The Story of the 1949 Simca Fanfani “Barquette” (Roadster)
Philippe and Dagny Fanfani, among friends and family, reunited with his father’s old race car— a 1949 Simca Fanfani Roadster, in Mimbaste, France
Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 28mm f/1.5
The History of the 1949 Blue Simca Fanfani Roadster and a Reunion 75 Years Later
The highlight of our 2024 Europe trip was a “race car reunion” in Mimbaste in Southern France.
Everyone gathered in Mimbaste had a connection to the old 1949 Simca Fanfani Roadster pictured above—a car designed and built by Norbert Fanfani, the father of our dear friend Philippe Fanfani.
We felt privileged to have been invited along and enjoyed every second of this adventure.
Before I chime again with a few comments at the bottom of this post, I will leave the word to Philippe as he takes us through the history, rediscovery, and restoration of the Simca Fanfani roadster, and the reunion in Mimbaste, France.
Norbert Fanfani, 1949 Simca Fanfani “Barquette” (Roadster)
By: Philippe Fanfani
Racing Days
The years following WW2 saw a renewed interest in motor sports in France (as in several other countries), but during that rebuilding period, resources were limited and sometimes non-existent.
In the world of car racing, ingenuity became the new weapon and an opportunity for some car racing enthusiasts to live their dream.
For Norbert Fanfani (1912-1976), an Italian emigrant, it became a call too strong to resist. In 1948, at age 36, he was the owner of the MacDonald’s Garage (in Paris, 19th district), but his passion was motor sports and car racing.
With the assistance of Louis Cousseau (one of his employees), a talented mechanic, and Roger Vaudevire, a gifted auto body professional, he designed and built the Simca Fanfani “barquette” (Roadster), using mostly stock Simca parts.
Norbert Fanfani racing his 1949 Simca Fanfani “Barquette” (Roadster)
The engine was a Simca 8 with in-line 4 cylinders, 1086 cc fed by two carburetors (Solex). The frame came from a Simca 5, all in an aluminum body. The total weight approached 550 kg, with a top speed of 140-150 km/hour.
One of the most famous races Norbert Fanfani entered was in 1949 at the Bol d’Or, which took place in Linas-Montlhery (a racetrack south of Paris). It was a gruelling 24-hour endurance race for the machines, not to mention for the pilots racing solo.
In 1952, the Simca Fanfani prototype was sold to Mr. Koehl (also a race car driver) only to be bought back by Norbert Fanfani in 1960 and displayed at his MacDonald’s garage showroom until 1964.
Lionel Cousseau picks up Dagny and Philippe Fanfani in his 1962 Simca Aronde for the reunion in Mimaste, France
Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2
Phoenix
Dr. Michel Delest, a resident of Saint Paul les Dax (Southern France), was an avid car collector. When he received a tip from one of his patients regarding an abandoned 1940s race car, there was little hesitation to go and investigate.
What Michel discovered in a barn near Chartres (a city near Paris) was a bit of a shock. It was the remains of a Simca race car prototype from the 1940s.
The engine was incomplete, the wheels salvaged, and the body damaged, plus the gear box, seats, and instruments were missing. He bought the car knowing he faced an enormous challenge with the restoration; however, as a car collector, it was a challenge he was more than willing to embark upon.
Restoration of the 1949 Simca Fanfani Roadster in Southern France
His first action was to try to collect as much information as possible. Using the ads section in La vie de l’Auto, Octobre 1998 (a collector’s magazine), he was contacted by Lionel Cousseau, the grandson of the mechanic who was part of the team that constructed the 1949 Simca Fanfani.
Mr. Cousseau, who surprisingly lived only a few miles away, provided him with information regarding the car's history and a multitude of photos.
Through a phenomenal investigation and with the help of very talented local craftsmen, Doctor Delest finally completed his project seven years after the original discovery.
In 2018, Dr. Michel Delest agreed to sell the car to Lionel Cousseau, for whom the 1949 Simca Fanfani was more than a vintage car; it was a family legacy.
First look
Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 28mm f/1.5
Full Circle
In 2019, Philippe and Dagny Fanfani had dinner with their friends Dawn and Garth. During the evening, they looked at old family pictures Philippe had brought back from France after his mom passed away in 2011.
Among the photos were black-and-white images of Philippe’s Dad, Norbert, driving a race car. Philippe remembered seeing the pictures growing up, but never paid much attention at the time.
Dawn was intrigued and, through online research, discovered a car that looked very much like the car in the pictures. It was at the Automedon Vintage car show in 2015 (Le Bourget, near Paris). The name of the owner was also mentioned: Lionel Cousseau.
Philippe is inspecting the blue Simca Fanfani for the first time
Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 28mm f/1.5
Philippe contacted Mr. Cousseau and discovered he was the grandson of the mechanic who took part in building the Simca Fanfani. They both agreed a meeting had to be organized, but Cousseau lived in the South of France and Fanfani in British Columbia, Canada.
After four years of planning and delays, on June 23rd, 2024, Cousseau and Fanfani met. With friends and family in attendance, the day was spent with rides in the Simca Fanfani, along with lunch and Champagne to mark the occasion.
Even though they were strangers, the meeting felt like a family reunion. They met again in October of the same year at the Centennial of the Linas-Montlhery racetrack. Cousseau had been invited to display the car that entered that race in 1949.
Thanks to Philippe for contributing this invaluable insight to this post. I have a few comments and more photos below.
Philippe is sharing photos and news articles about the Simca Fanfani
Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 28mm f/1.5
Coffee and cars. Lionel and Philippe, in Mimbaste for the reunion
Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 28mm f/1.5
Lionel’s 1962 Simca Aronde on a winding country road in Southern France, on our way to the reunion
Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2
Dr. Michel Delest is telling the story about restoring the 1949 Fanfani Simca Roaster
Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 28mm f/1.5
Lionel Cousseau and Philippe Fanfani in the blue 1949 Simca Fanfani Roadster, Southern France
Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2
Philippe behind the wheel of his father's 1949 Simca Fanfani Roadster
Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2
Lifelong friends Dominique and Philippe in Mimbaste for the car reunion
Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 28mm f/1.5
A perfect setting for the reunion in Southern France
Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2
The reunion hosted by Lionel and Josette Cousseau in Mimbaste, France
Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 28mm f/1.5
Le bleue 35
Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2
The Finish Line
This wraps the initial story of the 1949 Simca Fanfani and the reunion in Mimbaste, but there is more.
Over an exquisite lunch, we learned that Lionel would take the Simca Fanfani roadster back to the Linas-Montlhery racetrack, south of Paris, for the Centennial racing event in October.
Before the lunch was finished, it was decided that Philippe should go, and then, of course, they would need a photographer, so I should go :)
As it happened, Philippe, Dominique, and I did go to the Linas-Montlhery race track in October, where we met Lional again and saw the Simca Fanfani on the track. Stay tuned for more on this in an upcoming post.
Diana and I want to thank Lionel and Josette Cousseau for the incredible hospitality in Mimbaste, Dagny, and Philippe for including us in this marvelous adventure. It also allowed us to hang out with Dominique and Cathrine for a few days, which we always appreciate.
We will have more upcoming posts from Mimbaste, including an adventurous bull run and a community “moules-frites” dinner. Magnifique!
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The photos in this article are made using a Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton Vintage Line 28mm f/1.5 and Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2 lenses (links to my camera and lens reviews).
