Unique vintage cars gather in Saigon

Classic cars such as Citroen 2CV, MG MGB roadster version or La Dalat, cars with Vietnamese brands gathered last weekend in Saigon.

This is a reunion between French 'friends' and members of the Saigon Classic Car Club. Not as flashy as supercars, classic cars have a special appeal to many people. Especially La Dalat, a memory of a time when cars carried the Vietnamese brand.

La Dalat vintage cars.

Of the 7 cars that appeared at the meeting, 5 La Dalat cars were owned by French people living and working in Vietnam.from members of Saigon Classic Car Club,They collected and established La Dalat Association to exchangekNot only is he attached to the S-shaped strip of land because of the time he spent here, but also because of the story of a past relationship. The result is a car model that still remains in the memory of many people as a beautiful anecdote.

In the 1960s, La Dalat, a joint venture between French carmaker Citroen and Saigon Automobile Company, began rolling off the assembly line in Vietnam. Local workers and French engineers assembled the cars, with most of the components imported. Later, the localization rate increased, with some simple details such as lights, glass, and roofs produced in Vietnam.

Vehicles using engines4-stroke, 2-cylinder, 600cc capacity, 31 horsepower and 4-speed manual transmission. TThe simple design that emphasized practicality quickly won the hearts of many people. But the French did not only leave their mark with La Dalat, another iconic car model that also appeared in Vietnam at that time,Citroen 2CV.

The Citroen 2CV appeared in Saigon with a distinctive "toad" shape with a roof curved from front to back. This is the product conceived by pVice President Pierre Boulanger since 1930. The aim was to create a popular car model equipped with a 2-cylinder engine, affordable, durable, and with few breakdowns for the French.

The red Citroen 2CV in Saigon.

In 1948, Citroen began mass production of the 2CV in an effort to restore the country after World War II. Along with the Volkswagen Beetle and the Ford Model T, the Citroen 2CV is one of the iconic models in the history of the world automobile industry.

By the time production ceased in 1989 in France, over 3 million 2CVs, not counting other variants, had been produced worldwide. The design of this model also inspired the birth of the Citroen Mehari, the predecessor of La Dalat.

Also present in the weekend classic car lineup is the MG MGB roadster version, a British sports car produced in the 1960s.

In Vietnam, MG(Morris Garage) is a rather unfamiliar name. No longer in existence, but in the past (1963-1980), MGB made a significant impression on two-door sports car enthusiasts in the UK. Even in the US, it was this version, not the older MG TC that appeared during World War II, that captured the hearts of enthusiasts.

With its elegant yet masculine design and 94-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, the MGB conquered many young Americans at that time. The success of this two-door sports car was such that when talking about MG, we must mention the MGB.

According to VNE