After the lunar rover, the castle of Compiègne exhibits the bastardelle

A large time difference. After the presentation of the Venturi Flex Rover which will aluncate in 2026, the Castle of Compiègne exhibits the Bastardelle,, 19th century caruntil March 31.
Against the background of ancient engraving representing the Horizon line of Salon-de-Provence, the installers of this vehicle of which there are only dozen copies, take a thousand precautions.

Half an hour later this 1805 horse racing car found its place of honor. It is a so-called “travel” coupe, initial property of François-Raymond Chastel, exercising under the first empire the profession of Lyon merchant “of Indian”. These printed silks whose capital of Gaul has made a specialty.

As it should be, the car carries the figure of its owner on the doors and the shell before. Composed of a body mounted on a chassis where you can see the springs of springs that still bear the name of Boneberge, craftsman from Lyon, it has impressive 149cm wheels at the rear and 85cm at the front , mounted on a director axis.

Its general line class in the travel sedans category, but this bastardelle looks like a coupe. She welcomed two people on board and could be tackled up to four horses.

Practical to get to Beaucaire fairs

Its owner very much appreciated his bastardelle, very useful for going to the fairs of Beaucaire, a Provencal village located 250km from Lyon. This until 1830, the date on which the car changed its hand and joined the Chastel family which kept it preciously until 2006.
On June 11, 2006, La Bastardelle was put up for sale in Saumur, which allows André Becker to acquire it.

The National Museum of the Car of the Château de Compiègne bought in 2021 this horse -drawn vehicle, classified as a historic monument in 1982. The car benefited from a careful restoration by a team of French and British specialists.

Which allowed some discoveries. Like the painted decor affixed to the rolling gear and wheels. And in parallel to admire the interior of the car made up of quality old textiles whose state required a renovation.

The National Museum of the Car is therefore the third owner of this little wonder, which the public will be able to discover until March. “The restoration of this bastardelle enters our desire to restore its attraction and its prestige to the museum, which involves the renovation of the place and the pieces presented,” says Rodolphe Rapetti, director of museums at the Château de Compiègne and Blérancourt. This car is a perfect illustration of this. ”