In Shanghai, you can see the latest cars, and the cars of the future with no future. You also can see a tiny bit of the past.
Citroen brought two classics.
The Traction Avant was popular with French gangsters, and also with the German Gestapo for the short years it could safely ride around Paris in a car. The car went into the annals as the Gangster Citroen.
This is a Citroen halftrack. In 1931, seven of them followed the Silk Road from Beirut to Beijing, a trip that took them a year and a half. Seven other halftracks left Tianjin on the Yellow Sea to meet them.
The expedition is lovingly documented at the show.
The competition at Renault brought one of their classics. I forgot to write down what it was and can’t look smart. Any ideas?
And a classic from America. The 1967 Camaro, Official Pace Car of the Indy 500.
That’s not a particularly flattering photo of the Camaro. I don’t know why, but I see Peugeot 504 in there somewhere.
No idea what model that Renault may be, but I like those wheels.
Your eyes are are not playing tricks on you, the rear fender line on the Camaro is very similar to the 504 Coupe
<img src=”http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Peugeot_504_Coupe_1978.jpg”>
Hopefully “pace” translates into French as a word normal polite folks would never utter in public.
I saw a pic of a similar car to the Renault convertible recently – can’t remember where. Late pre-WWII…and the text mentioned that Renault never again made such large cars after the war.
1935 Renault Viva Grand Sport, it seems:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Viva_Grand_Sport
http://pwet.fr/photos/villes_et_departements/paris_75/paris/renault_viva_grand_sport
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36283871@N03/4510796669/
There was also a sedan.
That’s a Renault Viva Grand Sport. Introduced in 1934, 4L straight six engine, with a rumble seat behind the convertible top.
Interesting that you feature a Traction Avant.
I am going on a road trip in mine this week. I will leave home in Dublin, Ireland and join fellow enthusiasts for a tour of Holland. I expect to travel about 1200 miles between Thursday and the following Tuesday.
Wish me luck.