The Club
Introduction
PASSIONATE PEOPLE ABOVE ALL
In 1973 four old car collectors, fanatics of the Hotchkiss brand decided to create a club to gather all the lovers of the famous cars of Saint Denis.
To date, the Club has more than 300 members in France, but also in ten foreign countries.So it’s an international club.
The Club is administered by a Board of Directors of 12 members elected by the Annual General Meeting. Regional offices act as a liaison between the members and the Board of Directors. Four branches also represent the Club abroad, located in Germany, Switzerland, Great Britain and the United States.
The main mission of the Club is, of course, to constantly promote the Hotchkiss brand, to gather as much historical information as possible, to gather ever more important technical documentation. L'objectif à long terme est de recenser les automobiles encore existantes. Club members own about 1000 vehicles.
HOTCHKISS CLUB IS A MEMBER :
- Of the French Federation of Vintage Vehicles under number 86.
- Of the Association of Brand Clubs. A technical service composed of several specialists who endeavour to respond to inquiries concerning the restoration, maintenance, origins or history of a car. It can also be used as advice for buying or selling a Hotchkiss.
OUR SERVICES :
Spare Parts Department reserved for members of the Club, allows to obtain a certain number of new parts refabricated, as well as used parts.
A store where different items are offered.
(jackets, sweaters, shirts, calender patches, buttonhole badges, technical or maintenance doc, miscellaneous documentation…)
Publications. Three times a year, a newsletter is sent to our members. It’s called the "Juste Milieu". This publication is undoubtedly one of the most successful among the various newsletters produced by the Old Car Clubs.
In each edition, more than 40 pages, richly illustrated, deal with multiple subjects. Historical topics, technical headings, reports on activities such as rallies, anecdotal texts, classifieds… In short the life of the brand, the life of the Club. Special numbers are also realized (already published : Spécial Anjou, spécial centenaire) etc...
Finally, books on the brand have been published : Hotchkiss - Petit Dictionnaire Du Juste Milieu, Hotchkiss 1935-1955 - l'Age Classique, Camions Hotchkiss l'Héritage utilitaire, Grégoire une aventure Hotchkiss...
The General Assembly, in February, the first Saturday of Retromobile (Paris), takes stock of activities, finances, projects for the year…
A presence at Rétromobile. Every year, the Club is present at this world show of the vintage car. On an important stand, one or more original cars of the brand are exhibited. This is an opportunity to forge many ties and a privileged meeting place for all members of the Club and their friends.
Every year, the Club organizes a large National Rally. The chosen region changes every year : 1990 Bretagne, 1991 Bourgogne-Beaujolais, 1992 l'Alsace, 1993 Dauphiné, 1994 Périgord, 1995 Savoie-Italie-Suisse, 1996 Lubéron, 1997 Flandres, 1998 Vichy, 1999 le Mans, 2000 Quercy, 2001 Vosges du Nord, 2002 Monaco in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the first of Hotchkiss’s 6 victories at the Monte Carlo Rally, 2003 Île de France. En 2004,the Club has gathered more than one hundred vehicles in the Lyon region on the occasion of the centenary of the automotive branch of Hotchkiss, 2005 Albi, 2006 Poitou, 2007 Normandie, 2008 35th anniversary of the club in Burgundy, 2009 Auvergne, 2010 Gorges du Tarn, 2011 Vosges du Sud, 2012 Berry, 2013 40th anniversary of the club in Touraine and Anjou, 2014 Paris-Nice commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Hotchkiss victory, 2015 Limousin, 2016 Mâconnais, 2017 Lorraine, 2018 Jura. In 2019 rendez-vous in the Gers.
A monthly dinner is organized at the Restaurant "Chez Françoise", Aérogare des Invalides, 2 rue Fabert 75007 Paris (valet parking), ten times a year, every third Wednesday of the month (except July and August). It allows members of the Paris region to find themselves there, but it also allows members of the province and abroad, when they visit the capital, to come "and speak about Hotchkiss".
And it’s very important, a Spirit Club.
The list of services provided by the Club is obviously not exhaustive. The objective is to always do more, to always do better!