On the first Sunday of every month, hundreds of car enthusiasts descend on a picturesque village above Grasse to share their love of the automobile at Les Bielles de Cabris.
Whereas most events of this kind are quite formal and focused on a specific class of vehicle—such as prestige or classic cars—the gathering in Cabris brings together a huge variety, from 1960s Minis, 1980s Ferraris and 1990s hot hatches right up to modern-day Alpine A110s and Toyota Supras. If you own an interesting vehicle and want to showcase your prized possession, all you have to do is register for free and turn up.
Les Bielles de Cabris, held on the first Sunday of each month on the Pré de Cabris from 9.30am until 12.30pm, is organised by a local club called La Pistonnade.
It’s a celebration of cars in all their forms, providing enthusiasts with an opportunity to see hundreds of special vehicles up close. For those exhibiting their cars, it offers a chance to chat with fellow owners about their pride and joy.
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On Sunday 2nd March, old-timers such as a Citroën Traction Avant and a Jaguar E-Type seemed quite at home next to a Renault Clio Williams, a Lotus Evora and Corvettes, of which there were at least three different generations. There’s no pretence or sense of superiority.
Car fans are often asked to vote for their favourite vehicle—a seemingly impossible task when faced with so many fascinating examples of exotic sports cars, immaculately maintained family saloons that bring back childhood memories, and extremely rare classics, some of which you might not even recognise.
I was torn between a blue Renault Dauphine Gordini from the early 1960s and a yellow Lotus Esprit S4 with twin rear spoilers, but there were so many to choose from: a Jaguar Mk II, a Ford GT40, a Ferrari 328 GTS, a Citroën DS estate, a Ford Cortina coupé and just about every model of Porsche ever made.
The event is a family-friendly affair, and the organisers are firm on prohibiting unruly behaviour—no drifting, no burnouts and no excessive speed. Sometimes, when drivers find themselves being photographed and filmed by eager YouTubers, they can get carried away and start showing off, but the organisers needn’t have worried, as the whole place was bubbling over with love and good-natured enthusiasm. What’s more, you couldn’t drift most of these cars if you tried.
The turnout was excellent, and it was thrilling to see so many people keen to spend a few hours in the company of such fascinating cars. Well done to the organisers—I’ll be back!
To see more photographs from the March edition of Les Bielles de Cabris, click on the images below:
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Photos by Richard McCreery for Monaco Life