Deep in the Haute-Garonne, a few enthusiasts have collected a collection of cars as rare as they are exceptional, some of them unique in the world. Guided tour.
In the old building where the fireplace in the kitchen takes us back to another century, an installation is out of place: perched on a shelf, a television scans the outside. Other screens, installed everywhere, do the same. The smallest fox, cat, owl or other prowler cannot escape these electronic alerts and state-of-the-art sirens. The place is under strict surveillance. Not that the owners, Alain and Juliette, are afraid, but they know: their passion is synonymous with treasure. On the border of the Haute-Garonne, in the quiet countryside, surrounded only by nature-loving neighbors, they have created an open universe with few guests.
Thirty years ago, the first De Dion…
In this lair, the couple has simply amassed one of the finest collections of vintage cars in the region. These are rare, exceptional cars, models admired by connoisseurs, but whose authenticity and uniqueness leave no neophyte indifferent. “It’s our pleasure. We had houses, land, but today we converted them into vintage cars. It suits us better. We enjoy our toys like big kids!”, Juliette and Alain explain modestly, one equally passionate as the other.
dDe Dion Bouton V8 and a Citroën 15cv.
It took thirty years to create this three-dimensional picture of the car’s history. From auction halls to fairs, through simple fairs and small garage sales, these two enthusiasts have frozen time through a myriad of automotive-related objects. But the real stars are their cars. Here in large numbers. Almost all of them roll… even if they don’t all roll. “We use a few from time to time, but it is our greatest pleasure to have them there in front of our eyes, because they all have a soul,” they repeat.
A soul, that is undeniable, but sometimes also a very rich past, the first reason to buy for Juliette and Alain owners of a real heritage. “It all started with a De Dion Bouton and its tiny V8, a unique car. It was in ruins. We put it back together and carried on. We haven’t stopped since!”, the two accomplices confide.
Rolling heritage
Thus, over the years, and miles on the roads of Europe, their garage has been filled with real nuggets of gold that, for some, date back to the early hours of the car. They are told here by an 1897 Benz, one of the first cars in the world, or this 1908 Sizaire – Naudin, proud of his world speed record, called “The Monster”, world famous.
A 1947 Delahaye 135 with a Guilloré body.
More “classy”, less outdated, a Bugatti “Petite royale” from 1931, never restored, catches his eye. This one, a few meters from an imposing Renault 40 CV from 1927, parked itself just behind a magnificent Hispano-Suiza from 1933. More modest, a real taxi from the Marne, Renault from 1908, in perfect condition, tries to rival an all-original Avion -Voisin from 1932… without, however, matching its futuristic lines and its extraordinary design.
Spanish-Suiza J12. Photos Michel Viala
Avion Voisin C14.
The visit is also appreciated for its models steeped in history, such as this Delaunay-Belleville owned by Marshal Joffre, a 1939 Hotchkiss that belonged to a minister of war, a 1909 Rolland Pilain, once driven by the famous Fangio. But we are also delighted to discover a Hispano-Suiza H6B, found in the cellar of the Palais Rose in Paris, after passing through the hands of the Duchess of Tallayrand-Périgord, or this Hispano-Suiza of 1936, acquired by the designer Krema sweets…
Nothing to see further on, and in bad shape, a Renault 4 L would almost look like a wart. Except that this one, saved from breakage, is a single prototype… Electric! Next door, beautiful intruder, a 1965 Lancia Flaminia would like to spit his horses. She sleeps under another collection, original, of bicycles, tricycles, big bi, “Tue belle-mère” and other rolling machines excavated here and there, such as these old engines, De Dion Bouton gearboxes and other dozens of parts, wheels and machines that become untraceable.
Electric Renault4L prototype
Thus Juliette and Alain’s cars, in the greatest silence, surrounded by the smell of fabrics, wood and oil, far from all kinds of speculation, pampered as children, found owners who admire them. for what they are: remnants of a time when technology flirted with art, a time when cars were simply loved.