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2022-10-02

Arquus Opens Conservatory of Military Vehicle at Heritage Day Event

As part of the Heritage Day celebrations in France, Arquus recently opened the conservatory of military vehicle event at its Garchizy facility.

Now in its second edition, the Heritage Conservatory was officially inaugurated on 17 June 2021 as a place of memory dedicated to the genius of the pioneers, engineers and designers who built the history of what is now Arquus in the service of the armed forces. It is intended to be a bridge between eras and a tangible link between the past and the present of Arquus. Within the Conservatory, the current Arquus engineers and technicians follow in the footsteps of their predecessors and bear witness to the constant mission of Arquus: to serve the Armed Forces by imagining, designing, producing and supporting over time the equipment best suited to the needs of the battlefield.

The event saw more than sixty historic vehicles being presented to the public, which marked the industrial and human history of Arquus. Preserved and enhanced by the Conservatoire du Patrimoine, these vehicles are living witnesses to the rich heritage of Arquus, its contribution to the history of motor vehicles and the uniqueness of the company in the defence environment.

Iconic Vehicles

Some of these iconic vehicles were at the heart of the deployments of armies throughout the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st, such as the VLRA from ACMAT, the ERC, VBR, VBL from Panhard and the VAB from Renault Truck Defence. They have also marked the technological evolution of wheeled armoured vehicles, with equipment such as the EBR with its retractable central trains, the X8A, which will be a mobility demonstrator of the VBCI currently in service in the Army, or the BMX01, father of the Griffon which replaces the VAB in melee units. This year, unique pieces were added to the permanent collections, such as the chassis of the Sphinx, a revolutionary prototype presented for the first time by Panhard at the Eurosatory show in 2010, the spiritual predecessor of the Jaguar, a model of the VBR.

The event was held in partnership with the Military Schools of Bourges, which provide training for the personnel. For the occasion, the Schools presented a CARRIER G290 VTL of RVI (Renault Industrial Vehicles, now Arquus), which took part in Operation Daguet, during the Gulf War, as well as held a complete exhibition devoted to the same operation.

The Daguet Division included several hundred vehicles from the Arquus industrial sites, combat vehicles such as VABs (Véhicule l’Avant Blindé), ERC-90 Sagaie, but also significant logistical resources (particularly VTL) and liaison VLRA, P4, etc. The 2022 Heritage Day was also organised in partnership with two associations: Historic Overlord Club and Yankee Trucks, which presented certain emblematic vehicles, jeeps, trucks and motorcycles from the Second World War. A bivouac was also set up on the site to showcase this equipment.

Highlighting Legacy

The Arquus Heritage Department created the Arquus Heritage Conservatory as part of a vast project to cultivate the roots of the Group and its most historical brands, such as Panhard, Renault, Berliet, ACMAT, Auverland and many others. The Conservatory is supplied by the current industrial sites of Arquus: Marolles-en-Hurepoix, historic site of Panhard, with in particular the AML, EBR, VBL; Saint-Nazaire, historic site of ACMAT with the VLRA; Limoges, the production site for military engines since the 1930s, then production site in particular for VABs and GBC180s for the Army. It is nurtured by foundations, museums, but also private collectors.

The challenge is to bring together vehicles from after the Second World War, in service or not, in the French and foreign armed forces, such as the EBR, the AML, the VAB or the GBC 8KT truck. Secondly, the Conservatory has set itself the objective of researching and promoting older vehicles, wheeled or tracked, belonging to the historical heritage of Arquus.

Arquus’s Garchizy facility is the centre of excellence specialised in repairing and maintaining military vehicles, manufacturing armoured cabins and distributing spare parts.

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