Piollet

Jacques Piollet was only 11 when he built his first wooden car from scratch, producing both bodywork and engine. As a teenager, he continued to make working cars from any available materials. During his military service in Algeria, Jacques decidedto build a coupé worthy of the name. He made detailed sketchesand carried out his plan as soon as he returned to civilian life. JaquesPiolletmay be an amateur builder, but he is even more of a perfectionistthan many professionals. His car with a Peugeot engine, built between 1962 and 1965, is still kept in his garage, ready to take to the road.

Collet

The son of a coachbuilder, sculptor Michel Collet was bitten by the car bug at an early age. He built his car in his father's workshop in central Paris, taking inspiration from one of the greatest cars of the time, the Ford GT 40. He used parts that could be readily found in scrapyards:engine, gearbox, front and rear suspensioncame from Renault 8 Gordinis. Still today, his brand new car sits proudly in Michel's workshop, not far from the Swiss border.

Glasson

Serge Glassonbuilt the car of his dreams with very little money. An accident involving a Dauphine Gordini, not far from his home in the Territoire de Belfort, provided him with both the excuse for building his car and its mechanical basis. He bought the wreck and set to work. Amazingly, he had next to no tools: to make holes, he used only a hand drill. Despite this, the car was completed in 1965 and Serge entered it in many competitions, carrying off a number of prizes. 

Fauvel

Almost every week, the car built by Xavier Fauvel can be seen on the roads near Caen, northern France.His idea was to combine the engine of a FWD Peugeot 204 with an original body of his own design, making it into a rear wheel drive! It was a great idea. He bought all the other parts from the scrapyard: Renault 16 headlights, R8 Gordini suspension, etc. The Fauvel, which was registered for road use when it was completed, now has 160,000 kmson the clock! 

Renaudat

The Renaudat was born on a farm in the middle of the French countryside. It was designed in 1968 by Guy Renaudat using a MatraDjet chassis, but it was three years before he was able to register the car in his name. The engine is that of a Renault 16 and the suspensioncomes from a Renault 8 Gordini, but it was the polyester bodywork that posed the trickiest problems. Looking at the gleaming Ferrari-like car today, it's obvious that he solved them ! 

BLF

Built by Lionel Bernard, a gifted and inventive baby-boomer, the BLF has an interesting story to tell. Bernard's dream of driving a racing car prompted him to build his own car. He began work in 1966 in the town of Saint Julien in the Doubs region, aged just 18. He drew up plans and decided that the car should be lower than the Ford GT 40, the emblematic racing car of its day: Lionel's carstands just 91 cms high, compared to the Ford's 101 cms. It was a winning formula. Lionel raced his car in uphill races, and has just taken it out of the Swiss museum where it has spent the last twenty or so years. 

Romer

The town of Oyonnax is synonymous with plastics. It is here that Bernard Mermetbuilt his car, drawing inspiration from different sources including the Ford GT 40, and fitting it, naturally enough, with polyester bodywork. The engine is that of the hallowed Renault 8 Gordini, linked to its gearbox. The beautiful Romer(the name of Mermet's father's company), which dates from 1972, has never been registered and yet has 4,000 kmson the clock: Bernard and his friends couldn't resist the temptation for some night driving along the local roads! 

Prab

This is the story of two friends who, after graduating from engineering college, said that if they were to build a car, they's achieve a twofold goal: they'd have fun, and it would look great on their CVs! 20-year-old Paul Retailleau and 21-year-old André Bodinset to work and built two original cars, working on each on alternate weeks. They ended up with a red Prab rouge and a white Prab, registered in 1969, that showcase their technical mastery of a whole range of techniques: mechanics, bodywork, polyester, leather trim, not forgetting detailed specs and drawings of every component!