Living in France I now get to see a range of cars we did not normally see in the UK. A lot of French cars are quite low powered and slow but the roads over here 50 years ago and even now are single track and very twisty. I spend a lot of the time driving at 50km/h.
Peugeot 302 was produced 1936-38 with a 1700cc engine producing 43PS and a top speed of 105km/h
Panhard 24 produced 1964-67 with a 850cc engine producing around 50hp. It was the last Panhard produced before the company turned to only military vehicle production.
Simca 5 produced 1936-48 and was a Fiat design made in France. 570cc only but very economical at 51mpg.
The Citreon SM. Designed to take a 2.7l Maserati engine (restricted capacity due to tax rules at the time), this car was fast, comfortable, economical (22mpg) and easy to drive due to power steering. That is, compared to other makes of the time like a Jenson Interceptor or E-Type Jaguar.
Citreon Traction Avant 1934-57 was world leading in the 1930s with front wheel drive, monocoque body construction and all round independent suspension
Seeing all those photographs of those well conserved and maintained vehicles is a free instant time travel journey! The first car that I've drove, when I got my license, was my mother's Mini Morris 1000 Mark IV... I still feel goosebumps when I cross with one in the road! Everything seemed so fast and "nervous" in the back of the steering wheel!
I thing the maximum speed that I achieved (in straight line, and with favorable conditions (weather and almost "desert road") was 130 km/h! Crazy, right? 😅