Character on the Streets of Paris
Capturing life in Paris - one car at a time.
My father bought a rusty old British sports car about the same time I was born, and he spent the rest of his life tinkering with it and restoring it to its original beauty. It was a passion project and a hobby and something (I think) he used as a distraction and escape. Everyone needs a distraction and an escape.
I adored that car and loved the precious time we escaped to play with it together. A few of those moments were on the road, but most of the time it sat parked in his garage. Or on cinder blocks in the yard, much to the chagrin of the neighbors.
As a result of this exposure to an automobile so impractical and magical, I have developed a very real passion for unique cars. Some people like shiny new racers, others prefer classics with patina. My “thing” is cars with character. It doesn’t matter if they’re worth a college tuition or month’s rent, as long as they have something unique, charming, and memorable, I’m in love.
The other “thing” I like is when cars are used. That’s what they’re for, right? I distinctly remember my dad not using the car for fear of parking it somewhere someone would scratch it. So more often than not he left it at home. I don’t blame him at all, but a part of me is sad that he didn’t let himself enjoy the thing while he was around. Instead, now some other lucky soul who bought it after he passed gets to bump around with his kids and complain about the dings he received at the local market!
There’s an interesting thing about cars in Paris. Perhaps it’s the weather (considerably milder than Boston) or maybe it’s just the “old world” mentality, but here people use their cars.
Two months into my year long sabbatical in Paris, I have seen dozens of cars with character putt-putting around and parked on the tiny streets of this city. In the United States, you may see a classic car at a lawn concourse on a Sunday in September; in Paris they park them year-round on the street alongside the bikes, motorcycles, mopeds and more.
I’ve started a collection of these “cars with character” on Instagram and published them on a page I’m calling “Central.Parked” - take a look!
You’ll see polished Bugattis and rusty MGBs and quite literally everything in between. I haven’t discriminated against dents or dings or pedigree. The only requirements are that they’re in use and unique in their own right.