EXHIBITION AT SAINT-FÉLIX-DE-VALOIS

by Bernardo Pisarzewski

Following the (regretful) cancellation of the Grande Ballade du Québec, an August outing was still to be held. An so it was, that under a grey, misty and threatening sky; a dozen VEA members headed out to the Laurentian region in order to participate in the annual ‘Exposition de voitures anciennes de Saint-Félix-de-Vallois.’ This is a private event, held on the estate of fellow VEA member Patrick Emery, who was gracious enough to extend the invitation out to the Rendez-vous aux Anglaises club as well as anyone else in the area who owned an automobile of particular interest.

As with all of the VEA outings, getting there and getting lost is half the fun, and a few of us at the back of the convoy ended up doing just that. However, myself, Bernard Bellavance, and another member, managed to find our way up to Saint-Felix, albeit using a crumpled map and some vague directions from the locals.

Once on site, parked and settled, the members could bask in the charm and beauty of the Quebec countryside. Apart from the 40+ cars of European origin, an eclectic array of American muscle was also on display. If hot-dogs and beer weren’t your fare, members were encouraged to bring their own picnic. At the entrance of the estate, one could find a flour mill, which was operational up until a generation ago. A brief tour by the owner’s son gave us a glimpse of what life was like in these parts during its heydays.

As with every outing, one car always catches my eye, be it for its beauty, exclusivity, or rarity. This time around, the attention queen was a 1974 Alpine A110/Groupe 4, owned by Michel Gou. But not all beauty is functional, and Mr. Gou’s Alpine required a helping hand from some on lookers in order to push start his car. I guess that’s part of the charm of vintage car ownership.

Many thanks go out to our host Mr. Patrick Emery, as well as our president/activities director Jean-Jacques Treyvaud. À l’année prochaine.

©VEA