It is one of the essentials of Retromobile 2022: the stand of the National Gendarmerie Museum exhibits part of its collection. From the BRI’s Alpine A310 V6 to the mythical Renault Estafette, these unique pieces are rarely shown to the general public.
It’s a first. The National Gendarmerie Museum exhibits no less than 11 vehicles from its collection at Rétromobile over more than 400 m2. Usually kept out of sight, this sample of the more than 80 vehicles in the fleet can be found in Hall 7.3 at stand F 041.
>> The Gendarmerie vehicles at Rétromobile in pictures <<
BRI must-haves…
The stars of the collection, these are certainly the cars of the Rapid Intervention Brigade (BRI). The oldest exhibited is one of the three Matra Djet 5S delivered to the Gendarmerie. The small French coupe traveled the highways between 1966 and 1967. It was the very first rapid intervention vehicle. The Matra was quickly shelved by law enforcement due to its tricky behavior at high speeds.
Alas, you won’t find the one that replaced it, the mythical A110 berlinetta, in this exhibition: the museum doesn’t have any copies. On the other hand, fans of cars with the A arrow can rejoice in the presence of an A310 V6. The sportswoman from Dieppe was used for 14 years between 1974 and 1987, the longest career in the history of the BRI. Finally, to close this BRI chapter, you can also admire a Renault Mégane RS with a 275 hp 2.0 turbo block. The compact Diamond is still used today and will soon be supported by the new Alpine A110.
TO READ. Rapid Intervention Brigade: legendary vehicles to rediscover!
…to the classic Estafette and 203 Break
The Gendarmerie’s emblematic vehicle, the Renault Estafette has been declined in many versions: “Alouette” minibus that can accommodate eight officers, transport of detainees (the famous salad baskets), mobile exhaust smoke control station or even radio transmission. The mythical van was used for more than twenty years by law enforcement.
Delivered from the beginning of the 1950s, the Peugeot 203 Break was also part of the ranks of the Gendarmerie. It is even the first five-door vehicle that she has used. Depending on the configuration, between five and six people could take place on board. At the rear, an operator was dedicated to the use of the radio set. But the stand is not only occupied by automobiles. Motorcycles, a snowmobile and even an Alouette helicopter are sure to catch the eye of young and old alike.
