
Leaving Pau the day before the meeting I was rather anxious to complete
the 435 miles to Bourges, where I would meet most of the participants. The anxiety was
because this year I had my own restored car, and up to now it had covered no more than 155
miles in one day. In fact, this trip would double the total mileage on the cars
(new) odometer! Since the end of restoration work in September 2001, the Imperial had done
only 932 miles, and I was about to do that much again in just 3 days. After joining up
with F. Mendez in his 59 Dodge at Tarbes, 25 miles from Pau, I still had 410 miles
to go
.
For the first few miles on the Autoroute I held it to 60 mph, but let the speed creep
up to an average 70 mph. It wasnt the quiet ride of a sedan, and I turned up the
music to cover the wind rush. What would you expect from a ragtop?
We left Tarbes at 11 a.m. and reached Mehun, 6 miles from Bourges, at 7 p.m. A good car
wash was needed here, for the front surfaces were black with splattered bugs. My
windshield wipers suddenly refuse to work, then start up properly something to
check out later. We meet other arrivals: J. C. Petitpré and Tony & Jackie Vickers
with their 61 Imperials, and H. André's 57 Town and Country, but driven by R.
L. Brézout and Guy Equille. About 9 p.m. the André families arrive with their Imperials
Hubert, Nathalie and Juliette in their 55, then Bernard, Pascale and their
children in a 62.
Ian and Peter Rubrey hadnt come in yet but they hadnt expected to get in
before midnight after their long trip from England. The hotel garage had never seen so
many Chryslers! It wasnt till about 4 a.m. that Ian and Peter came in, much delayed
by the Channel ferry, and they were hard put to meet the scheduled 9 a.m. departure for
Bourges. No wonder, with little sleep, a lot of miles, and the strain of shifting to
right-lane circulation.
At our meeting place in Bourges, the cathedral, we find other participants waiting:
Zara and Michèle Raïsse with their 55 DeSoto, and the 34 Chrysler of Daniel
and Micheline Rouffet. Soon more turn up: Raphaël and Laurent in their 58 New
Yorker, Hervé Houal with his superb 60 New Yorker wagon, and finally a Viper.
Everyone is happy to be together, and this time it isnt raining, as it did last
year but the dry weather wasnt going to last. By now its 11:30 and we
set off, led by the oldest car, roadbook in each copilots hand, to lunch at the
chateau of Jouy. Departures tick off smoothly at one per minute, and 30 miles later
were at our lunchtime destination, half an hour early. Now the rain begins to pour,
and my wipers fail.
Not quite everybody is on time at the chateau. Two cars with copilots who hadnt
read the roadbook carefully got lost, but they arrived in time for lunch, and good humor
prevailed.
Name |
car |
from
.. (department or country) |
ANDRE Hubert & Nathalie |
IMPERIAL Newport 1955 |
78 |
ANDRE Bernard & Pascale (+ kids) |
IMPERIAL LeBaron 1962 |
92 |
AUVRAY Jean & Danièle |
CHRYSLER IMPERIAL 1954 |
41 |
BREZOUT R. Louis, EQUILLE Guy |
CHRYSLER NewYorker T&C 1957 |
78 |
BRUNET Raphaël, SALLES Laurent |
CHRYSLER NewYorker 1958 |
94 |
COURANT Philippe & Sylvie |
IMPERIAL Crown convertible 1957 |
64 |
HOUAL Hervé |
CHRYSLER NewYorker wagon 1960 |
35 |
MENDEZ François & Reine |
DODGE Coronet coupé 1959 |
65 |
PETITPRE Jean Claude |
IMPERIAL LeBaron 1961 |
78 |
RAISSE Zara & Michelle, ARNAUD Rémy |
DESOTO Fireflite 1955 |
94 |
ROUFFET Daniel & Micheline |
CHRYSLER PE (Plymouth export) 1934 |
23 |
RUBREY Ian & Peter |
PLYMOUTH Sport Suburban 1959 |
U.K |
VICKERS Tony & Jackie |
IMPERIAL LeBaron 1961 |
U.K |
TTP Organisation:
Jean Pierre ARMANDET / Jack PEAUDECERF: CHRYSLER PT Cruiser
Christian GRESLE, Emmanuel GARGOT: CHRYSLER PT Cruiser
Mechanics: Jean paul PICOT, Sébastien PERRIN: Mercédès VITO (Nobody had car trouble
with their reliable Chryslers.)
Here we should note that these 3 cars were courteously lent by Chrysler France.
Many thanks!
CHRYSLER FRANCE:
Peggy ALARY, David BARRIERE: Dodge VIPER

OTHER PICS (click to enlarge)
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In front of the cathedral |
my '57 Imperial convertible |
'58 Chrysler NY |
'34 Chrysler / '55 Imperial |
'59 Plymouth |
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rear of the '59 Pymouth |
'57 Chrysler T&C |
'60 Chrysler T&C |
cars of the organization (lent by
Chrysler France) |
'55 DeSoto in front Jouy castle
keep |
'55 Imperial / '59 Dodge |
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Before going to Bourges, the
garage of the hotel is full of Chryslers and we make the last checks.. |
'55 DeSoto Fireflite / '54 Imperial |
1961 Imperial LeBaron |
dreaming .. |
Leaving the cathedral |
Pics: Philippe Courant , Bernard André (B.A), Jean
Claude Petitpré (JCP)
Thanks to Frank Peters for the translation !

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