Motul, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Communication and the Cité de l’Automobile de Mulhouse, has chosen Rétromobile 2013 to present to the general public the first acquisition, for the national collections, of a French set of cars recognised as having 'major heritage interest':
Four vehicles and unique archives of the genius French automaker, Germain Lambert.
A reckless, visionary Frenchman too far ahead of his times, an accursed, short-tempered artist -
that in a nutshell is Germain Lambert (1903 – 1983) - a mechanic, garage owner, car dealer, racing driver and artisan automaker by trade.
Obsessed by suspension with independent wheels, front-wheel drive and safety, Germain Lambert very soon developed a highly personal vision of car making.
His life was to lead him from short-lived successes to dashed hopes, but was spangled with most beautiful creative works, which undeniably have their place in the history of French automaking.
On the initiative of Rodolphe Rapetti, head curator of cultural heritage, with the backing of the Museums of France Department at the Directorate-General for Heritage (Ministry of Culture), and thanks to the decisive mobilisation of the company Motul, the first French set of cars, recognised as having 'major heritage interest', to enter the national collections, is therefore unsurprisingly part of the Germain Lambert collection. It's the Advisory Committee for National Treasures which decides what has 'major heritage interest'. Since 2003, advantageous tax arrangements for companies contributing to the acquisition of such treasures have allowed 45 patronage operations to take place. This is the first time the acquisition relates to the preservation of the French car heritage.
Because Germain Lambert belongs to the complex and captivating realm of small-scale automakers of the between the war years whose widely creative imagination made automaking an art in its own right, the car industry and culture players have come together around one and the same project to reflect a period when you could be an artisan without forsaking your pioneer spirit, excellence and the technical innovation which made the French auto industry the world's first.
The 'Germain Lambert, four exceptional vehicles enter the Cité de l’Automobile de Mulhouse ' exhibition takes place at the Salon Rétromobile from 6 to 10 February – Porte de Versailles - Pavillon 3 – Allée B - Stand B102 – 'Open bonnet' presentations with volunteers from the FFVE, partnered by Motul.
Photo credits: S. Cordey
