This ancient block of sandstone has a curious past
With its aerodynamic lines, elegant, teardrop shape, and never-before-seen hydraulic suspension, the Citroën DS caused a sensation when it was launched in 1955. It was manufactured across three series of one generation, with production ceasing in 1975. Today the Citroën DS is a highly collectible motorcar.
Unveiled in 1934, the Traction Avant—French for "front-wheel drive"—was the world's first mass-produced front-wheel drive car, making it one of the most influential automobiles ever built. In fact, its technical innovation combined with contemporary dynamics set the template for all modern family motorcars.
The deux chevaux was introduced to the automotive world in Paris in 1948 and immediately won the hearts of the motoring public. Easy to drive and maintain, the round, dainty vehicle made owning reliable transportation a reality, and millions of 2CVs had been sold by the time the car ceased production in 1990.
Believe it or not, Citroën once owned Maserati. As a result, the French car manufacturer produced the Citroën SM, a high-performance coupé powered under the hood by a Maserati V6. Citroën stopped making its Maserati wannabe in 1975, and today the SM is another highly desirable collector's car.
In 2010, Citroën acknowledged the legacy of the famous DS model with the DS3, though it didn't much resemble its venerable ancestor. Nevertheless, the DS3 won plaudits from the likes of Top Gear and What Car? in the UK. The car's second generation is represented by the DS3 Crossback.
Unveiled in 2014, Citroën is still manufacturing the C4 Cactus, in Brazil. A distinctive design feature is the Airbump panels adorning the car's flanks, designed to protect the vehicle from damage in car parks.
One of France's lesser-known car manufacturers is Aixam, based in Aix-les-Bains. Founded in 1983, the company specializes in making microcars, models such as the Aixam City GTO, designed to make short shrift of France's busy city streets.
Specialist French carmaker, Automobiles Alpine, usually just referred to as Alpine, was established in 1955. Alpine is a subsidiary of Renault, though its cars display their own distinct marque. Alpine's first car was the A106, a rear-engined two door coupé.
Alpine initially concentrated on producing sports cars: the A110 Berlinette, for example, achieved most of its fame as a successful rally car.
The Renault Alpine Vision, on sale since 2017, effectively relaunched the Alpine brand. It's an agile and stylish two-seater coupé that owes its design signature to the legendary A110.
This list revs up with one of the most luxurious car brands in the world. Bugatti made its name in racing, the iconic Type 35 enjoying phenomenal success in Grand Prix across Europe and Australia in the 1920s and '30s. Bugatti was a German, then French manufacturer of high-performance automobiles. One of its most famous production models was the sumptuous Bugatti Royale Type 41, built from 1927 to 1933 and one the largest cars in the world at the time.
Another beautiful Bugatti was the Type 57SC Atlantic, a grand tourer car manufactured from 1934 through 1940.
Bugatti today is a byword for automotive opulence. The Chiron two-seater sports car, for example, is powered by a 8-liter turbocharged engine. It can accelerate from 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) in 2.4 seconds and has a top speed of 420 km/h (261 mph). Be prepared to part with US$3 million for the privilege of driving one!
DS Automobiles is owned by Citroën and operates in the luxury-premium segment. The independent DS marque was created in 2014, with the DS9 among its current models. The DS9 is marketed as a formal executive automobile.
Mind you, don't let DS Automobiles' rather mainstream image fool you. Occasionally its designers are allowed free rein to come up with left field ideas, concept cars such as the ultra cool-looking DS E-Tense. A revised model, the E-Tense Performance, was unveiled at the 2022 Paris Motor Show.
PGO Automobiles, founded in 1985 and based in Saint-Christol-lès-Alès, produces exclusive sports cars, exemplified by the PGO Cévennes. It has a top speed of 215 km/p (134 mph) and resembles at first glance a vintage Porsche.
In fact, seen in profile, you'd be forgiven for mistaking another PGO Automobiles vehicle, the PGO Roadster, for a Porsche 356. The Roadster, by the way, is incredibly rare. Based on the Cévennes, only 10 examples were built.
Sources: (Motor1.com) (Car and Driver) (Citroen Car Club) (Autoblog)
See also: Porsche—the origins of a supercar
Peugeot is France's oldest car manufacturer, founded as a family business in 1810 (although its first car didn't appear until 1889). Its range of vehicles rank among some the most celebrated ever driven, and one model especially stands out—the 402 Eclipse. A large family car, it was distinguished for its retractable hardtop mechanism, a steel roof that would fold and stow in the trunk.
Peugeot introduced the 404 as a family car in 1960, but when the car went topless in 1961 it caught the imagination of the younger, more fashionable motorist. Peugeot had become hip!
The Peugeot 205 served as a breath of fresh air when it was launched in 1983, representing as it did a new generation of sporty runarounds. Then along came the 205 GTI, in both 1.6 and 1.9-liter versions. And if you really wanted some umph under the hood, the 205 Rallye was at hand to blow away the cobwebs.
The RCZ R debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2009 and went on to collect numerous accolades, described as it was by Diesel Car magazine as "the icing on the cake for the sexily styled sports coupé."
Renault's popular sports car, the Caravelle, was essentially created to tap into the lucrative US market. Unveiled in 1958, the car was briefly known as the Renault Floride. But it was as the Caravelle that this zippy convertible endured until it was withdrawn from the market in 1968.
The Renault Dauphine was the French carmaker's answer to the VW Beetle, and in 1956 joined the likes of the famous "bug" together with the Citroën 2CV, Morris Minor, Mini, and Fiat 600 as a pioneer of the modern European economy car.
Actually, before the Renault Dauphine there came the Renault 4CV. Produced from 1947 through 1961, this delightful four-door economy runaround was the first French car to sell over a million units.
Since its launch in 1990 and now in its fifth generation, the Renault Clio has consistently been one of Europe's top-selling cars. In 2001, the Clio series received a boost with the addition of the Sport V6, which was also produced as a full competition car.
The GTA—Grand Tourisme Alpine—was produced by the Renault-owned French manufacturer Alpine between late 1984 and 1995. This nimble, rear-engined V6 coupé was distinctive and rare even when new, never mind today. Alpine (featured later in this gallery) was an obscure brand, and when the GTA was discontinued in 1991 the car quietly disappeared from the collective conscience.
Launched in 1985, the Espace numbered the first contemporary minivans or MPVs. Six generations later, this roomy and highly maneuverable vehicle evolved as the Espace V and features crossover SUV styling. In other words, it's bigger and better!
Meanwhile, Renault's supermini-class Zoe is currently the top selling all-electric car in the French market and for two years running, 2015 and 2016, was the biggest selling all-electric car in Europe.
Admired for its curvaceous Art Deco-inspired styling and the unique positioning of the headlights concealed behind a shield-shaped radiator grille, the 402, introduced in 1935, created a futuristic style for Peugeot's cars that would last right up until the early 1940s.
The Megane E-Tech Electric sees the maturing of Renault's family hatchback series. Launched in 2022, it is designed and built all-in for battery power. And the batteries have been placed in the car in a manner intended to insulate occupants from tire noise. Silent running, so to speak.
France is perhaps not the first country you'd applaud for its motorcar manufacturing heritage. But it would be a mistake to ignore the contribution the country has made to the automotive industry. Brands like Citroën, Renault, and Peugeot are globally recognized for their vehicles. And did you know that one of the most expensive and luxurious automobiles currently being driven today is French made?
Curious to learn more? Climb into the driver's seat and steer through this list of iconic motorcars manufactured in France.
The greatest French cars ever made
Discover the most iconic automobiles manufactured in France
LIFESTYLE Vehicles
France is perhaps not the first country you'd applaud for its motorcar manufacturing heritage. But it would be a mistake to ignore the contribution the country has made to the automotive industry. Brands like Citroën, Renault, and Peugeot are globally recognized for their vehicles. And did you know that one of the most expensive and luxurious automobiles currently being driven today is French made?
Curious to learn more? Climb into the driver's seat and steer through this list of iconic motorcars manufactured in France.