Georges Pompidou has always been a big fan of automobiles. Before becoming Prime Minister and then President, he fell in love with a Porsche 356 Coupé B. A copy that he then gave to his wife Claude who sold it to Porsche in 2001.
Among the presidents of the French Republic, there is one for whom the automobile and speed were passions: it is Georges Pompidou. Under his presidency (1969-1974), two sumptuous examples of Citroën SM discoverables bodied by Henri Chapron joined the garage of the Elysée. But did you know that Pompidou had a weakness for the Porsche 356?
A Coupé B for the Pompidou
In the fall of 1961, while he was still director at the Rothschild bank (1954-1958), he ordered a coupé (S version) from Sonauto. “If they bought it, it was for love, not to be seen”Confides the Pompidou son in the newspaper L’Equipe dated May 8, 2018. The vehicle will be delivered to the family in February 1962, two months before Georges was appointed Prime Minister. “He would never have bought it otherwise”Adds Alain Pompidou.
The gray card will not be issued in the name of the father, but that of his wife, Claude. Alain Pompidou remembers: “it was always the fight between them to know who would drive the Porsche when they left for the weekend in Orvilliers (Yvelines)”. After the death of her husband on April 2, 1974, Claude did not make up his mind to sell it. She even made it a point to keep this car, memories of their “freedom weekends” or “they were both driving fast” and “had fun sowing the Citroën DS of protection“says the son of the third president of the Ve Republic. It was not until 2001, at the age of 88, that she decided to part with this “favorite object” and entrusted Alain with the task of doing so. To “keep it simple”, he decides to contact Porsche France.
A partly restored “presidential” 356
But despite its (only) 41,503 km, the vehicle is not fresh! It must be said, as reported by our colleagues from The team, that this 356 was once forgotten in the garage of the family country house. Moreover, the manufacturer is not very inclined to buy a copy to restore. It will take the persuasive force of automotive journalist Jacques Chevalier (ex-Le Figaro, now at Le Point) to highlight the historic potential of the car, reports Erik Bielderman, the journalist for the sports daily. 480 hours of work were needed for the body of this slate gray 356 to regain its early youth.. The interior in blond tobacco colored leatherette has remained in its original condition. As for the flat 4 cylinder 1,582 cm3 75 hp, it simply received maintenance operations from the Porsche Classic center in Levallois.
L% u2019history of @Porsche 356 of #Pompidou told on two pages by Alain the son of the presidential couple this Tuesday in @team @Porsche_France pic.twitter.com/I1sNFlMsaW
– erik bielderman (@erikbielderman) May 7, 2018
Exhibited at the Porsche Experience Center in Le Mans
For amateurs and the curious, know that the 356 of the Pompidou couple can be seen in the Porsche Experience Center, the brand’s piloting center located near the 24 hours of Le Mans circuit. Admission is free from Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Exceptionally, the center can be open on Saturdays.
Sources: Porsche and L’Equipe
