Vintage Cars…

 

Here are new stamps issued by French Polynesia on Vintage cars . It’s a good set of stamps for those collecting stamps on automobiles or vintage  cars. “Vintage Car” is a popular theme among young collectors.

The Post of French Polynesia issued a set of two stamps dedicated to vintage cars – the Ford T model and the Citroën “Traction Avant”. It was on the 1st of October 1908, in Detroit, United States, that the Ford T was launched on the market, for a price of 850 dollars of the time.

Nicknamed “Tin Lizzie”, it marked the start of mass production and was produced in 16,482,040 copies.

Voted 20th Century Best Car after an international survey, the Ford T was proposed in roadster, coupé, station-wagon, sedan and pick-up versions. The following sentence is often attributed to Ford: “People can have the Model T in any color – so long as it’s black”. In reality, T’s in various colours were produced between 1908 and 1914, then in 1926 and 1927.

A Ford T model has existed in the Tuamotu, more precisely in Fangatau. In March 1981, its owner drove to the air field in order to welcome the first plane arriving from Hao. On the tarmac, two symbols of progress were side by side that day during the stopover.

The “Traction Avant” produced by the famous French car manufacturer Citroën, was born in 1934 in the works of Javel quays in Paris. Nicknamed “the Queen of the Road”, it boasted exceptional driving properties for the time, combining front-wheel drive, a monocoque platform, hydraulic brakes and independent suspension. The first model was presented at Place de l’Europe, in Paris, on 18 April 1934. It was first available in its sedan version, featuring a modern and aerodynamic profile. It soon was upgraded by integrating more powerful engines.

The “Traction” was imported into Tahiti, of course, but while a few models were still on  roads in the early 1980s, they now have completely disappeared.