Renault To Make Guest Star Appearance On The 2009 Traversée de Paris

PARIS, France – December 19, 2008: The ninth Traversée de Paris, which is organised by Vincennes en Anciennes, will take place on Sunday January 4, 2009. This annual run for classic vehicles crosses historical Paris and takes in such celebrated districts as the Bastille and Montmartre, as well as the famous Place de l'Opéra and Place Vendôme. The Traversée de Paris features a staggering variety of pre-1980s vehicles which range from the popular Renault 4CV to the striking Bugatti Atlantic which are driven by collectors and enthusiasts from all backgrounds. In addition to the friendly atmosphere, the day's highlight will be a display of all the entered vehicles at the Fontaines du Trocadéro, opposite the Eiffel Tower, Paris, from 11am. As the official partner of this exceptional parade, Renault will be present with a number of cabriolets and vans of yesteryear, including several Florides and Estafettes, two models which celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2009 (see appendix for brief descriptions of both vehicles).

Down memory boulevard…
The inaugural Traversée de Paris was the result of the wild idea of a group of enthusiasts who decided to drive through Paris at the wheel of some weird and wonderful machines. Word of mouth, the good humoured nature of the day and the pleasure of having Paris to oneself for a moment has since turned the annual outing into a huge success. Indeed, the 2008 Traversée de Paris was so successful that the organisers received some 520 entries but regretfully had to put 170 cars on the waiting list because of limited parking space at the Fontaines du Trocadéro.

Vincennes en Anciennes itself is a club for classic vehicle enthusiasts and owners. In addition to the Traversée de Paris, they organise regular gatherings in front of the Château de Vincennes, in the eastern suburbs of Paris, on the first Sunday of every month. The complementary qualities of its members and the diversity of the vehicles they own has seen Vincennes en Anciennes emerge as leading organisation on the French classic vehicle scene and it is due to celebrate its 10th anniversary this December. Vincennes en Anciennes is also particularly active when it comes to nationwide events like France's National Heritage Days and the Téléthon charity fundraising weekend, and its members are frequent participants in shows such as the Rétromobile in Paris and the Automédon at Le Bourget. For further information, visit www.vincennesenanciennescom.