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-   -   Hire car with colour? (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/hire-car-with-colour-513806/)

seanLorraine Mar 18th, 2005 05:23 PM

Hire car with colour?
 
We'd like to hire a non beige car for just a few days in Champagne out of CDG - maybe a convertible or a deux che veaux (I can draw it better than spell it, sorry).
Forget dull and practical. We're on holiday.
Alternatively, a knowledgeable local who can take us around the Houses as we get slowly trolleyed?

Underhill Mar 18th, 2005 06:47 PM

I think it's pretty unlikely that you can rent a deux chevaux, as they're no longer being made.


nytraveler Mar 18th, 2005 07:23 PM

Even if they rented it why in the world would you want a 2 chevaux - don't they have a 50 chipmunk (or 2 horsepower) engine (hence the name) and a top speed of about 55?

rdkr Mar 18th, 2005 10:03 PM

What about a smart car? Good run and grat for driving and parking in towns and villages.
Richard,
http://www.franceinfocus.net
Photos and videos of France and a few other places.

sheila Mar 19th, 2005 01:27 AM

What a fantastic idea. I don't know where you do it, but a web search suggests you might try auto-europe.co.uk or

http://www.hireaclassiccar.com/acata...rance_223.html

Good luck

ChevyChasen Mar 19th, 2005 02:31 AM

what a neat idea.

your request got me interested enough to do some research about this car. it was designed in 1938, was produced from 1948 till 1990. the engine is 600cc capable of 28hp (it is rated as two horsepower under the French taxation system).

from what i read cars in good condition are collector pieces today.only a banger would be available to be rented at conventional prices.


MorganB Mar 19th, 2005 04:22 AM

I dont think I would do a 2CV. Cute but not great for autoroute driving out of CDG. Look for a Peugeot 206cc, Peugeot 307cc or a Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet. All 3 are hard top convertables. As far as color goes, its luck of the draw.

seanLorraine Mar 20th, 2005 02:53 PM

Sheila - thank you. Exactly what I was after.

nyTraveller - because I love to see my wife rolling around in laughter trying to say NOoooo at the same time .... don't you?

Thanks eveyone. Happy trails.

s & l.

m_kingdom2 Mar 20th, 2005 02:57 PM

If you're in Champagne I can't think of a better colour than Beige, that's as champagne coloured as you're going to get!

You're not buying the car, do you really care about the colour? If I hire a car, as long as it goes, and they don't charge me for any little knocks (the extra payment is always worth it) I'm happy.

rex Mar 20th, 2005 08:49 PM

If I could sign a contract with any car rental company - - that for life, I agree to pay a 10% surcharge on every rental, and they guarantee me I will never get a white car, I would sign it right now.

So, I understand that you have your preferences that you REALLY do not want.

Best wishes,

Rex

sheila Mar 20th, 2005 10:25 PM

Beige was a metaphor, chaps:)

BTilke Mar 21st, 2005 01:06 AM

We've never been given a beige car in all our rentals in Europe.
The modern successor to the Deux Chevaux is Citroen's new C2 and you can rent those, although the C3 is slightly bigger (surprisingly comfortable for two adults and also quite nimble and quick, but the back seats are for small kids only) and much more practical than the Smart Car (and almost as easy to park). The C3 Pluriel is the convertible model and it's an interesting looking little car. You can see the Deux Chevaux influence in the C2 and C3 models and both are quite popular little cars in France.

caroline_edinburgh Mar 21st, 2005 04:38 AM

Won't you require a car big enough for purchases ? :-)

Dave_in_Paris Mar 21st, 2005 11:22 AM

What a great idea! I'd like to do it myself.

http://members.tripod.com/france_2cvclub/renting.html

The site is clunky. The above should take you to a page with photos of three 2CVs to rent, by the week or month. My favorite line was in a novel -- I think it was a novel -- title and author forgotten, in which a couple had gotten into an accident with their 2CV. The police report referred to the car as "the alleged vehicle" and that's what they called their 2CV ever after. Have a blast!

sheila Mar 21st, 2005 12:27 PM

I'm very impressed Dave in Paris. I hunted for ever and got some stuff, but no 2 CVs.

Dave_in_Paris Mar 21st, 2005 12:35 PM

Dogged with the Google.

Detective Dave

jpie Mar 21st, 2005 01:23 PM

I just had to add that when my French husband and I got married in 1977, we borrowed his grandmother's 1963 Deux Chevaux for our honeymoon and drove it all the way to Portugal from Bordeaux. What a bear it was getting "up the hill" to Madrid, and once there we couldn't get it to start so had to push it everyday to get it started! Then to add insult to injury, somebody in Lisbon took a knife to the cloth roof and stole our suitcases so we had to ride all the way back to France in bathing suits and teeshirts huddled in sleeping bags to protect ourselves from the rain. In spite of it all, it was still one of our best roadtrips in Europe :) Ah to be young!

Dave_in_Paris Mar 21st, 2005 01:38 PM

That's a whole lot better than our fond post-elopement, honeymoon recollection of following the garbage truck from St. Petersburg, Florida, to Winter Park!

seanLorraine Mar 21st, 2005 03:48 PM

It just gets better.

Thanks everyone. Really appreciate it.

jpie Mar 22nd, 2005 04:35 PM

Be sure to let us know what car you end up with :)


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