That’s an impressive title for a small but perfectly-formed show. Filling just two halls of the Arras Parc des Expositions, this event is nevertheless an abject lesson to many other organisers as to how to run a successful event. The one-day show, organised by Club Ravera/6A in this northern French city attracts a variety of exhibits both in the well laid-out indoor area and to the 500-space car park reserved for vehicles 30 years-old and more.

With an entry fee of just €4.00 and one of the halls given over to a well-stocked autojumble, the show is busy all day, with visitors ranging from restorers looking for that elsusive part, to local families enjoying a day out. Arras’ location attracts visitors from a wide area too, with some from afar as Belgium and even Britain. A group from the TR Register Kent Section were enjoying what has become an annual pilgrimage, their line-up of TR’s occupying a prominent position in the car park.

The indoor display included an eclectic array of machinery with examples of Citroen, Facel, Panhard, Peugeot and Renault inevitably to the fore, but other French makes were there too, such as a Matra 530A and a tiny 125cc Rolux; from the other extreme was a Renault-badged Rambler Ambassador from the period when Renault owned the US brand. Equally unusual was the Suncar Arpege, which could only have been a 1970’s kit car, complete with a suspiciously period BL-like chocolate brown paint job. Oldest of all the home-built cars was a 1910 De Dion Bouton.

Elsewhere, one of the more unusual exhibits was a 1969 Innocenti S 950 two-seater sports car. This diminutive machine, presumably BMC-powered, even looked tiny alongside a Honda S800! Sporting machinery of a slightly earlier era was provided by a group of ‘fifties Sunbeam-Talbot’s from England, together with a gorgeous white MG TD. Rather more upright were a pair of pre-war Austin’s, a 1928 20/6 and a later Chalfont dating from 1937, also having made the trip across the la Manche, as had a BSA Scout.

There really was the full spectrum to be found in the outside area – lots of 2CV’s and Traction Citroen’s of course, but also rarer items such as CG and DB sportscars. Or how about a Renault 4 Gordini? There were competition cars too, including a Peugeot 304 Coupe and Renault 11 as well as Alpine-Renault. Aside from the home produce other rarities included an Auto Union estate car and a trailered but reasonably solid-looking drop-top 1947 Hillman Minx ready for restoration.

This event is certainly well worth a look, especially if you after parts to restore a French classic. Keep an eye on the organisers’ website, www.ravera-6a.fr, for news of next years’ 35th event.