Nine French Cars Is a Recipe For a Uniquely Awesome Garage: Member’s Rides

I had the privilege of appearing in Member Rides when Stef was writing it, which I mention because today marks the first time a car has been featured twice! Not merely an identical model, mind you, but the actual specific machine. After my Peugeot 306 GTi-6 self-immolated two months into my ownership of it and over a year of fighting with the machine thereafter, I threw in the towel and sold it to Chuck – today’s featured Member. He towed it away and had it driving just days later. So today we get to look at it again, plus some of Chuck’s other well-preserved French automobiles.

Welcome to Members’ Rides, where we share the cars and stories of Autopian Members. The potential to be featured here is a perk for Autopian Members of every level, from the ultra-affordable “Cloth” tier all the way up to “Rich Corinthian Leather.” Click that link and join today!

Many Americans have never even heard of Peugeot, despite the brand being the oldest manufacturer of both cars and motorcycles. In fact, the company dates back to 1810, long before automobiles. Peugeot sold cars here in the USA until 1991, and at least six of the quirky French machines can be found in the mountains of West Virginia (at Chuck’s house, specifically).

I met Chuck when he came to buy my 306. He started telling me about all his other cars, and I knew he would be right at home here at the Autopian. I directed him to the site and convinced him to join up so I could feature him here. Now you get to hear about not just one, but nine French cars! Many of which even run! The collection can be seen cruising around the Berkeley Springs West Virginia area.

How did you get into cars?

I’ve been into cars as long as I knew what one was. I’ve always had a fascination for strange or unknown vehicles. French cars have been a draw for about 10 years now and I love their design, mechanics, and obscurity.

What’s currently in the garage?

• 1959 Peugeot 403
• 1961 Peugeot 403
• 1963 Peugeot 403
• 1969 Peugeot 404
• 1968 Peugeot 404 parts car
• 1966 2CV
• 1978 2CV truckette
• 1989 Citroen CXA wagon
• 1977 Ford F100
• 1997 Peugeot 306 GTi-6

How did you end up with three 403s?

The first one was a project for me and my middle son, Gage, and was the car he learned to drive in. Over the years we have become car friends with the previous owner, and have stayed in contact. We have had that car for around 7 years and we both have come to really love it.

The other two came later when I came in contact with a fella in southern VA named Paul. He had been in the Peugeot world for a long time and he was getting to a point in his automotive life where he couldn’t care for cars like he would like to so we had a few conversations and he allowed me to take over his collection.

I can’t thank him enough for this. It has really opened a door in my automotive life to be as proficient as I can in the cars I am most interested in. 

The 1961 is my son’s, and is a French market model. The other 2 are USA.  The ’61 gets driven regularly, the 59 is almost on the road, the ’63 is a full restoration but I have everything for it. They are fantastic little cars. Enough power to get you there and not a bad ride for a vintage small car. I drove the 61 to Carlyle this year 180-mile round trip, no issues, in the rain, and over 25mpg!

How did you find the 404s?

The French car community is small, a friend of mine purchased it and then sold it to a friend of his. I later took over taking care of it.

How is it?

It’s in great shape, I’d say 7 out of 10. It drives great, the paint’s not bad, and has air conditioning that works! It does need some help on the interior though. The 404 has such a distinct style that I love! Tail fins on a French car, need I say more?

The 403s and 404s are very similar cars, but the 404 is an automatic and that’s the only major difference. It rides as good as it should.  I’d say the provenance of the 403 is what makes it a little more special with its connection to the show Columbo.

How did you end up with the 2CV?

This is a strange one. My friend Steve was charged with taking care of an estate for a friend who had passed in 2023. He and another gentleman were trying to unload a hoard of 2CVs, Truckettes, and parts that had been collected for many years. They had tried to have a private auction and to everyone’s surprise, nobody came. Steve contacted my friend Adam and me and asked if we would be interested in making the 250-mile drive to come and go through everything and make a deal to salvage what we could to avoid all of it from going to scrap. Well, we did.

We made 2 trips and even rented a large forklift to haul 2 30’ trailers of parts and vehicles out of a building where they had sat dormant for many years. This is what became known as the Great Citroen Caper. Unfortunately the stories of how all these came to the USA is lost due to me personally never being able to meet the owner, Bill, who had accumulated all this stuff.

Do you drive it often?

Not yet, but almost ready. It was in extreme disrepair and had not been on the road since the 80’s. Being a 1966 it has the 425cc engine and I wanted to make it a point to drive it as it was built before any upgrades are done. I finally got to drive this the other day, and it was great!

Any upgrades planned?

I do have a few 602cc engines and I am rebuilding one now that I will be swapping in with the newer style gearbox that has taller gears to make it a bit more road-friendly. Luckily, I live in a very small town so there isn’t too much of a need to go over 45 mph within a 15-mile radius. I may get squirrely eventually and do the BMW 1100cc swap just for fun. 

What’s the plan for the 2CV Truckette

The truckette story goes back to the Great Citroen Caper, I didn’t have the heart to see it scrapped, so I got it along with the frame and engine for a  classic Citroen Ami. The truckette was so rough that I’m putting the truck body on the Ami frame to make a small camper for me and my wife. 

Where does the Citroen CX Wagon fit in?

Another car friend of mine, Craig, had gotten this from a random guy he had met and it had sat in a warehouse for many years untouched. He really didn’t know what to do with it and did not want to see it get lost to time. That’s when he sent me pictures of it to me and we worked out a deal for the car.

It had been in dry storage for around 30 years. Ater a few weekends of tinkering, and a lot of LHM (hydraulic fluid), I had her running and driving. It’s super cool and obscure which is what makes it fun. I also was intrigued by the whole Citroen hydraulic suspension and wanted to learn how it all worked. I love the old cars, and they are what have drawn me the hobby since I was young. Yet the older I get, it seems that the cars I grew up with are now becoming classics and maintaining them is becoming a lost art and I really would like to keep it alive.

Did it take a lot to get going?

The fuel system was a mess and there were a lot of dry rotted hoses, so I had to replace most of them  It could use a fresh coat of paint, and it still has a few of the common wiring gremlins but overall, it’s a solid car. It’s not something you see every day, and part of my enjoyment with these obscure cars is smiles per mile and how people react at a show or just going to the grocery store. Everyone wants to know what that is, it’s fun. 

How did the F100 come to share garage space with a bunch of French cars?

I always wanted one because my grandfather had the same style truck on the farm as a kid. Some of my fondest childhood memories are climbing in that truck with Grandad and riding out to the barns at the old Shenandoah Downs racetrack where he trained horses in Charlestown West Virginia. I feel like I’m 8 years old whenever I drive it! Now my wife loves it just as much as me and she drives it to work every sunny Friday she can. It’s fantastic! Good paint, no rust, and all original with low miles.  This truck gets used a lot.

What made you want to adopt my 306?

It’s the best-handling car I’ve ever had and a total blast to drive. I absolutely love it! I’ve been a fan for years of WRC and really wanted to drive and own a car along those lines, and it being a Peugeot makes it even better. I just want to keep it in great running shape and enjoy it for what it is.

How hard is it to keep old French cars on the road?

Between the French car community and all the parts I’ve accumulated over the years, it’s not bad. Mostly I order consumables and items that can dry rot like hoses that don’t last forever. But there is always that one thing you need that takes forever to find, like windshields. If I find one, I grab it whether I need it or not. If I don’t need it I’m sure I know someone who does. 

They’re also pretty darn reliable. That is a big draw to me. They are just great cars. Keeping up with maintenance is part of the fun. I’ve sold vehicles because they were too nice. I like turning wrenches and figuring out problems. 

Any fun French car stories?

Before my son went into the Marine Corps he would drive the 403 often. While changing the tire on the dirt road a guy stopped to ask if he needed help and proceeded to tell him that when he was a kid in the late 60’s he drove a 403 wagon.

Who would have thought in a town of about 300 people that someone else with fond memories of driving an early Peugeot would come out of nowhere to tell stories about his times as a young man having fun in an old French car. My son always talks about that story, and it makes me happy he can have those kinds of memories in this day and age. 

What would be in your dream garage?

I really love French cars and there are a couple I would like to have. A DS21 and a late 30’s 302 would be great! I would like the French car scene to grow so I can’t keep them all forever and I love seeing them on the road, so I would get more to save them then pass them along.

If money was no object, it would get crazy! I would want a Countach, mostly because every young man in the 80’s had a poster on his wall of one, me included. Definitely my all-time favorite would have to be a 1955 300sl Mercedes. At the end of the day, I think I would be trying to save most of the cars within 500 miles I see on Marketplace I see because I’m a glutton for punishment and I don’t like to see history die.

Anything else to add?

The bottom line is I’ve always had a fascination with anything with an engine. Especially cars and trucks and even though it’s a lot of work, it makes me happy. I like to think it makes others happy too. Learning about all different types of vehicles along with their history and the stories that come with the vehicle is amazing. The story that me and my family get to add to its history is a lot of fun.

I’m not some foreign car snob by any means, I love all cars. I personally have been drawn to the strange and really like having the only one at a cruise in. At the same time, I really like the larger shows where there are many strange cars to meet like-minded folks and discuss their history. I have met great people in the community and want to continue to do so as long as I physically can.

Thanks Chuck!