Winter touring along Routes Nationales

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Welcome! Or should we say bienvenue? That seems to be the sentiment expressed here by the gentleman in blue. The picture’s from an LP cover by the late Jerry Mengo, the French jazz musician, band leader, film composer and arranger who gave France the sound of the twist in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It’s a lovely shot which really evokes the spirit of the time, inviting us to dream about going on a Continental touring holiday and seeing old friends. What could be better at this time of year?

A Triumph TR3 would be the perfect car for those twisty mountain passes. It must have been quite an object of desire in France at the time. Brigitte Bardot was seen in one in La Vérite, Anita Ekberg appeared in another in La Dolce Vita, as did Adrienne Servantie in Clémentine Chérie and Pascale Audret in Les Ennémis, some of them brought vividly to life by new and exciting Technicolor.

It’s left-hand drive and on Paris plates, and sports a chrome luggage rack and racing stripe for that extra sporty feel. A broken rear light glass and a little dent below give away a small crunch, probably made while spinning on a Route Nationale and hitting one of millions of plane trees these are adorned with.

That’s all we can tell you, now it’s over to you. For your starter for 10, who can tell us which club or organisation the blue badge at the back represents?

Words: Jeroen Booij; picture: Columbia records - Photo Mainbourg
 

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