A 1937 Vivaquatre in completely original condition.
Car enthusiasts love to celebrate anniversaries, especially those of their own beloved models. Renault has a lot to celebrate this year. The Superfive, 25 and Espace are blowing out 40 candles and the 8 Gordini is celebrating its 60th birthday. The Epoqu'auto organisation also has a reason to celebrate.
Two extremes of the Renault 16.
Les Amateurs d'Automobiles Anciennes (Le Club des 3A) is the main organiser of the annual vintage car show in Lyon, better known as Epoqu'auto. For three days, the seven halls of the gigantic exhibition complex offer visitors everything their hearts desire.
The popularity of the event's formula is reflected in the number of visitors, which for the first time exceeded 100,000. By Saturday afternoon, there was no parking left on the site, and visitors had to find more distant options, from where shuttle buses took them to the complex.
A very nice 12 TS from 1974 and a Frégate.
Enthusiasts who had arrived in time with their own classic cars were able to park their 'vehicles' in a car park right outside the door, creating an open-air museum with a highly variable composition for three days. It is easy to spend hours there reminiscing. There are also plenty of cars for sale. There is something for everyone, just like on the stands inside the halls.
It has become a tradition that Renault is strongly represented in Hall 7. The Originals Renault La Collection presented a selection of models from the factory collection. There was, of course, a link to the new Renault 4 and 5 E-Tech electric, the forebears of these models. There was also a focus on the anniversary models and no less than four Renaults 17, including the recently unveiled restomod.
The clubs formed a cordon around the large factory stand and there was plenty to see there too. The club of pre-war Renaults recreated a 1940 photo showing a Renault truck towing a Monastella and behind it a 1937 Vivaquatre, still in original condition with only 32,000 km on the clock. The Monastella in the picture is the one that has remained in the family to this day.
A never restaured EP from 1917.
Lyon is the capital of the French truck industry and each edition of Epoqu'auto underlines this with a selection of impressive trucks, from fully restored to particularly original. It is nothing short of a miracle that the 1917 Renault EP has survived. This remarkable model began its military career with a body designed to transport hay or straw. On the same stand, an unrestored Renault AHN truck from the 1940s with an Imbert wood gasifier.
A 18 Turbo Break and a JP4 based on the Renault 4.
A Renault AHN wood gasifier.
Anyone visiting Epoqu'auto as a Renault enthusiast will be in for a treat. Models from the company's 125-year history will be on display. The Amicale Renault 16, for example, presented two extremes: an early example that looked as if it had come straight out of the barn next to a beautifully restored 16 TX. At Générations R5, the original was a Renault 5 Sovra, a semi-cabriolet based on the first generation. The neighbours of Le Club Supercinq showed a pristine white five-door Bye Bye next to a first-generation Renault 5 TSE.
Spécial at the Club Renault 5, a semi-cabriolet from Sovra.
The French police never miss an edition of Epoqu'auto, and this time they had a Renault 18 Turbo in full livery on their stand.
Those looking for a special Alpine also found what they were looking for in Lyon. Three examples of the current model were already on display at the Elf stand in the entrance hall. The original A110 and the A310 were also on display in various versions and colours. There is also an annual auction where an A108 convertible was sold.
A police Renault 18 Turbo and a first series 5 TSE. Below, an Alpine A110 Olympique and a Renault 4 from 1963.
As mentioned before, the outdoor area is a wonderful collection that changes every part of the day. There were too many Renaults to mention. For example, a beautiful dark blue 12 TS was offered for sale after a restoration. Of course, the older generation was also present with the 4CV, Dauphine and Frégate. The Avantime as a youngtimer attracts a lot of interest, and this year it was notable for the presence of several and very different examples of the Renault 18.
Of course, as always, there were many sporty Renaults with the 5 Alpine and Turbo, the various RS models and the Clio Williams alongside the 11 and 21 Turbo. The Renault 4 was generously represented, showing the trend that fine examples are on the increase in terms of price. In any case, the quality of classic cars in France is improving considerably. ‹›