Francophile reminisces about family memories in Citroen
Guillaume Bienaime is the owner-operator of Zola Restaurant in Palo Alto. He lives in Menlo Park and loves spending weekends with his 6-year-old son Jeffery.
Despite what most might assume when glancing at me as I chug along in my 1967 powder blue Citroen Dyane Truckette, I am not a gearhead. I did not grow up rebuilding engines in an old garage with my father. I did, however, grow up French. I was birthed from French parents, uttering my first words en Français and spending the first two years of my life outside of Paris.
Today I still remain true to my roots. I have an affinity for French wine, I enjoy eating copious amounts of cheese and I have spent my adult life pursuing French cooking.
Now that I own a Citroen, my checklist for members of the Francophile club is complete.
Just because I did not grow up obsessed with antique cars doesn’t mean that I have no personal history tied to this automobile. In fact, with little effort I can close my eyes and summon memories of driving through the French countryside in my grandfather’s metallic gray Citroen during holiday visits.
As fondly as I regard those snippets of my childhood, I was plagued with carsickness due to its poor suspension. This did not, however, dampen my fondness for the Dyane.
So when my mother randomly sent me an ad for a Dyane Truckette for sale in my area, it seemed fated to be mine.
Unbeknownst to her, I had been eyeing a Citroen 2CV that makes its way around Palo Alto for some time. I suppose it could be chalked up to a mother’s intuition, but regardless of what compelled her I didn’t hesitate to call the seller.
With barely a consideration, I drove into San Francisco the next day to see the Dyane. I did some meager negotiating and settled on a reasonable price, throwing in a meal at my restaurant, Zola, for good measure.
The Dyane’s history is rooted in practicality and functionality. Many people mistake it for an Acadiane, but those were not produced until the 1970s. However, the resemblance is undeniable and despite the registration’s claim, I plan to investigate deeper as I have my own suspicions about her history.
Nevertheless, The Dyane runs on 29 horsepower and has a rebuilt engine, a chassis in good condition with no rust and an original interior.
The drive back home along Highway 280 was smooth and simple. I’d like to say that she purrs like a kitten, but she sounds more like a dog with a chest cold. This, of course, adds to her character.
Besides the novelty of owning the Dyane, the purchase was also motivated by the restaurant proprietor in me who plans to put a Zola decal on it and use it for marketing around town. After all, what better way to promote your rustic and homey French restaurant than with a rustic and iconic French car?
Having owned the Dyane for a few months now, I realize the true beauty of the Citroen.
She is without bells and whistles. There is no radio or GPS, no Bluetooth and no charging port. She is stripped down and uncomplicated, leaving you with no other choice but to focus on driving and the road ahead. Driving her is like taking a forced step back in time to when the task at hand was the only task.
Today, my only qualm with the Dyane is that my 6-year-old son cannot ride in it yet, as she has no backseat. For now I relish watching him play pretend in the driveway, and I look forward to the day we can take the Dyane out for our first ride together. Or perhaps my mother will forward me another ad for an old French car...