2023-06-10 12:00:00
A fighter plane on display at a chateau in a historic village in Burgundy, France / Courtesy Miquel Ros
2023.06.10 Sat posted at 21:00 JST
（ＣＮＮ） In the courtyard of a 700-year-old French chateau, you would never expect to come across an F16 Fighting Falcon flanked by French Dassault Mirage IV and F104 starfighters.
The history of Chateau de Savigny-les-Beaunes in the village of Savigny-les-Beaunes in Burgundy, France dates back to the 14th century. Without the personal passion and initiative of Michel Pons, the mansion would be one of many wine farms that dot this historic region.
Mr Pong, a wine producer, car racer and avid collector, purchased the mansion in 1979. And in the four decades until his death in 2021, the mansion became a treasure trove for those interested in mechanics and engineering.
According to Michel’s son, Christophe Pon, the mansion’s current owner and manager, Michel still owns the Italian Abarth car he raced in and also collects motorcycles. It started.
By the late 1970s, Michel owned ten Abarth racing cars and more than 300 vintage motorcycles, but his car and motorcycle collection continued to grow and diversify.
Famous fighter planes and helicopters active in the 20th century gather together
An unprecedented private collection
Mr. Michel, a former soldier, made an inquiry to the French Air Force in the mid-1980s. The content of the proposal is whether one of the retired Mirage III fighters can be taken over and displayed at the chateau. Hope was granted, and six months later the ‘nucleus’ of the world’s largest private fighter collection was on its way to Savigny-les-Beaune.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Michel’s collection would have the envy of quite a few National Air and Space Museums.
About 100 planes of different makes and origins are perfectly arranged on the grounds of the mansion, including French fighters Mirage and Mystère, American jet fighter F100 series, Soviet fighters MiG and Sukhoi. Here you can see famous fighter planes and helicopters that were active in the 20th century.
Over the years, Michel and Christophe have scoured Europe and beyond to expand their collection. The available planes were dismantled, brought to Château Savigny, and reassembled there.
As word of the exhibit grew in size and scope, word spread, and eventually the Pons received offers to give away various types of machinery.
And many of them were eventually taken over by the chateau. As a result, the Château now has nine exhibition areas, from satellites and space technology to tractors and wine-making machines, in addition to the previously mentioned collection of aircraft, Abarth racing cars and historic motorcycles.
An Italian Abarth car that Mr. Michel Pon, who bought the mansion, rode in the race is also on display.
fire engine and hovercraft
One of Château Savigny’s most colorful collections is literally the fire engine. This collection of fire trucks was put together with the help of Jean-Claude Picot, a friend of Mr. Michel.
Pico, who once ran a business manufacturing emergency vehicles, brought his collection of fire trucks to the chateau following retirement. This collection shows how firefighting equipment has evolved throughout the 20th century.
The chateau also houses several Bertin hovercraft. Designed by French engineer Jean Bertin in the 1960s, these hovercraft were salvaged by Michel from a landfill and brought to the chateau, where they are now on display next to the vineyard. there is
Christophe, who oversees the château’s exhibits, says he has no plans to add any more, and that his main goal is to maintain his father’s collection and continue the business. And in 20 years, he hopes to house his aircraft collection in a weather-proof indoor museum.
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