Automotive industry in France

The automotive industry in France was one of the earliest pioneers in automobile production and currently ranks among the largest manufacturers in the world. The country has two main automotive (passenger car) manufacturing companies and three major brands. PSA Peugeot Citroën is the owner of Peugeot and Citroen. Renault S.A. is the owner of Renault, and also has controlling ownership of Dacia (in Romania), Renault Samsung Motors (in South Korea) and Nissan (in Japan). Another large automotive manufacturer headquartered in France is Renault Trucks, which primarily makes commercial vehicles and is owned by Volvo AB.

Timeline

1769 - Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot builds the first self-propelled mechanical vehicle.^[1]

1859 - Jean Joseph Étienne Lenoir develops an internal combustion engine.

1884 - Edouard Delamare-Deboutteville is credited in France with building the first gasoline-powered automobile.

1887 - Panhard et Levassor established as a car manufacturing concern by René Panhard and Émile Levassor, with the first car produced in 1891.

1890 - Armand Peugeot produces a four-wheeled car powered by a Daimler gasoline fueled internal combustion engine.

1894 - Albert de Dion produces a single cylinder gasoline-powered engine and in 1898 produced a four-wheeler.

1894 - Delahaye is founded by Emile Delahaye. The company is bought by Hotchkiss et Cie in 1954 and discontinues auto production.

1896 - Armand Peugeot starts to build and fit his own engines to his cars.

1896 - Léon Bollée builds gasoline powered cars.

1898 - The Renault brothers, Louis, Marcel and Fernand, sold their first car.

1903 - Hotchkiss et Cie is founded. The company is bought by Peugeot in 1950, but discontinues auto production by 1955.

1905 - Delage is founded by Louis Delage. Company is bought by Delahaye in 1935 but ceases auto production in 1954.

1910 - Ettore Bugatti started the Bugatti company in Molsheim (then in Germany, now in France). Production ends in 1956.

1911 - The French branch of Hispano-Suiza is founded. Auto production is ended in 1938.

1919 - Avions Voisin is founded by Gabriel Voisin. Production ceases in 1939. After the war, Voisin designed a microcar, the Biscuter.

1919 - Citroen founded by Andre Citroen.

1920 - Darracq (founded 1896) merges with Sunbeam and Talbot, creating what eventually became Talbot-Lago in 1935. Company is bought by Simca in 1959.

1921 - Amilcar is founded. The company merges with Hotchkiss et Cie in 1937 and ceases production in 1939.

1921 - Salmson begins auto production. In 1957 the company is bought by Renault.

1934 - Simca established by Henri Pigozzi to build Fiat cars.

1934 - Citroen introduces the Traction Avant, featuring front wheel drive and unitary construction. Citroën becomes bankrupt and is taken over by the Michelin Tire Company.

1934 - Matford begins building Ford cars, but ceases in 1939. In 1947, the company is reorganized as Ford SAF and sells cars under the Ford name.

1945 - Renault becomes state owned and is called “Regié Nationale des Usines”.

1945 - The Pons Plan reflected government determination to structure the French auto-industry according to priorities identified by politicians and civil servants. A select group of auto manufacturers is favored. A punitive fiscal horsepower tax is imposed on larger engines leading to the demise of most of the Grandes Routières such as Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye, Hotchkiss et Cie, Salmson and Talbot-Lago by the mid-1950s.

1946 - Renault introduces the Renault 4CV model.

1948 - Citroen introduces the Citroen 2CV model.

1948 - Peugeot introduces the Peugeot 203 model.

1954 - Facel Vega established. Company goes out of business in 1964.

1954 - Simca acquires Ford SAF.

1955 - Citroen introduces the Citroen DS model, equipped with disk brakes and self-leveling suspension.

1955 - Alpine (car maker) is founded by Jean Rédélé and develops a series of sports cars.

1963 - Chrysler takes a 63% ownership stake in Simca.

1965 - Matra begins automobile production. Citroën takes over Panhard. The Renault 16, a large family hatchback, is launched and voted European Car of the Year.

1968 - Citroen takes over Italian car maker Maserati.

1970 - Citroen introduces the Citroen SM, featuring a self-leveling suspension, self-centering speed-sensitive power steering, hydropneumatic brakes, and engine technology from Masarati.

1972 - Launch of the Renault 5, France's first small hatchback.

1974 - Despite its new CX (successor to the 19-year-old DS) being voted European Car of the Year, Citroën files bankruptcy. Maserati is then sold to Alejandro de Tomaso.

1975 - The Simca 1307 (sold in Britain as the Chrysler Alpine) is launched and is voted European Car of the Year, making use of a hatchback bodystyle and front-wheel drive. Citroen is saved from collapse by merging into Peugeot.

1978 - PSA Peugeot Citroen takes over Chrysler’s European division, the former Rootes Group in Britain and Simca in France. The Talbot name is revived for use on these cars, included the new Horizon mid-sized hatchback which is voted European Car of the Year.

1978 - Renault begins financial involvement with American Motors. By the early 1980s, Renault takes control of the company, but sells American Motors to Chrysler in 1987. Citroen launches the Visa, a small five-door hatchback.

1981 - The Renault 9, a small family saloon, is voted European Car of the Year on its launch.

1983 - Peugeot launches the new 205 supermini, styled by Italian designer Pininfarina. Renault has a new competitor in the mid-sized hatchback sector with the new 11.

1984 - Renault launches the Espace - Europe's first volume multi purpose vehicle.

1985 - The Peugeot 309 goes into production, built at the former Rootes factory near Coventry, England, rather than in France.

1986 - Georges Besse, Chairman of Renault, is murdered by the communist terrorist group Action Directe. The Talbot marque is discarded by Peugeot on passenger cars. Renault replaces the 18 saloon and estate with the Renault 21 saloon and Nevada/Savanna seven-seater estate.

1987 - Peugeot launches the British-built 405, which is voted European Car of the Year. Citroen has a new entrant in the supermini market with its AX.

1988 - Citroen 2CV production in France ends after 40 years, along with the Visa after 10 years.

1989 - The Citroen CX is discontinued after 15 years and replaced by the XM, which is voted European Car of the Year.

1990 - Launch of the Renault Clio, a new small hatchback, which will eventually replace the ageing 5.

1992 - PSA Peugeot Citroen establishes joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Corporation in China.

1995 - Renault launches the Megane, a medium-sized range of hatchbacks, saloons, coupes, cabriolets and estates.

1996 - Renault is privatized and its new Scenic version of the Megane hatchback is launched to compete in the new compact MPV sector. Production of the ancient 5 model is finally ended after nearly 25 years, the last six of which took place in Slovenia.

1997 - Smart assembly plant opened in Hambach, Moselle by German carmaker Mercedes-Benz to produce two-seater microcars.

1998 - Volkswagen AG obtains the rights to the Bugatti name. They later build an auto plant in Molsheim and produce the Bugatti Veyron.

1999 - Renault obtains a controlling interest in Japanese automaker Nissan. Renault buys 99% ownership in Romanian automaker Dacia.

2000 - Renault establishes Renault Samsung Motors in South Korea.

2001 - Toyota built its Western European assembly line for the Toyota Yaris in Valenciennes.

2001 - Renault Trucks is sold to AB Volvo.

2008 - Renault obtains a 25% interest in Russian automaker AvtoVAZ.

Historical production by year

World production of passenger cars of French car manufacturers:^[2]

Current production by manufacturer

Total global motor vehicle production by Renault in 2010 was 2,716,286, including 2,395,876 passenger vehicles. This ranked tenth among all vehicle manufacturers. (Note: these number do not include Nissan.) Total motor vehicle production by PSA Peugeot Citroen in 2010 was 3,605,524, including 3,214,810 passenger vehicles. This ranked eighth among all vehicle manufacturers.^[3]

References

• The Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars 1885 to the Present Edited by G.N. Georgano; 1968; E.P. Dutton and Company; New York, NY

External links

• The French Automotive Industry - Analysis and Statistics 2010 Comite des Constructeurs Francais d'Automobiles http://www.ccfa.fr/publications/analyse-statistiques/edition-2010.html
• PSA Peugeot Citroen history - company website http://www.psa-peugeot-citroen.com/document/publication/history_group1083692907.pdf
• Renault history - company website http://www.renault.com/en/groupe/chiffres-cles/pages/dates-cles.aspx

See also

List of French cars

Further reading

• Laux, James Michael. In first gear: The French automobile industry to 1914. McGill-Queen's University Press. 1976. ISBN 978-0-7735-0264-2
• Stobbs, William. Les grandes routières. Motorbooks International. 1990 ISBN 978-0-87938-484-5
• Loubet, Jean-Louise. Histoire de l'automobile franaise. Seuil. ISBN 978-2-02-037618-1