French Classic Cars

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Success Story: 1982 Peugeot 505 S Turbo Diesel

We auctioned this Peugeot 505 S Turbo Diesel back in August of 2022, but unfortunately, it didn’t meet the seller’s reserve. Thankfully we have a great Make An Offer system, so shortly after this one rolled over we received… more»

Quintuplets! Five Renault R16’s

The seller of this menagerie opens with, “I have six Renault R16 cars, Arizona cars with no rust or very little rust. They have been off the road for 35-45 years and they are not 100% complete…I don’t really… more»

Car Museum Find: 1982 Talbot-Matra Murena

One of my favorite “types” of discoveries is a low-mileage, mothballed car from an obscure car museum. The museum doesn’t have to be completely off the radar, but a lot of the smaller ones are, unlike the Petersen and… more»

Quonset Hut Find: 1963 Citroen DS19 Break

The Citroen DS19 Break, or wagon, is a rare version of an already rare car. However, rare does not always translate to high values, and the unusual French car requires a passionate owner to be brought back to life…. more»

Texas Find: 1987 Citroën CX 25 TRI Break

As one of the French Big Three – along with Peugeot and Renault – Citroën offered arguably the most unusual line of cars with some of the most unusual and now-legendary features, such as a hydraulic suspension and stepping… more»

One-Of-A-Kind: 1971 Matra Laser

The Marta Laser was a one-off, French-built concept car that didn’t result in a production automobile. It was built by Matra, a company whose reputation came from its work in the aeronautics and weaponry industries. Thought to be lost… more»

Worth Saving? 1970 Citroen DS

Let’s say I told you I had a beat-up, ratty four-door for you to restore. What would you imagine? A Chevelle, maybe, possibly some kind of Plymouth. What if I then said, “It’s French”? Would I hear nothing but… more»

French Import Project: 1986 Citroën CX Prestige

Citroëns have been seen all over Europe in the 100+ years the brand has been around. But they’re lesser seen in the U.S., and such is the case with this 1986 Citroën CX Prestige which the seller lists as… more»

Roomy French Luxury: 1987 Citroen CXA CX

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the Citroen CX is arguably a princess or a face only a mother could love, with not much latitude in between depending on your palate.  But for French design enthusiasts… more»

Le Survivor! 1983 Renault Le Car

Here I go again. Every time I think, wow, am I really going to cover this XXX (fill in the blank with Pinto, Vega, Yugo, etc.), I go ahead and do it anyway. Today’s, find courtesy of  T.J. is… more»

No Reserve: 1985 Peugeot 505 Turbo/5-Speed

The two hardest things about a Peugeot are remembering how to spell it and remembering the last time that I saw one. I assumed that the French-Italian-American-German-British mashup known as Stellantis would bombard us with those and Citroens, but… more»

US Import Model: 1987 Citroen CX Prestige

For a short period a little over a year ago, I became obsessed with owning a French car. I don’t have a good answer for this – perhaps I was watching too much Inspector Clouseau at the time –… more»

Mystery Model: Citroen DS ID20 F Safari Wagon

I’m curious how many of our readers have ever experienced buying a car that’s represented as a cream puff but ends up being a lemon?  It happened to yours truly twice in my younger years.  Unbeknownst to me, my… more»

Needs Finishing: 1953 Citroen Traction Avant

And now, for another HOC (Hunk O Car), this time in the form of a 1953 Citroen Traction Avant. Last week it was this Austin-Healey of unknown specificity, but today’s find, courtesy of T.J. is in a bit better… more»

Right-Hand Drive: 1979 Citroen CX Prestige

There are a lot of negative “most” factors a car from any given year might be labeled with.  The model may be plagued with the most recalls, or maybe the most depreciation over a 12-month period.  In the case… more»

Perfect Beginner Project? 1964 Citroën 2CV

I sometimes worry about the future of tinkering with cars. With today’s models, there are so many electronics that anyone without an electrical engineering degree is unlikely to be able to look after their own car. And this is… more»

Barn Finds