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Driving Passion

2010-06-18 14:06

His name is Youssef Rhouma, but in Menton everyone knows him as Youyou, and his enthusiasm is the 'Cox' - Coccinelle in French - or, as we say in English, the Volkswagen Beetle. For more than twenty years Youyou, 45, has been the lynchpin of the 'Sun Cox Azur' Club, an association for all enthusiasts of the iconic 'people's car'.

They come from everywhere, these dedicated followers of fashion - from Monaco and Nice of course, but also Italy, Belgium, Spain and even the USA. 'We've even refurbished a Beetle belonging to a New York banker', says Youyou. 'He brought his car here from England when he bought a place in Monaco. We worked on the car for a month and a half, and now it's a real gem. He's going to take it back with him to New York,' he adds proudly.

Since its beginnings, the Sun Cox Azur has enjoyed a healthy rivalry with a number of other clubs - there are fans throughout Europe of course - but this one in Menton has the great advantage of being right next to the sea - and this 24 and 25 July, about 500-600 Beetles will assemble on the shores of the Med for the Sun Beach VW Festival.

'It's the only Beetle rally so close to the sea', enthuses Youyou, adding dreamily ' It'll be just like California - yachts, palms, cafes, restaurants ... pretty girls'.

But while Youyou and his friends wait for better weather, the Sun Cox Azur club are revving up for their procession in the Menton Lemon Festival. Since this year's theme is 'Cinema', three cars are going to represent the history of motoring in the movies: the DeLorean from 'Back to the Future', the 2CV from French farce 'Le Corniaud' (the Sucker) starring comic actors Bourvil and De Funes, and of course the Beetle from the Walt Disney classic 'The Love Bug'.

Youyou is particularly proud of his latest mini-Beetle, painted in red white and blue, which has been a great attraction in recent meetings. 'It's going to be a real 'Choupette', he says, referring to the French nickname for the Disney car 'Herbie'. The organizers of the Lemon Festival have even looked into including the car in this year's parade ... with King Kong at the wheel!