We’ve never had a Dauphine before, and it surprised us with how much fun it is driving it (and how cute it looks!). It was bought in France in 2000 by enthusiasts we know and then regularly ridden and well maintained.

In 1961 it was delivered in the Loiret department. Monsieur regularly drove it, but after a few years that became less and less due to illness. Madame drove it only sporadically after the death of her husband. A young man from the neighborhood supported her. He got the car as a gift when the widow got too old to drive.

The man then tackled the Dauphine firmly. All technical parts that deserved it were given attention, the upholstery was repaired and the paint renewed appropriately. He drove it for a while, but found that he liked working on cars more. So he offered it for sale.

Our friends, traveling in France with a Panhard Dyna, saw the advertisement, decided to take a look and bought the car. During a later trip it was picked up in Villemandeur and taken to the Netherlands on its own wheels. There it received a Dutch registration and was further technically perfected. The nicely fitting third brake light was added later to increase visibility.

The Dauphine was sold from 1956 to 1967, a total of 2.15 million units. In addition, 74,000 copies rolled off the production line at Alfa Romeo. A more luxurious Ondine was available and a faster model, the Gordini.

In our engine compartment in the back runs a 4-cylinder 845cc engine, with 32 hp. The 3-speed gearbox helps it get going up to over 110 km/h. In theory, because in practice it has to work quite hard for that. It is most at ease on the smaller roads. Nice and purring, with a picnic basket in the front. Looking for a suitable spot for nostalgic roadside tourism.