Paul Hollywood Samples Citroëns — and France!

Netflix is running three entertaining automotive episodes called ‘Paul Hollywood’s Big Continental Road Trip’.

You might ask; Who is Paul Hollywood? He became fascinated with automobiles from the age of five and began to seriously collect them from the income of his profession. Paul began his career at his father’s bakery as a teenager and went on to serve as head baker at a number of hotels around Britain and internationally. He gained celebrity status as one of the judges on the ‘The Great British Baking Show’. It is these two passions that set him up perfectly to host he series and particularly the 3rd episode where he visits France to drive their cars, sample their food and try to figure out the French attitude toward life.

The show starts with Paul and Top Gear France presenter Philippe Lellouche at Le Conservatoire Citroën just outside of Paris. They take a DS around Paris; https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p054qvyp.

Philippe Lellouche and Paul Hollywood in a DS21 (note the manual shift).

From Paris, its cars, food and fun all the way in a really well produced show. Paul travels throughout central France in a variety that includes; a Renault Alpine 110, a Peugeot 205 GTi, a pathetically slow Aixam quadracycle, and the first generation Renault MPV.

Paul and his crew visit Le Mans to interview Henri Pescarolo who competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans a record 33 times, winning on four occasions. They then travel on to the Magny Cours race track to challenge the orignal Renault Turbo Formula 1 car.

One one the most amusing segments is his experience driving a 2CV to Clermont-Ferrand and doing the classic test comparing its utility versus an actual horse and carriage.

(Spoiler alert; the 2CV loses – probably because of an aging coil).

Of particular interest to Citroënthusiasts is that in Clermont-Ferrand they show the birthplace home of Pierre-Jules Boulanger (“father of the 2CV” and vice president and chairman of Citroën from 1935 until his death in 1950).

You can watch the trailer to the France episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP7qupSaoE8

Check out the full 1 hours show and the other two episodes (one with Paul in Germany, the other in Italy) on Netflix.

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