Have you ever come across a “Christmas car”? Although the practice is not very common, it seems to be gaining more and more followers in France.
New “Santa’s sleighs” to which France 3 Champagne-Ardenne recently dedicated a report. Several drivers explain that they have taken the initiative to decorate their car, like a tree, covering it in particular with electric garlands.
“All the doors open, even at 130 km/h it doesn’t move, on the road it holds up,” testifies Thomas, owner of a Golf GTI and who says he was inspired by videos seen on Tiktok.
A fashion that is gaining more and more followers
Same source of inspiration for Mathias, alias mts_mk6.gti on Instagram, interviewed by BFMTV and who also made his Golf GTI shine. In total, the young man installed about 140 meters of garlands on his vehicle and about ten meters inside.
“The idea is to make a path so that it is harmonious and that the garlands do not cross, it is quite a headache, but in eight hours it was done,” he explains.
At first he was not very convinced, since he takes care of his car every day and is afraid of getting scratches or even duct tape marks, but it was a friend who convinced him to take action. A way to share the Christmas spirit on the roads and car parks of Troyes (Aube) and its surroundings.
In addition to the garlands, Thimy even added a tree to the roof of his vehicle. The installation of this exterior and interior decoration took a total of 19 hours.
The reward? The astonished looks of passers-by, as well as many questions about these original installations.
“We live in a somewhat difficult world, it gives a little joy and happiness especially when we see the reaction of the children or even the parents, everyone takes photos,” says Sébastien, who had already decorated his vehicle last year. .
Some creations take the concept very far. Professional cameraman Victor Jennes, also known as ledriviste on Instagram, decorated a Maybach S680 for almost 300,000 euros. In the program of his dedicated publications, a make-of of his installation before taking a short trip through the streets of Paris.
And sometimes, several decorated cars come together. Last weekend in Annecy (Haute Savoie) a rally was even organized, with an Audi TT, a Ford Mustang and even the unlicensed car of the Vilebrequin YouTubers in the convoy.
A second event of the same style would still be planned in Annecy this Saturday, December 21.
Meetings organized in certain cities
Beyond the spontaneous initiatives of some motorists, some cities organize Christmas car parades. This happened in Ploërmel (Morbihan) at the beginning of December, within the framework of the celebrations organized by the municipality.
In Côtes-d’Armor, the local classic vehicle association Belles et Bielles d’Armor, for its part, organized the election of the most beautiful illuminated car, after a parade that passed through several cities.
In Orange (Vaucluse), an event of the same type is also planned for this Saturday, December 21, “as in previous years”, notes an article in the Dauphiné Libéré. In total, fifty cars and some mopeds will participate in this parade.
“We have reached the limit number set by the prefecture, but we could have had many more,” a member of the organization confesses to the newspaper.
Finally, in Rouans (Loire-Atlantique), a Christmas tractor parade will also be held this Saturday, December 21, reports Ouest France.
A practice that remains prohibited
Apart from these events organized and therefore declared by the prefecture, decorating your car like a Christmas tree is still prohibited when driving on open roads. Some police or gendarmes can, however, show a certain tolerance, as we can also see in one of the videos published by ledriviste on Instagram.
As Road Safety confirmed to us, the problem lies especially in the lighting of the vehicles, which is strictly regulated by the Highway Code. The recent decree to reinforce the visibility of cyclists and scooters was precisely intended to establish precise standards for these machines, as well as for cars, and to avoid an escalation of lighting, especially in the context of Christmas.
In particular, there is a color code to respect, with white lighting at the front, red at the rear and orange turn signals. Logically, Christmas lights could disturb other road users.
The risk of an object or garland becoming loose may also be considered a hazard. For example, a garland can get caught in the wheels of a motorcycle, with dramatic consequences.
Source: BFM TV
