BX spotting in Haute Marne

[deltic]

Just back from a nine day trip to France to photograph SNCF's big CC72100 diesel locos along with monster steam loco 241P17 thrown in for good measure.

From train spotting to car spotting only 4 BXs were seen on the road, all Mk 2s but still more than all the C6s we saw! No Ds, Gs or CXs but 1 Visa, 1 XM, 1 orange Mehari, 1 2CV, 1 H van and two A-series vans. Saw a very nice Renault 16 TX and surprise of the trip was a particularly fine Renault 12 with the only other interesting Renault being a 20 or a 30, but not entirely sure. The only R4 was seen in a scrap yard plus an A610 (I think) on the roof of a garage near Ronchamp seen on route to Le Corbusier's chapel. Oh and a rather mad Talbot Oxygene 600 camper van that looked as if it had dropped out of Space 1999!

My impression is that French cars seem to be older and smaller/lower spec cars than here with Dacias, 205s, C15s and Xantias very common. Indeed Xantias and Mk 3 C5s appeared more common than Mk1 and 2 C5s.

Apart from the very annoying habit of French drivers driving way too close and "gravillons" the rural French roads are a joy to drive. I still think that the nicest car I've ever driven in France was my Dyane so having a Toyota Yaris hire car was a bit of a travesty particularly as I think the current model is hideously ugly... I grew to like the old Yaris, but what have Toyota done!? But it did return 60% better fuel economy than my BX GTi and I have to say of all the cars I've driven possibly the most comfortable seats for me after a 405. However it was nice to get back in the BX even if it did the steering felt incredibly heavy after the Yaris. And the power compared to the Yaris!

Jonathan

[mat_fenwick]

I'd noticed earlier this month that BXs seemed noticeably thinner on the ground over there - I think I saw more Renault 4s! The BXs I did see were all looking tired and obviously well used! Presumably 'just a car' though rather than someone's pride and joy.

And the power compared to the Yaris!

It's all very well the current crop of super economical city cars, but they do come unstuck when it comes to hills! I see plenty of tourists clogging up the roads at the moment, and they often have such cars (I can tell they're not locals as the cars are too new).

[Des Smith]

My journeys through France tend to be North to South and mostly off the autoroutes. The number of BX spots seem to increase as you go South and in more rural areas. Not surprising really, as people in those areas aren't as affluent as the chic city dwellers and tend to run more old cars, mostly diesels. I don't remember seeing a French DS now for several years.

On a tangent, our recent trip round Turkey revealed that the country has a glut of Renault 12s, some in amazing condition. I assume they were made under licence and they seem to be a standard workhorse for Joe Public.

[Thread Bear]

The South of France seems to be a good place for cars to survive. No salt, not very damp and I think a lot of folk have barns/sheds. The number of solid, but stored for years, classics dragged out of the area is amazing. The people last a long time too! Great place to live as they work, not as hard as us, but not idle like the really hot countries. I think they have the balance right. Great roads, great cars, great food, reasonably priced property if you compromise. Could yet move out.

Yet the average Frenchman is little interested in Classic Cars. A car is transport, a good car a weapon of male chauvinism, hence some of the hairy driving practices. I also think they like giving 'Les Roast Beefs' a bit of a jolly up. But fundamentally the rural French are great people. I have had some fantastic finds over there but in some cases you could see they thought I was mad dragging away some failed vehicle that was dumped in shed or hedge. Chum has just bought a Mill over there with a GSA wedged on its side in the Mill race to hold the walls up and stop the old mouldering leat wall failing and a flood. We will not be moving that anytime soon!

[mat_fenwick]

Great roads, great cars, great food, reasonably priced property

You forgot something... And the weather!

[Tinkley]

When we went skiing (on the cheap) last year first car seen off the ferry at Dieppe - a BX!. Get to Paris about 7am Sat morning, and on the Peripherique a BX (probably seize soupape) being driven at a crazy speed, absolute nutter but car in good nick. Saw a couple more up in the edge of the mountains Albertville I think in fair condition including a nice Platinum Grey one. Pretty thin on the ground now. There were loads when I took the boat to Italy in 04 behind the Athena whilst running in the recon engine!. 43mpg over whole trip to Garda and straight over the Alps in Austria at 1550m on the main pass.

Now if I can get the panels for that car and get her repaired I might take her next year. BTW the boat is a home built jobbie, single handed racing craft. The camping was cheap for Italy and right on the waterfront too. Fantastic scenery, I'd not been to that bit of Italy before. BTW if trailing its cheaper to get a 10 day Motorway/main road pass (vignette) in Austria than the extortionate tolls in Switzerland.

[deltic]

I'd noticed earlier this month that BXs seemed noticeably thinner on the ground over there - I think I saw more Renault 4s! The BXs I did see were all looking tired and obviously well used! Presumably 'just a car' though rather than someone's pride and joy.

And the power compared to the Yaris!

It's all very well the current crop of super economical city cars, but they do come unstuck when it comes to hills! I see plenty of tourists clogging up the roads at the moment, and they often have such cars (I can tell they're not locals as the cars are too new).

The six speed gear box was a bit vague at times and hard work overtaking artics doing 60 especially if I got the wrong gears...

[deltic]

My journeys through France tend to be North to South and mostly off the autoroutes. The number of BX spots seem to increase as you go South and in more rural areas. Not surprising really, as people in those areas aren't as affluent as the chic city dwellers and tend to run more old cars, mostly diesels. I don't remember seeing a French DS now for several years.

On a tangent, our recent trip round Turkey revealed that the country has a glut of Renault 12s, some in amazing condition. I assume they were made under licence and they seem to be a standard workhorse for Joe Public.

They are rapidly disappearing from Romania (as Dacias) where when I started visiting regularly in 2000 every other car was a Dacia. Bit like in Bosnia where evry other car is, literally, a Mk1 or 2 Golf.

[deltic]

The South of France seems to be a good place for cars to survive. No salt, not very damp and I think a lot of folk have barns/sheds. The number of solid, but stored for years, classics dragged out of the area is amazing. The people last a long time too! Great place to live as they work, not as hard as us, but not idle like the really hot countries. I think they have the balance right. Great roads, great cars, great food, reasonably priced property if you compromise. Could yet move out.

Yet the average Frenchman is little interested in Classic Cars. A car is transport, a good car a weapon of male chauvinism, hence some of the hairy driving practices. I also think they like giving 'Les Roast Beefs' a bit of a jolly up. But fundamentally the rural French are great people. I have had some fantastic finds over there but in some cases you could see they thought I was mad dragging away some failed vehicle that was dumped in shed or hedge. Chum has just bought a Mill over there with a GSA wedged on its side in the Mill race to hold the walls up and stop the old mouldering leat wall failing and a flood. We will not be moving that anytime soon!

Any pics of the GSA?!

[deltic]

Great roads, great cars, great food, reasonably priced property

You forgot something... And the weather!

It really is a beautiful country. And of my previous two gripes of France, dog mess and lack of public toilets the former is improving and the latter continues to be addressed by tree lined rural roads...

[djoptix]

I have just got back from a week in the Dordogne, I hired a Pug 308 and drove it around for a week, then filled it up. €30.

Un. Bloody. Believable.

- edit, it did have some power too, though not very much, and you had to get the big turbot spinning before it would go anywhere.

[patersom10]

I think most old French cars end up in morocco, when I was there in 2010 the number of old pug 205 and 309 was huge. Every taxi seemed to be one. I remember seeing several bx and cx also, this was before I got the bx bug though so I wasn't paying a great deal of attention to them. Maybe this is where I caught it ?

[Des Smith]

I think most old French cars end up in morocco

Yup, a lot of R4s are being 'remanufactured' along with a smattering of R12s as well. The petit taxis are predominantly Fiat Unos and the Grand Taxis are Mercs. Citroens are few and far between though, with a few late 90's models. I saw no AX/BX/CX vintage Cits or older. Here's a Moroccan R4 customised for beach use...


Renault 4 beach buggy

[djoptix]

r4s were still being made in morocco until relatively recently, I think?

[deltic]

Production ended in 1992.