As part of the European Heritage Days, in addition to the visits of our establishment organised this weekend, the Imperial Palace had the pleasure of welcoming some fifteen beautiful old vehicles on Sunday 18 September!
Originating from the interwar period or the 1950s, many models were present: among the oldest, a magnificent yellow Citroën from 1921 and a Peugeot 301 with very classic lines, produced between 1932 and 1936 and worthy representative of the "square boxes". From 1935 onwards, aerodynamics appeared. The bodywork became more fluid, as with the elegant black Peugeot 302 with its more rounded shapes.
Another remarkable car under the eyes of the spectators this weekend was a 1925 Rolls Royce owned by Commandant Louis Weller from 1929 to 1975. The latter made it available to his acquaintances, kings, queens, heads of state and celebrities, including Charlie Chaplin. Commandant Louis Weller then offered it to his great friend Prince Michel de Bourbon Parme who gave the mythical car a magnificent renovation. A gleaming motobecane from 1936 completes the collection.
If some people bought these little jewels already in the state they were in, other owners in love with beautiful mechanics have spent many years giving life to these witnesses of the past.
These old ladies were a delight to enthusiasts, visitors and passers-by and allowed us to step back into the historic years of the Hôtel Impérial in Annecy... an emblematic building of the town and a century old as it opened its doors in 1913.
After a passage on the driveway in front of the hotel, these automobile jewels continued their journey towards the Annecy town hall and then on to Saint-Jorioz, the birthplace of Joseph Blanc, mayor of Annecy from 1909 to 1941, whose work was highlighted in the exhibition "Funny postcards: Annecy, the 20s and 30s come to life", conceived by the Municipal Archives.
An event organised in partnership with the Club auto-rétro de l'Albanais and the Annecy Municipal Archives.
© Annecy Municipal Archives / Pedro Studio Photo