Pure France - Holiday rental homes and villas in France

Rent a 2cv and live a legend

An enterprising business near St Tropez rents immaculate Citroen 2CVs - Béret and Gauloises not compulsory

Red 2cvSometimes visiting France just isn’t enough. You want to go further, immerse yourself in Frenchness, splash it on all over.

In short, you wonder what it’s like to be French.

Why not start with a drive in the car that defined a nation - the Citroen 2CV?

Photo: Each car has a name, this is Coquelicot

Claudia Roulliaux has 12 years in the tourism industry and François Dupin has been working with cars for twice that time. Five years ago, they started Escapa Deuche, a company that rents out beautifully restored examples of the classic car.

Turquoise 2cv“La Deuche” is how the French fondly describe this national emblem. Escapa Deuche has 25 of them so far, all with names and each one a different colour.

They’re to be found at Sainte Maxime in the Bay of Saint-Tropez. The Côte d’Azur enjoys around 300 days’ sunshine annually and even winter temperatures can reach 19°C or so.

Photo: Caraibes poses beside the Bay of Saint Tropez


Grey 2cvClients are encouraged to choose the car which reflects their mood or personality. The 2CV isn't so much a car, more a way of life.

It's an opportunity to relax and calls for serenity at the wheel, an elbow out of the window and the roof rolled back - every car's a convertible in a canvas roof kind of way.

Photo: Marina shelters from the summer sun in the shade of a tree


Procession of Citroen 2CVEach car can hold up to four people so Escapa Deuche can accommodate groups of up to a hundred. It’s not unknown for them to service an entire wedding or anniversary party.

Some of the cars have become stars as they’re frequently in demand for film shoots, TV programmes, commercials and product launches.

Photo: Being party animals, Citroen 2CVs just love group bookings


On the road with a Citroen 2CV The design saw the light of day in 1937, although production didn’t start until 1948 due to several years of unpleasantness with the Germans.

Production continued until 1990 when modern emission regulations finally caught up with the Deuche. It was simply too expensive to re-engineer this classic to modern standards.

Photo: Every car is in immaculate condition, fully restored and rebulit from scratch


Citroen 2CVs on the roadDesigned for country people with a mission to cross a ploughed field without breaking eggs, the Deuche became a fashion statement.

Demi Moore had one in the film "Indecent Proposal". James Bond drove one in "For Your Eyes Only" which included an elaborate set piece car chase through an olive farm.

The béret and the Gauloises are no longer de rigeur but you can still be French for a day, or even a week, with a 2CV.

Perhaps leave out the car chase, though.


Escapa Deuche can be contacted at www.escapadeuche.com, contact@escapadeuche.com or 0033 (0)6 84 96 58 26. Individual bookings start at their base at 46 avenue Berthie Albrecht, 83120 SAINTE-MAXIME. For group bookings, they'll deliver a fleet of your choice to you. All images are copyright of Escapa Deuche and used here witheir permission. As usual, we include below a selection of Pure France homes in the vicinity of Sainte-Maxime.


Related links :



Pure France in the Media


The Media Pages
Articles in the National Press & Media...