This car is a 1956 Buick Centurion, a concept car as shown on the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (Wired article). If you look at its hood logo, and compare it to this, it’s clear that this is indeed the first Vaillante, three years before Jean Graton created his heroic race car driver and his family’s brand.
On a similar note, Jade Miniatures has produced an exquisite line of miniature cars inspired by the Michel Vaillant comic book series, while Seat presented an Ibiza Vaillante model in 2006. If papa Vaillant had seen this model, he would have given Jean-Pierre a right slap around the head, methinks.
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