2026 French Car Show Sydney

Today was the annual French car show.  The event was traditionally held around bastille day in July at Silverwater Park.  However, like the issues with the German Car show at Gough Whitlam park, the council would cancel the event at the first sign of moisture.

Last year they moved it to September.  I didn’t attend as it was on the same day as the British car show, which I had already committed to attend.  This year it was on the same day as the ACT German car show I usually go to.  But I hadn’t bought a ticket yet, so I decided to go to the French Car show instead.  The last time I had been able to attend was 2018.   Between COVID19 and a job that required travel mid July, I have missed the rest of them.

The day turned out to be very warm for mid September, and a good day for a car show.  I still probably prefer the July date as I no longer have that travel commitment and September is so busy for car shows already.  For example, I know the Porsche show was on today too.

I took my Citroen DS.  My DS currently needs a new water pump, but the leak is small enough that a drive to Silverwater and back isn’t a big deal. There were a decent number of DS, although I think I was the only one with the hydraulic gearbox.   As usual there were the main sections for Citroen, Peugeot and Renault.  There were less of the smaller manufacturers including Bugatti, Simca, Delahaye etc.  Numbers seemed down from prior years, probably because of the changes.

There were some really nice cars on display.  The standout cars in the Citroen section was the Decapotable (the only one sold new in Australia), a lovely D Special (white with gold cloth interior), A grey safari and a CX turbo wagon.   There was even a 1953 Traction Avant that was almost identical to the one I used to own.  Same colour, built in Slough, the same big boot and late circular gauges like mine.  My car went to Queensland.    Outside the Citroen section, my favourite was The Peugeot 504 Coupe.

While numbers were down, the variety of the cars was pretty good, and there were good examples of all the main models you would want to see.  They had it set up so the cars to be judged were at one end and the cars on display were at the other.  I understand why that is, but I think it would have been better to have the similar models parked together.

After so many years away, I enjoyed being back at the French car show.  I can make it again next year.