Musee Automobile Reims Champagne.

[Mat.T]

Me and my other half spent a week in the Champagne region of France  at the beginning of the month. Of course we had to do the normal petrol head visit to the Reims GP circuit.

But also stopped for a few hours at the Musee Automobile Reims.

Well worth a visit even more so as the rest of France seemed to be ferme!

http://www.musee-automobile-reims-champagne.com/en
Originally opened to house the car collection of French industrial designer Philippe Charbonneaux designer of the Renault 8 and 16 amongst other things. Although it seems after his death in 1998 much of the more pricey stuff from the collection was sold and the spaces were filled with prime auto shite. Even better the place was completely empty

Here are a few highlights

Out side the museum is this Simca sitting with a motley collection

c'est magnifique!

 

 

 

[Mat.T]

and of course some ubiquitous shots at the Reims GP circuit

 

photos are of course slightly deceiving our noble steed for the trip was not the 2018 Renault Alpine sat in the pits  (first one i'd seen I rather like for a modern, although I'd rather the original in the musee)

But my other halfs 1.6HDI Peugeot plodder which dispatched 1200 miles in slightly dull comfort and 62mpgs!

 

[barrett]

18 hours ago, Mat.T said:

Originally opened to house the car collection of French industrial designer Philippe Charbonneaux designer of the Renault 8 and 16 amongst other things.

A common misconception. PC didn't design the Renault 16, although he liked to tell people he did. I'm not sure if it was a self-invented runmour, or something other people said which he chose never to deny, but like Raymond Loewy and the Coca-Cola bottle, he became most famous for something in which he had no involvement.

Nice to see up-to-date pics of the museum, although it seems like most of the Charbonneaux-specific exhibits have gone now, which is a shame. There was some great stuff there 20 years ago - I wonder where it all went?

[Tadhg Tiogar]

48 minutes ago, barrett said:

..... seems like most of the Charbonneaux-specific exhibits have gone now, which is a shame. There was some great stuff there 20 years ago - I wonder where it all went?

Probably all went to pay for proper shite

[Mat.T]

1 hour ago, barrett said:

A common misconception. PC didn't design the Renault 16, although he liked to tell people he did. I'm not sure if it was a self-invented runmour, or something other people said which he chose never to deny, but like Raymond Loewy and the Coca-Cola bottle, he became most famous for something in which he had no involvement.

Nice to see up-to-date pics of the museum, although it seems like most of the Charbonneaux-specific exhibits have gone now, which is a shame. There was some great stuff there 20 years ago - I wonder where it all went?

I hadn't heard of Charbonneaux before my visit, there was very little info about him in the museum. It was only afterwards I started doing a bit of my own research. 

I didn't realize that some of the vehicles in the museum were in fact his own design including the l'union van.

The museum did look a bit down trodden around the edges. I wondered if slowly the more expensive bits had been sold off to keep the place open.

Interesting to here about the Renault 16 too a few articles I read said he was behind it! 

[Sudsprint]

Great photos - love the Simca 1301/1501

[dollywobbler]

I managed to miss that place on my Euro trip. I spent three days in Reims!