Eric Quennoy
1972 Peugeot 504 Cabrio, Series 1
There were quite a few options that led to the 504. But, it definitely had to be French. I felt that being of French descent and being down here in the South of France, that I wanted to honour the French countryside with a car that seemed to fit this environment in a nice way.
At some point I did think about old Porsches, but of course the Germans don’t have a great history in this country! So I thought I should drive a car round this place that’d make people smile instead.
Joie de vivre.
JOIE DE VIVRE
I’d been looking at things like the old Deux Chevaux (2CV). But they’re a bit more common. And there’s a local friend here that has a Mehari, the old Citroen open top. But that’s more of a beach vehicle. And as fun as it is, it’s kinda limited to maybe going to the bakery five minutes away. I really wanted something with a bit more touring ability. Not being worried about driving more than 15 minutes was important.
DEUX CHEVAUX,
OR NOT DEUX CHEVAUX
Open top was also a criteria because, you know, that’s the life down here. It’s great weather and there’s plenty of sunshine. There’s just nothing like popping the hood on the car and getting that sense of freedom that a cabrio can give you. It had to be open top. 100%. And then a local friend of mine Paul exposed me to the 504 Cabrio Peugeot. He showed me pictures of it one day and I instantly knew it was what I wanted and I became obsessed about finding one.
MATCHMAKING MATES
So I’d decided on the model and then went exploring for the right one. But you know, to be honest, I’m not really a car guy. Big, fast engines are just not really my thing. In fact, speed scares me a little. I don’t know much about the mechanics. I’ve always been more about the aesthetic of cars. Admired them as objets d’art. You know to me they are things of beauty. That is their appeal, rather than their performance specs.
OBJET D’ART IS A GOOD START
SOME SEXY
ITALIAN SWAGGER
When I found this one, I fell in love with it immediately. It just looks hot in my opinion. Maybe that’s the sexy Italian element. You see the car was designed and partially built by the legendary Italian design house Pininfarina. It’s unusual because he had his headquarters in Turin and was more known for his work with Ferraris. But this is what makes it unique and special amongst the Peugeot classics. Pininfarina really made a beautiful car.
I have fond memories of my dad being a big car buff when I was young. Massively. We spoke a lot about cars. Of course, he had French cars. Renault 16’s. I think he also had a Renault 12. We’d come to France as a family and we were all holed up in the back of a Renault 4. Those classic old ‘mail man’ cars. Something the baker might come around in. The long gear stick coming out of the dashboard and rattles everywhere. I guess early in my life I had the imprint of early French cars in my brain. I always quite loved their shapes and looks.
I think he’d be thrilled to know I bought a 504. I reckon he’s looking down with a big smile on his face.
PASS ME THE KEYS
There’s a car that’s always right for a place and this car is perfect for here. But back home in Amsterdam there’s no point in me having a special driving car for the place. It’s a practical thing. You rarely get a chance to accelerate in Amsterdam. Along the canals there’s tourists everywhere. There’s bikes. It’s kind of a nightmare as a driving destination. So a classic old car would blow up within weeks with all the stop-starting. It would be useless. The dutch would call it…’nutteloos’.
And that’s onomatopoeia if I’ve ever heard it.
TOTALLY NUTTELOOS
So I escape from Amsterdam to our place here where there are some of the best roads for cruising. Every road has a bend. It’s hilly, not mountainous. There’s lots of sweeping curves in valleys and then over into the next valley.
It’s an agricultural area so you’ve got these massive sprinklers that are going on all over the region and it sometimes makes you wish you didn’t have a cabrio. You round a corner and then literally have to stop and time your run through a gap in the spray so you don’t get absolutely drenched.
PEAKS AND VALLEYS
Music is so important for a drive. I remember driving that open top Mehari around the region here and my son Milo put on that Tame Impala album ‘Currents’. It’s got such a great vibe that thing. It just makes you feel fucking good when you’re driving around and that’s playing you know (sings) “….let it happen…”
LET IT HAPPEN
In the 504 around the hills here it’s not mandatory to play French music… but it helps. I think a little Serge Gainsbourg definitely hits the spot. And Jaques Dutronc is like the pomp rock king of the swinging French 60s. The French music history is not as strong as it is over the channel but there’s been a few gems in there and Jaques Ductronc is one of them. You can pump on Et moi, et moi, et moi in the 504 and it completes the package. A very self-obsessed song. Very Jaques Dutronc.
SERGE ET JACQUES
I’ve got a big barn here and I reckon there’s definitely room for a couple of other things to go in there. Three lined up would be sweet. Maybe the Renault Alpin my dad always wanted, or finally getting an old Deux Chevaux. It’s an even slower car than this one. And that’s just fine. Something with a very simple engine that just putts around. I still love those cars. I’m not in a hurry but, you know, the longer you wait the more you pay.
MENAGE A TROIS
Driving from here you either go the Atlantic side or the Mediterranean. There’s a great trip down to Biarritz and then San Sebastian. You can come back through the Pyrenees. And then you can also do a beautiful drive towards Montpellier, the Cote d’Azur and up into Provence. Or even going North-East towards the Alps which are just majestic. There’s no lack of amazing driving here and I just want to do it all.
MAPPING IT OUT
I’ve only had this car a short amount of time so I haven’t been able to develop a strong relationship with it yet. But right now it feels like an immediate love. With cars like these there is an indescribable smell. The smell of gasoline, they’re dropping a bit of smoke and it’s a bit toxic in a way, but it still has this kind of allure. There’s also the smell of the inside of the car. The old leather seats make it kind of evocative and takes you back to another time.
INTOXICATING ALLURE
My love of this thing grows from the feeling of being part of something quite timeless. You know, from another era. And enjoying something that others enjoyed 50 years ago in much the same way. It’s quite a beautiful thing to me.….I also love the joy it brings for others who see this car driving through the valleys here. You see a lot of people wave and smile. I love that. Kids react to it in a way that really beings me joy.
MOTO AMORO
