

 

Peugeot 505 GTI

Very nice indeed.

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  • Spottedlaurel changed the title to Spotted's Spottings (2022 holiday update 03/09/2022)

The "Saga" continues....

Renault 5 Saga

See what I did there?....

1992 Renault 21 Nevada

This appears in the background of a few photos, never saw it move and it was there when we last visited.

Hyundai Elantra

See, there it is again.

Rover 75 2.5 V6

2.5 V6 apparently, not the expected diesel.

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Sills looked a little tender.

Peugeot 205 Roland Garros Cabriolet

Nice. These RGs do look attractive.

Citroen AX Mutine

I think this was the first AX I managed to photograph. It's a Mutine, I think yet another low-spec special edition.

Fiat 500 and Range Rover

Haven't got a clue what the writing on the RR signifies. Same place had these for sale on the forecourt:

Mercedes S-Class and Hyundai Sonata 2.0 CRDi

 

2003 Peugeot 406 1.7 16v

Petrol 406 with just under 100,000 kms was up for 4,490 Euros, Mercedes at 4,900 and the diesel Sonata with 238k was priced at 3,990.

Renault Estafette

Estafette was advertising a CT testing station. Blimey, it was hot on this day.

Citroen C15D

Village life.

Citroen 2CV 6

 

Citroen 2CV 6

Good to see a 2CV with a bit of patina. The RX did a fine job of providing family transport for the five of us.

Now halfway through the holiday, next instalment to follow....

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Boot sale on a Sunday always a good place to look out for stuff:

Citroen Dyane

One of three beige Dyanes seen the same day. Family were amused by the chap in the background who looked disturbingly like me in 10 years' time.

Aixam Mega Diesel

 

Aixam Mega Diesel

Seen a couple of these Aixam Megas on previous trips. I believe they're based on AX running gear and I suppose they were intended as a modern Mehari. Interesting modular bodywork.

Renault 19 Cabriolet

I'd been a bit 'dry' on 19s up to this point, but started to see a few normal ones as well as this tidy Cabriolet.

Renault 19 (+ Peugeot 104?)

See, another one. Also a 104 at the back, maybe a 504 on the left?

On the subject of older Peugeots....

Peugeot 304 Break

 

Peugeot 304 Break

Marvellous.

Peugeot 106 Kid

106s not usually on my radar, but this Kid looked very original and was good to see on the older format plates.

Mercedes 190E

Smart.

Mercedes 220D and Ford 6600

Tractor looked like it was still in use. 220D a long-term resident, Streetview shows it there in 2010. Can't say about the child's car...

Citroen BX19 TRD

Miss SL glimpsed this one, necessitating turning around to see what the "old car" was. BX on black plates, worth the effort.

1996 Ford Mondeo Clipper 1.8 16v

I don't recall seeing too many Mk1/2 Mondeos. Apparently this one's a 1996 1.8, the first of a few '90s Fords seen in the same town.

Citroen 2CV Fourgonnette

Difficult to tell if this was a 'proper' older model.

Ford Fiesta 1.8D C

 

Ford Escort Ghia Clipper 16v

These were all in the same street.

Ford Escort TD

Continuing with the theme.

Citroen Dyane

Another of the beige Dyanes. Sad to see buildings like this empty.

Alfa Romeo Spider 2000

Nice 2000. I hope they had the hood down once they were on the move again. This was another large building that was for sale, and looking a little sorry for itself.

IMG_1290edit.thumb.jpg.b19c703904dcfbc6d39c7a654cfcf3e2.jpg

As seen here along with a representative spread of small cars.

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  • Spottedlaurel changed the title to Spotted's Spottings (2022 holiday update 10/09/2022)
  • 3 weeks later...
On 9/10/2022 at 1:32 PM, mk2_craig said:

I thought the sale prices for the Sonata etc looked about right, then I remembered France doesn’t use francs for its currency any more. 

Probably right for their market, even if a bit steeper than we'd expect to see.

I've been grinding through the editing and Flickr uploading so time for another update here......

Peugeot 309

I should have made more effort to get the Punto in shot, along with the 205 and Twingo. This is France in 2022.

Renault 6814 4wd

Tractor blocking the main road out of town. Not because the local farmers were protesting, but because it was closed for the hillclimb.

Alfa Romeo 75 V6

 

Alfa Romeo 75 V6

Entries ranged from 106s, Saxos etc to single seaters and open sportscars. The midfield stuff interested me most, things like a rapid Simca 1000, and I have a few more photos of those to come at some point. For now please enjoy this rather nice 75.

Ford Escort Mk5 Cabriolet

This Escort made a run at the end of each session. Quality head protection.

Ford Escort Mk5 Cabriolet

At the end of the day all the cars were driven into the town centre, some with a bit of 'enthusiasm'. The pair of black lines left by a BMW drift car were still there nearly a week later.....

Mercedes Unimog

Saw this in pre-restoration condition on my last visit, great to see it up and running.

Gitane Testi

Apparently this is a Gitane Testi. I can offer no further comment.

Citroen Acadiane

This looked to be in the condition you'd hope for of an old van.

Renault Trafics x2

Trafics still in use by the canoe/kayak hire companies, these ones looked pretty decent.

Toyota Carina E 2.0D XL Estate

It was a diesel, somewhat unsurprisingly.

Peugeot J7 + Citroen Xantia

J7 hadn't gone far since I saw it in 2019, although it was at least facing the opposite way so hopefully does see occasional use.

Lancia Dedra

Probably the most interesting Lancia I saw, looks like it gets worked hard.

Renault 25

25s getting thin on the ground, this one looked pretty decent. Don't recall seeing any Phase 2 models this year.

Peugeot 205 Roland Garros

Roland Garros with lacquer peel. I ended up seeing A Lot in this town.

Nissan Sunny 1.4 LX (N14)

 

Nissan Sunny 1.4 LX (N14)

 

Nissan Sunny 1.7d L Van

Saw these two within half an hour so of each other. Can't think when I last saw a van in the UK.

Peugeot 205 + Citroen 2CV6 Special

 

Renault Clio + Trafic

 

Peugeot 605

Street furniture.

Toyota Celica 2.0 GT-i 16

One of my favourite finds of the holiday.

Fiat Panda Jolly

Not so many Pandas out and about this time.

Renault Twingo Kenzo

Kenzo edition, not one I can recall seeing before.

Citroen Ami Break

 

Citroen 2CV6 Special

This garage looks like it's only recently been made more accessible, with work being done on the house. Great to see the Ami - saw a later Break on the road another day.

Renault Express

Tatty Express, driver looked like he might be an off duty Gendarme so this was a hastily-taken shot.

1967 Citroen ID19 B

Slightly strange to see such a quintessentially French car belonging to Dutch tourists. Apparently it was sold new in NL.

Range Rover 2-door

Looked like it was well-used.

That brings me up to halfway through the second week, still a fair bit to go.

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  • Spottedlaurel changed the title to Spotted's Spottings (2022 holiday update 25/09/2022)
17 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

 

1967 Citroen ID19 B

Slightly strange to see such a quintessentially French car belonging to Dutch tourists. Apparently it was sold new in NL.

André Citroen was a Dutch émigre (as were his parents?) iirc so I like to think of these classic Citroens as a bit Dutch in nature as well as French.

Love the burgandy Peugeot 605 as well. :)

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 9/25/2022 at 9:34 PM, Spottedlaurel said:

At the end of the day all the cars were driven into the town centre, some with a bit of 'enthusiasm'. The pair of black lines left by a BMW drift car were still there nearly a week later.....

Is it bad form to quote myself? Whatever, here is said BMW:

BMW 3-Series drift car

And some of the others doing their thing on the hill:

Simca 1000

 

Simca 1000

 

Simca 1000

 

Renault 5 Turbo

 

Renault 5 GT Turbo

 

Renault Clio

 

Renault Clio V6

 

Citroen ZX

A few of them were doing the 3-wheel thing around the corners. I wasn't quick enough to catch that....

Back to the normal stuff:

Renault 4 F4

Zoomage required here, but couldn't pass it by.

Honda Civic

This poor thing seems to have sat for a while.

Peugeot 403 Pickup

Peugeot pickup beside the road #1.

Renault Avantime

This one looked like it was down from Paris, what a great way to cruise around the country.

Matra Simca Bagheera

Another of my favourite finds. Early one with the small, pre-Alpine rear lights and bumpers that don't wraparound. It's very similar to a Majorette diecast I have, down to the colour and damaged bumper (but mercifully not the 3-spoke wheels).

Renault 4 TL

 

Renault 5 Laureate

 

Renault 6

Renaults were at the same garage. The 5 and 6 were both there in 2019, as were others in the yard.

Renault Express Trailer

I suppose this is what you do if you need a car and also the carrying capacity of a Renault Express, but can only afford to run one vehicle.

Fiat Palio Weekend TD 70

 

SEAT Marbella

Marbella only seen up a sidestreet because I'd stopped for the Palio.

Peugeot 504 Pickup

Peugeot pickup beside the road #2.

Toyota Hilux Winnebago Warrior DL

Hilux Winnebago Warrior beast from Belgium. This comes to mind:

That's it for our fortnight in Tarn et Garonne, now just the journey home to go.....

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  • Spottedlaurel changed the title to Spotted's Spottings (2022 holiday update 15/10/2022 #1)

600 miles back to Calais via an overnight stop just east of Rouen, some of it cross-country......

International 553

The village we'd stayed at were setting up for an agricultural fair. Trusty RX in the background, full of luggage and people.

Mercedes MB100D

 

Opel Astra

 

1982 Austin Mini 1000

 

Peugeot 205 Style

A few things in the local town before we got very far. The family were probably thinking this was going to be a long day.....

Renault Rodeo

Gah! Take my word for it, it's a late Renault Rodeo.

Renault 11 Broadway

After a fortnight all my passengers knew what to do when I thrust the camera at them, including Miss SL's BF as was the case here. Only saw one other 11 on the road, and that was a facelift model.

Lexus SC430

Autoroutes pretty barren. A few old campers and a nice 504 saloon also seen, otherwise a very poor spots/km ratio.

Mercedes 280 SE

Nice 280 SE making use of lower supermarket fuel prices.

SAAB 900 Convertible

Didn't see too many other SAABs, although there was a 900 saloon glimpsed not long before this one.

Lada Niva

Not too many Nivas seen this year, and none of the car range.

Citroen DS 21

Fantastic. Imagine the days when executives were whooshing around the country in these things.

Innocenti Mini Cooper 1300

If I hadn't have taken the wrong turn out of the supermarket I wouldn't have found this.

Renault Safrane

 

Renault Safrane

An oddity here, and as mySafrane knowledge is limited I didn't notice it at the time. Phase 2 front end on a Phase 1.

Toyota Celica

Poor thing looked to have been out of use for a while.

Renault 5 Campus

 

Renault 19 Storia

With five people on board regular stops were required, and we found that supermarkets were the ideal place for that. With the bonus of finding things like the above. And this......

Renault 18 Turbo

 

Renault 18 Turbo

OK, a sunny Saturday afternoon was always going to bring out a few classics and youngtimers, but what a thing to see on the road.

French D-Road driving

Perfect.

Kit Car?

On French plates but RHD.

Renault 8 Major

Saw a sportier 8 earlier in the day, good to find this one later on.

Mercedes 200D

Tidy 200D crusing around the town we stopped at for the night.

Final part to follow....

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  • Spottedlaurel changed the title to Spotted's Spottings (2022 holiday update 15/10/2022 #2)
On 9/25/2022 at 9:34 PM, Spottedlaurel said:

 

Gitane Testi

Apparently this is a Gitane Testi. I can offer no further comment.

Those things are fantastic.  An absolute beast for a 50cc bike - with a decent expansion exhaust they'll do 80mph.  I found one for sale when we moved to France in 1993 and begged my dad to buy it for me, but he (probably wisely) refused.

13 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

 

Mercedes 280 SE

Nice 280 SE making use of lower supermarket fuel prices.

Wow, can't remember the last time I saw a two-letter Paris plate in the wild!

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OK, last batch for this year's holiday....

NSU Ro80

This Ro80 slipped out of order. Must look amazing at night with all the yellow lights.

Back on track now for the final push home.....

Citroen AX11 RE

Mildly biffed AX. Subsequently realised that may have been the owner in the background, but she didn't ask me any difficult questions.

Renault Estafette

Estafette advertising a brocante in Albertville. I usually see a Juvaquatre or two serving that purpose, but none this year.

Panhard 24 CT

 

Panhard 24 CT

Wonderful! I imagine @barrett will like this one. Obviously regarded as a 'proper' classic by its owner out for a tootle to the coast on a not-so-sunny Sunday morning, but still great to see it out and about. I have a vague recollection that there was one of these in a car book I had as a kid, must try and look that up. Also caught sight of a Citroen SM passing over a bridge as we were on the autoroute.

Renault Espace

Espace with patina.

Citroen DS

Lots of Belgian (and Dutch) holidaymakers on this stretch of the coast.

Ford Taunus 12M

 

Ford Taunus 12M

What a thing to see, seemd like the chap had just used it for a quick trip to the supermarket. He ended up behind us a few minutes later, it got along nicely.

1964 Alvis TE21

Last spot on semi-French soil (the Channel Tunnel terminal) was of something very British. An interesting comparison with the Taunus, DS and Panhard, all of which would have been on sale within a few years of this 1964 Alvis. Still looks like a fine thing to drive around France, and I think these were regarded as competent cruisers at the time - my grandfather did a lot of miles for his business and he had one or two.

1997 Ford Scorpio Ultima 24v Auto

Back on the A12 in the Essex, this Scorpio was an appropriate sight. Just 55k miles at its last MoT and apparently had the same owner since 1998.

1967 Jaguar 240

Nearly home, and people leaving a big show at Stonham Barns meant we got to see a few things heading the other way. This shot came out well considering it was taken over my shoulder from the back seat by Master SL.

1989 Ford Orion 1.6 L

The very final photo turned out to be our very own @Brodders in his Orion.

That's it for 2022's holiday. Next year's trip has already been booked, different place in France this time so I'm looking forward to seeing what's around. Already found an interesting classic car garage on the way down.....

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  • 9 months later...

Looks like I have been remiss in adding any of my day-to-day spots since last year's holiday. I'll try and catch up with them at some point, in the meantime here's the beginning of what 2023 has to offer here in France. I'm only a few days in and we've got the rest of the week in Haute Vienne then nine days of dawdling up the eastern side of the country (including a visit to the Schlumpf Collection in Mulhouse).

I'll start with the odds and ends seen on the way down to Newhaven (a very civilized way of getting out of the UK on what would undoubtedly have been a busy weekend for the tunnel or Dover ferries).

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I didn't go via Scotland.

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Last UK spot.

Early morning at Dieppe:

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Tidy example with Eriba caravan. Have seen quite a few Mk1 RAV4s since we got here, none yet in Miss SL's preferred light blue/green colour choice.

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Comedy loud exhaust. After a long stretch on the A28 etc the toll cost 45 euros, but we did manage to get a lot of the journey dispensed with at 80-odd on the cruise control when it was quiet, giving more time for ambling across country later in the day. Hoping to avoid any autoroutes for the rest of the holiday.

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Got off the autroute a bit earlier than planned as it was getting busier and there was a good D-road alternative. Definitely worthwhile.

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Gah, just missed this rather nice Chrysler wagon. Sounded great. Got a glimpse of it at an autoroute filling station a little earlier in the day, paying that bill must have been an eyewatering experience.

Assortment

Had I not turned off one junction earlier than planned I wouldn't have seen this place.

Opel Ascona + Renault 18

Ascona! Also a Renault 18 at the back, plus 4, 5 and other odds and ends. A good start on the this year's virtual Renault bingo scorecard.

Opel Vectra 1.7 TD

 

Saviem JR

This has been in the yard since at least 2008, at one point being companion to a Series 1 Jaguar XJ/Daimler.

Renault Express

This has only been there since 2020. A bit mouldy on the opposite side, but otherwise tidy. Google Maps suggests there is/was a lot more around the back, but there was no way of getting there.

Moving on, but not far....

Citroen C35 and Peugeot J9

These were sitting at a different place. Streetview shows them to have been here since at least 2008, at one time there was an old Ami and Renault 4 van with them. Still a few J9s in use on the markets etc, but those Citroen C35s don't seem to survive as well.

More in a moment....

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  • Spottedlaurel changed the title to Spotted's Spottings (2023 holiday update 25/07/23 #1)

Moving on....

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Supermarket lunch stop. Don't know what was going on with the Mondeo's front arches.

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I think the J9 had been at the local market, where I saw this:

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As often seems to be the case with Transits on the Continent, it had a tailgate.

Last batch for now, at a place I glimpsed back in 2019 but foolishly didn't stop then:

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Haven't yet seen a vast number of 205s on the road, probably more SuperCinq 5s at this stage.

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Nicely patinated 504 GL was the best thing I could see in this yard. Streetview shows that there was a Datsun Bluebird 910 here for a while, but that's now gone.

More decent stuff to come, including sundry CXs/BXs and a Panhard....

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  • Spottedlaurel changed the title to Spotted's Spottings (2023 holiday update 25/07/23 #2)

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