BIG SIZES
LIGERIAN MECHANICAL HERITAGE ACTORS
Discovering the heritage of a region also means meeting its collectors who are also the
actors of the conservation of the material data of our history as are the means of
locomotion such as the motorcycle and the automobile that arouses passions as
explained to me Joèl BERTHELOT And Antoine LEBLANC respectively based in Saint Jean De Monts and Saint Georges Sur Loire in the PAYS DE LA LOIRE region.
"I own 2 MOTOBECANE brand motorcycles, one dating from 1955 and the other from 1957, and this passion for old
motorcycles that started in the 70s have maintained themselves over the years "
Joél BERTHELOT tells me while
presenting its model dating from 1955 on the quays of the maritime station of Barre De Monts Fromentine. "In fact, I am a bit of a guardian of the memory of our heritage and I do not fail, during the
European Days of Heritage,to participate
in demonstrations "Joel tells me with a smile while observing with a greedy smile the gleaming well-maintained
mechanics of his motorbike. Before joining the banks of the Loire, I look at it with a great amusement as the sound of its
engine is pleasant and tinged with the atmosphere of our 50s.On board a 1937 Traction Avant Car and accompanied at
the wheel by Antoine LEBLANC, automobile mechanic and passionate about vintage cars, i join Saint Georges Sur Loire
where Antoine lives so that he can show me his workshop and its various collector cars."I restore around 6 to 8 old cars
per year along side my repair shop which is more specifically dedicated to the maintenance of recent cars"
Antoine tells
me while inviting me to follow in the adjoining garages where a 1952 Aronde, a 1956 4 Horses and a 1958 DS are
stored." I also participate to the activities of collectors' clubs located throughout France taking into account my
technical knowledge in addition to my shared passion for vintage cars.It is obvious that it is easier to repair a collector's car in a suitable and equipped workshop, which facilitates the commissioning and certification of the vehicles.The
oldest car I have had to recommission was a 1932 Bentley from a Parisian collector who transported it to my workshop
by adapted truck. Personally, I only have 3 collector cars that are the Traction Avant, the Aronde and the 4 Horses that
you see, the DS being the order of a collector based on Rennes.Exchanges between clubs are very active because they
allow cooperation and partnerships in particular at the level of mechanical parts in parallel with the Internet Network
which allows the dissemination of information between members"
The Happy Years of the Thirty Glorious Years
Direction Saint Jean De Monts in Vendée for my meeting with Jean Luc Grondin President of the CAPVA Association
VENDEE which is a club of enthusiasts and owners of vintage vehicles.
» Initially in 1981, the club was called CAMA and brought together a group of friends passionate about vintage motorcycles, before evolving 7 years later with the
arrival of vintage car enthusiasts and taking the name CAPVA, which is still in force today. We have 85 active members
for an office including 6 people with events held each year from March to October in the region of Saint Jean De Monts
which go from the European Heritage Days in passing through old car and utility vehicle hikes or sports and exceptional
cars.Since 2003, we also evolved in the presentation of our projects, notably with the "Solex and Cyclos" section,then in
2006 with the creation of the “Old tractors and agricultural machinery” section and more recently in 2015 with the
"Sports Cars" section. Many vehicles and motorcycles date from the so-called "happy years" " The thirty glorious years"
with cars from the 50s, 60s and 70s in addition to the facilities offered by the stocks remaining mechanical parts easier
to find compared to models from the 20s and 30s. We also have a network of partners within the framework of our
cooperation with other collectors clubs in parallel with others operations that we carry out such as exchanges."Meeting
passionate people who work on exciting projects that are also useful to the community is always pleasant,in addition to the fact that they are to some extent the guardians of our heritage and also the preservers of our history often tinged
often tinged with pleasant nostalgia.
Report: Gabriel PAGE
Photos credit : Gabriel PAGE / CAPVA Vendée / Antoine LEBLANC
