For a short time in the early 1950s, Saint-Tropez was still a sleepy fishing village. Only later did the flirting film stars at the old harbour cause a stir - such as Brigitte Bardot in her Simca and director Roger Vadim driving his Lancia Aurelia Spider…
Indeed, it is largely thanks to Roger Vadim and his young wife, Brigitte Bardot, that at the end of the 1950s, the international jet-set flocked to Saint-Tropez. Together with Curd Jürgens, Bardot appeared in the 1956 Côte d'Azur movie ‘And God Created Woman’ – a sizzling love story that pushed the boundaries of film censorship. The raunchy scenes catapulted Bardot into the limelight and created her international breakthrough. However, the small fishing village on the French Mediterranean coast - previously revered only by a handful of artists for its natural light, good food and wine - became world-famous in the 1960s thanks to gentleman playboy Gunter Sachs. Boasting good taste and with Saint-Tropez at his feet, he also captured the heart of Brigitte Bardot. Soon after, the summer months attracted countless millionaires and impostors, bikini-clad girls and paparazzi. Such an intimate moment as this photo of 1956 conveys can now only be experienced in winter, when the 6,000 ‘real’ inhabitants of the village are, once again, left alone.
Photo: Michou Simon / Paris Match Archive by Getty Images
Many dream homes in and around Saint-Tropez can also be found in the Classic Driver Market.
