Vintage Car Museum : Enjoy the Magic !

Bonjour from Le Marais,

The international world car show in Paris has just closed its doors. You’ll soon discover the new models everywhere in the media. As a patrimonial web site involved in culture, traditions and historic discoveries in Paris but also everywhere in Europe we thought it woud be interesting for us to show you vintage french and european cars.

Just 3 hours away from Paris, in the city of Mulhouse where you will also find the amazing train museum (check our past report) the biggest car collection in Europe welcomes you all year long : La Cité de l’ Automobile.

The National Museum of cars was created under the exceptional circumstances of the « affaire Schlumpf » with the aim of saving the Schlumpf collection and keeping it in Alsace, the region of France close to Germany. This association brought together the City of Mulhouse, the Haut-Rhin Département, the Alsace Region, the Mulhouse Chamber of Commerce, the Automobile Club de France, the Panhard Company and the organisers of the Paris Motor Show. In 1981, they bought the vast collection, the grounds and the buildings. They are responsible for ensuring that its heritage is preserved and enriched.

Since 1999, The Association that manages the « Musée national de l’Automobile » commissioned the company « Culturespaces » to promote and operate the Cité de l’Automobile and manage its communication.

In this huge 17,000 m² hall, lit by 800 lamp posts identical to those on the Alexandre III bridge in Paris, 243 cars that have marked their era tell the story of the motorcar from 1878 through to the present today. The cars are presented into chronological periods.

The Forerunners: The period from 1878 to 1918 features Panhard, Peugeot, De Dion and Benz models. This was when the Panhard design ( upscale French company ) defined what would be the essentials of the modern car for decades to come with from front to back: engine, clutch, gearbox and rear-wheel transmission.

The Classics cover a second phase (1918-1938) which was symbolised by the merging of two important carmakers: Mercedes and Benz. This merge marked the beginning of the "super car" era, when automobiles took on incredible power and size. Mass production of front-wheel drives by Citroën in 1934 was the great technical innovation of the era. Finally, Peugeot made an important advance when it opened the Sochaux factories, still in activity and producing the luxury models like the Peugeot 308 and 508.

The Moderns from 1945 onwards are marked by the appearance of light, inexpensive cars. Carmakers abandoned plans for costly vehicles catering to the middle-class market to concentrate on developing cars which consumed less fuel. This advance was made possible largely by applying the ideas of Taylorism. It’s as if you were a driver on the starting grid with the decoration, sound effects, images and smells here.

The racing models, such as a two-seater Panhard-Levassor race car from 1908, a Mercedes W125 from 1937, a Maserati 250F from 1957 and a Lotus type 33 from 1963. The famous Bugatti type 32 from 1923, with its revolutionary aerodynamics, is the only car here that raced on the Tours racetrack. It still has its original engine. The cars are lined up along both sides of the central walkway, and are a snapshot of the most beautiful starting line-up in the world.

Do plan at least the whole day if you are a passionate like me, visit the old city center of Mulhouse and make a stop at the Tourism Office who will help you to discover the other wonders of the City. Many thanks to the management and communication service of La Cité de L’Automobile who allowed us to take our own photographs. Now it’s your turn to take the route to the fantastic Alsace wines and beautiful cities of Colmar and Strasbourg…

À bientôt
Pascal Fonquernie
Chief Editor PARISMARAIS.COM