From Escragnolles to Monaco: the contrasting car landscapes of the French Riviera

Brabus 800 Widestar (366.000€) in Monaco.

It’s been a while since our last South of France Photo Reports in 2012 and 2015, so time to freshen up. Away from the overcrowded beaches, some little-known villages in the Cannes hinterlands hide well-preserved local favourites like a Citroen 2CV here and a Renault 4 there, more than a few indefatigable four-wheel drives like the Landie and Toyota Land Cruiser, a constant flow of slick pickups that would feel at home in Outback Australia, and an unwavering obsession with the Dacia brand. A mere hour drive and Monaco flashes its Place du Casino holding year in, year out probably the highest concentration of über-luxury in the world: Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Brabus, Pagani… They are all here. You couldn’t design a better contrast if you wanted to.

Only 100km separate Escragnolles from Monaco, but their car landscapes couldn’t be more different. Villages visited were Escragnolles (population 617), Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey (3.666), Saint-Cézaire-sur-Siagne (3.997) and Cabris (1.346).

Citroen 2CV6 (1970) in Saint-Cézaire-sur-SiagneRenault 4 Savane (1986) in Cabris.Peugeot 204 (1965) in Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey. Peugeot 206 (1998) in Saint-Vallier-de-ThieyLand Rover Series III 88 (1971) in Escragnolles.Toyota Land Cruiser 40 (1973) in Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey.Lada Niva (1977) in Escragnolles. Toyota RAV4 (1994) in Saint-Cézaire-sur-Siagne.Land Rover Defender and Nissan Navara in Cabris.
Toyota Hilux in Saint-Cézaire-sur-SiagneDacia Duster II in Escragnolles.Dacia Duster I in Saint-Cézaire-sur-Siagne. Dacia Sandero in Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey.Smart Fortwo, Tesla Model S and Dacia Sandero in Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey.Dacia Dokker in Cabris.
Citroen C3 in Saint-Cézaire-sur-Siagne.Kia Stonic in Saint-Cézaire-sur-Siagne.Peugeot 107 in Cabris. Peugeot Partner in Cabris.Aston Martin DBS Superleggera (from 277.000€) in Monaco. Pagani Zonda F (609.000€) in Monaco.Bentley Bentayga (from 176.000€)BMW 7 Series M Sport (from 113.500€)Ferrari F40 (1.100.000 to 1.300.000€ at auction)Lamborghini Urus (from 216.000€)Rolls Royce Cullinan (from 330.000€) and Bentley Mulsanne (from 311.000€) 2 x Rolls Royce Phantom (from 415.000€)Bentley Dawn (from 343.000€) and Ferrari GTC4Lusso (from 230.000€)