Musée Retro-Mobile-Drouais

1960 Facel Vega 500.  This vehicle was built in Dreux about 1 kilometre from the museum.

Some museums almost immediately bore you the moment you walk in, others have some sort of magic that encourages you to stay a while.  The Retro-Mobile Museum in Dreux is one of the latter.

The museum was founded by one Johanny Dutertre in 1980.   It feature cars, utility vehicles, motorbikes and bicycles amongst its many exhibits.  Every first Sunday afternoon of the month there is a classic car meeting and the museum is open to the public.

This is the type of museum that is a jumble of lots of interesting old cars and stuff rather than a pristine environment, but it works.  The photos should give you an idea of what the museum is like.  If you like old French road cars, give it a visit.

Dreux is the town in which Facel Vegas were made between 1954 and 1964.  The factory was in rue des Gaults.  The musuem is at 95 rue du Commandant-Beaurepaire, Dreux, 28100.  It is about 1 km from the old factory.  The museum is a beautiful old building, which housed an abattoir in former times.

Garage scene with a 1929 Peugeot 201.

1930 Delehaye 112 Ambulance.

Detail from a 1929 Talbot M29 Limousine.

1936 Simca-Fiat Balilla Berline.

1948 La Licorne 164 LR.  One of the last cars from this marque.

1922 Sidea PL Cabriolet.

1921 De Dion Bouton IE Torpedo.

1909 DFP E4 Phaeton (Doriot, Flandrin & Parant)

1929 Citroen C4 Torpedo.

1910 Hurtu Phaeton.

Its not all cars!

FACEL-VEGA
Facel stood for Forges et Ateliers de Construction Eure et Loir.   They started in 1939 and produced parts for the automotive and automobile industry.   From 1954 they started producing the famous French luxury car marque in Dreux.  Over 3,000 Facel Vegas were made before they closed in 1964.  Facel also produced vehicles for Panhard, Simca, Ford and Massey Ferguson amongst others.

1960 Facel Vega HK500.

Retro Mobile Club Drouais
The club - Retro Mobile Club Drouais - was founded in 1975.  It has regular gatherings on the day the museum opens.

January 2019 gathering.

The gathering with the museum forming the backdrop.

Porsche, Citroen and Volkswagen.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page. 

2016 Paris-Rambouillet - Quatrième Commémoration - Véhiclules Centenaires.

First World War French Soldiers march ahead of an old Ford into the Chateau grounds at Rambouillet.

On Sunday 19th June the 4th commemoration of the 1899 race from Paris to Rambouillet was held. Starting at Les Invalides in Paris the cars made stops at the Chateau of Versailles and the Abbaye Vaux de Cernay before having lunch in the grounds of the Chateau at Rambouillet.  We caught up with them at Rambouillet after failing with our timing to catch them in Auffargis (where Ferenc Szisz who won the 1906 French GP is buried). We went along as it is not often that see cars that are over 100 years old outside of museums.  The organisers seem to have some difficulty attracting them as their were some vehicles post 1916 on the run.

Another Ford, this one converted for racing.  

The passenger seems to be holding the bodywork on as this tri-cycle arrives at the Chateau.

De Dion Bouton

A Licorne.

A rare 1907 Le Metais.

A 1913 Delaunay-Belleville HC4

Another Ford.

A Renault.

A Maxwell and other cars lined up in front of the Chateau.

Rochet-Schneider

A Ford arrives at the Chateau.

This one needed a little push for the last part of the way.