Univem Association
See the wonderful video of The Tim Traveller that describes our current situation:
Who are we?
“UNIVEM Paris Île de France”, UNIVEM* for short, is an association organized according to a specific French law that concerns non-profit organizations, known as “loi du 1er juillet 1901” (July 1st 1901 law).
The objective of the association is to preserve the heritage composed of military vehicles produced during the past conflicts, especially World War II. The association owns a fleet of about 40 vehicles, most of them in running conditions : Jeeps, tanks, trucks of all sorts. Members’ vehicles come on top of that, making UNIVEM a living museum that keeps alive the memory of those who designed them, drove them and battled with them.
UNIVEM gathers about 150 members, all volunteers, most of them having their own vehicle. But we have also set up an internal organization of sponsorship where some members adopt a vehicle to care for it. A sponsor ensures the regular maintenance on the vehicle he cares for, performs the repairs, and is the preferred driver during celebrations and other events. Of course, when faced to a problem he cannot solve alone, the association is there to bring in any needed specialized help as it is obvious that anyone person cannot have all the competencies in mechanics, engine, brakes, electricity, body work, paint, etc.
What do we do?
Our activities include :
- salvation and restoration of military vehicles,
- regular maintenance to keep our fleet in working order,
- participation in celebrations and various events like movies, TV shows, magazines articles, etc. In 2014 for example, for the 70th celebration of D-Day, UNIVEM organized a big event in Normandy : our “Dog Green Camp” covered 15 acres, gathered 335 participants coming from 14 countries, 21 clubs, 175 vehicles, and 4 convoys were organized in the countryside.
If visiting Paris, do not miss the opportunity to visit our collection. Our facilities are always active on Saturdays, you are welcome to just push the door and come in. We can also organize visits for individuals or groups, you can contact us through the site “contact us” page.
*UNIVEM = Union Nationale des collectionneurs de Véhicules Militaires