Classic Rust from France

I am in the southwest part of France, driving from Paris to a town called Narbonne. I'm on the little roads and they turn up a good many tractors and vintage French cars. The old cars and tractors in these pics mostly belong to one person and he isn't going to sell even a tire off of anything. Going to stay right where they are. Go ahead and take pics, he said. But nothing's for sale hahahaha. The 2CV--the blue Citroen parked in a kind of garage is a 2 cylinder model that can get an honest 60 mph flat out as long as you allow no gap between gas pedal and floor. I've driven that particular model years ago and it actually will go a little faster, so long as you're pointed downhill.

Don't really know what-all those tractors are, very strange all of them. Probably someone here can help identify.

The iron gate that used old steel wagon wheels was a really nice piece of work. Someone spent a lot of time on that. I like the tractor address as well, looks to be entirely handmade. This region has some of the most beautiful farmland and pastures I've seen anywhere. And today was sunny and not too cold. A welcome relief after Iceland!

I guess the people in Europe are no different from those of us in the USA. It's mine and it's not for sale, PERIOD!! Chris

Neat! A James Bond fan like me recognizes the car from "For Your Eyes Only".

That blue car is a Citroen 2 CV.

I would love to have that 2cyl FWD 2CV. They have a leading and trailing arm suspension connected by rods to coil springs in the side rails and more range of movement than the the VW's.Hardly any in the US.

(quoted from post at 17:39:23 01/11/20) I would love to have that 2cyl FWD 2CV. They have a leading and trailing arm suspension connected by rods to coil springs in the side rails and more range of movement than the the VW's.Hardly any in the US.

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Yes, you know your 2 CVs! All over the place in the mid-70s and well before. You couldn't take two steps without bumping into one. No one could have predicted they'd become a kind of cult classic, fetching way more than they ever were new. Local guy near me in the USA brings them over, has a barn full. Finds buyers and looks for more. They were primitive cars, originally developed to bump over uneven farm fields with eggs and what-not bound for farmer's markets. You had to get to the market with everything intact. That was the main goal. Hence the elaborate suspension system you mentioned. The one parked in the garage is not nearly as sought-after as the earlier, rounded fender ones. Those even had fender-mounted headlights if I remember, and I'd have to check to see if engine was air-cooled or not. Seems I remember a radiator.

my uncle had one of those cars for many years and he claimed that driving on the freeway u could improve fueleconomy by hooking close in behind a transport and u d be dragged along by the slipstream created by the transport. growing up in Europe in the seventies you woud see it frequently that these 2 cv were always following way closer than my comfort.

Would your neighbor have a 2-CV in good condition for what I could sell a good 35 year old 130 hp tractor for? I have a friend restoring an ID -19 Citroen ,a lot more complicated , but probably not as valuable.

(quoted from post at 19:57:09 01/11/20) Would your neighbor have a 2-CV in good condition for what I could sell a good 35 year old 130 hp tractor for? I have a friend restoring an ID -19 Citroen ,a lot more complicated , but probably not as valuable.

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Email me and I'll pass along his contact info. If you're into 2CVs I'm sure he'll want to talk. He's in the business of buying and selling them.