Rockville 2026 – A Chance to Engage Young and Old on Classic Citroëns

By Peter Kristensen….

Seeing, touching, and talking about old cars, another perfect day at the Rockville Antique and Classic Car Show. Once again, DC-Area Citroënistes gathered to display their cars at this annual event at the sweeping Glenview Mansion in Rockville, Maryland, and introduce visitors to Citroën’s remarkable technical innovations and beautiful designs.

Organized by the city of Rockville, the event showcased more than 500 classic and antique vehicles from model year 2001 or earlier. The 33 participating car clubs represent marques from all over the world.

The French cars at the show, in my view, have the best spot of the show field overlooking the valley and surrounding woody setting and the live-music stage.

At the show, visitors lingered around our classic Citroëns, captivated by cars that still seem to belong to the future. They trace the sweeping lines with their eyes, peer inside, and gather to hear how the hydraulic systems work, discovering ingenuity beneath the unconventional shapes. The draw is their contrast: sophisticated technology paired with a simplicity of purpose, each daring idea serving comfort, practicality, or the pleasure of driving.

For us Citroënistes, the show is an ideal chance to combine our love of elegant automobiles with a leisurely French picnic. Crusty baguettes, creamy cheese, sweet grapes, and a little wine made a delightful spread as we admired the cars’ distinctive curves and clever details. Between bites and conversations, we shared our cars’ history, charming design, and technical brilliance with visitors.

The following French cars were on display (see photo gallery):

• 1965 Citroën ID19F Wagon Luxe (Peter Kristensen). Known as Big Blue, this car was featured in Citroënvie in a detailed account of the ownership and restoration of this U.S.-spec car. This was its first showing after a year bringing it back to life after sitting still for 25 years.

• 1967 Citroën DS 21 (Henry GGR). Named Justine, this car was put together with parts from several cars and appeared in the short film “Justine – la Déesse Endormie” about what happens when one awakens such a goddess.

• 1968 Citroën Ami 4 Break (William King). This wagon version of the unusual looking Ami sedan blends Flaminio Bertoni’s quirky, avant-garde design with everyday practicality.

• 1968 Citroën Dyane 6 (Stephen Brown). This early example remains “dans son jus” and is recognizable by its lack of a custode window. The Dyane was designed as a more modern, practical evolution of the iconic Citroën 2CV, using the same mechanical platform.

• 1972 Peugeot 204 Coupé (Boaz Green). This was the first time we saw Boaz’s Peugeot 204. What a sweet little coupé it is, and behind it is a great story of how and why he acquired it (see below).

• 1972 Citroën SM (Brian Peters). Restored by the legendary Jerry Hathaway at SM World in Los Angeles, CA, the car features matching Louis Vuitton bags purchased in the 1970’s in the trunk and the rare Continental Edison radio. This car has earned multiple awards over the years, including at Citroën at Carlisle and the East Coast Citroën Rendezvous.

• 1973 Citroën DS 20 (Bruce Logan). Just back from carburetor replacement and timing adjustments, as always, Bruce spent days on a spotless cleaning inside and out for us all to enjoy.

• 1974 Citroën CX 2000 (Paul Anderson). This immaculate car retains its original paint and interior and has less than 50,000 original kilometers. Paul, who owns Brad Nauss Automotive, specializing in Citroën parts enjoys the pure very first design of the CX. As a new CX owner, Paul now fully appreciates the qualities and driving characteristics of the CX—a worthy successor to the iconic D Series. Earlier this year, his car won the Preservation Class at Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance. 

• 1973 Alpine A110 (Jim Gordon). This car is a Spanish-built 1300 that Jim rebuilt to a factory mechanically correct 1600S. He has loved the Alpines since childhood, and this one he has driven for 10 years. Just 4 feet tall, this beautifully designed car is a rallying legend. Alpine secured its place in history by winning the inaugural World Rally Championship manufacturers’ title in 1973.

• 1984 Citroën 2CV Special (Guy Pfefferman and Irene Crowe). In 1989 with Guy’s brother at the wheel, this car went on a 7,500-mile journey from Maryland to New Orleans, Santa Fe, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Santa Cruz (experiencing a 7.1 magnitude earthquake there!) before heading back to Maryland via the Grand Canyon. The car is named Germoline after the brave donkey that saved Lovejoy by pulling him out from a bog with a rope in Jonathan Gash’s novel The Firefly Gadroon.

• 1985 Citroën 2CV (Erik De Widt). Spiffy has been Erik’s daily driver for 10 years. It was rebuilt by Burton Car Company, has galvanized chassis, 652cc Visa engine, long ratio gearbox, and disc brakes. Of the many 2CVs Erik has traded over the years through his Classic Motorcars International, he was particularly pleased to bring this flower-power hippie version to the show.

Boaz presented for the first time his recently acquired Peugeot 204 Coupé. This is a story of childhood memories: when he was a kid, his parents had a Peugeot 204 Break and he has vivid memories of it— including many that involved being carsick, but that’s not the car’s fault. Boaz first saw this car on Bring a Trailer a few years ago when it was still in Vancouver, Canada, its first home. The idea of importing it from so far away seemed too daunting at the time, but when it reappeared in California, in even better condition, he knew he couldn’t let it go this time. Beyond the nostalgia, this car is simply a joy to drive. Yes, it is underpowered, but it is still refined and comfortable, like a true French car should be. The body, designed by Pininfarina, is quite elegant too. Peugeot was a much more conservative company than Citroën, and the 204 was its first front-wheel drive car. It was a big commercial success, selling over 1.6 million in all. About 43,000 of these were the Coupe version.

Childhood memories and nostalgia is often a factor for car collectors. I remember visiting the 1971 Copenhagen International Motor Show with my father and brother. Held at the Forum Copenhagen exhibition hall, it marked Citroën’s official public debut of the SM in Denmark. The SM captivated me at first sight in its magnificent feuille dorée (AC319) color. I got a toy version of the SM that I still have to this day, while the artistic photography of the brochures and centerfolds decorated my childhood room. Ever since, the SM has fascinated me, and I have promised myself I would someday own one. That day has yet to come! Meanwhile I enjoy my other Citroëns and the many friendships I’ve formed with like-minded enthusiasts.

At the Rockville show, a young boy couldn’t take his eyes off my 1965 ID wagon, so I invited him to climb in and sit down. His father told me how he brings his two young sons to many classic car shows. Perhaps that experience will stay with the boy for decades, inspiring him one day to revisit a childhood memory and fulfill a long-held dream of owning a Citroën.

With all the multi-generational interest in our French cars, I wouldn’t be surprised if in coming years we welcome new friends and cars on our hill and need a longer table for our pique-nique.

The winner of the 2026 Rockville show was Shane Sonneveldt with his 1937 Bentley fitted with the 4.25-liter engine and a Park Ward body. Shane is part of the DC-area Citroënistes and also enjoys his 1969 DS 21.

Congratulations, Shane!