When it comes to car culture, French cars are always a unique category. Because French cars always have their own unique ideas, unique in the world! Of course, in this process, a very successful car was also born that swept the world. There are also some cars that have good ideas, but are not commercialized.
Therefore, in this article, we take stock of the most unique French cars for you.
[1] Citroën 2CV Sahara
The Citro n 2CV is an affordable means of transport for French farmers. He is particularly cheap, and the special leather is durable. Even the roof of the car can be expanded with a lot of things.
Therefore, the appearance rate of this car is very high, and it is widely used in France, as well as in the French colonies at that time. Equipped with a four-wheel drive system was essential for driving on rough terrain, but Citroën did not have such technology at the time. Still, Citroën placed the engines front and rear to drive the four wheels.
Since it has two engines, the 2CV can travel even if one of the two engines is damaged. One engine can reach a top speed of 56 km/h and two engines can reach a top speed of 96 km/h.
Citroën's 2CV Sahara was produced between 1958 and 1971 and produced 694 units, making it a rare car with only 100 cars left.
[2] Citroën ami
The French word AMI, meaning "friend", was created specifically for the city by Citroën. It is positioned as a product that lies somewhere between an electric bike and an electric vehicle, solving the last mile of transportation for users.
Its price is also very cheap, and in order to make it at such a low price, it is not only very small, but also the design is almost symmetrical. It has a top speed of only 45 km/h and can travel 70 km on a single charge with a 5.5 kWh battery. Charging uses a 220V power supply.
The biggest feature of the AMI is that it is not a vehicle under the French road traffic law, and even teenagers over the age of 14 without a driver's license can drive it.
[3] Citroën Mehari
The Mehari, inspired by the camel's name, is a new concept SUV model. The body and interior are made of plastic. Thanks to this, it is able to run on all roads, whether in the sea, in the mountains or in the swamps.
Originally, the Mehari was planned as a compact casual SUV. In order to reduce the price, a 2CV body was used, and the inside and outside were all plastic. Thanks to this, it weighs only 535 kg. However, it was recognized for its unexpected mobility and sold in various countries and gained popularity. In some countries, including France, it is also used as a military vehicle along with JEEP. From 1968 to 1988, 144,953 Mehari were sold.
【4】Helicron
It's a car with a propeller, no wings, which is why it became a propeller car on the road. It is said to have been produced in 1932 and is estimated to be faster than any car developed at the time.
All parts are made of wood and weigh only 454 kg. The method of operation is almost the same as that of an airplane, but the propeller is operated by a lift lever, and when the steering wheel is turned, it is the rear wheels that are turned, not the front wheels. The car was approved by the French government for road operations in 2000.
【5】Michelin PLR
Michelin commissioned Citroën to build the car in the 1930s. At that time, a new experimental facility was needed to test the durability of truck tires, and this car was born.
7.2 m long and 2.45 m wide, PLR is a 10-wheel rolling mobile experimental device. It weighs only 9.5 tons. The truck's tires are mounted in the center of the vehicle and can perform a variety of tests, including wear caused by road resistance.
It uses two general-purpose 8-cylinder engines. One is used to move vehicles and the other is used to roll tires for trucks. The fuel tank is large because it uses two large displacement engines and uses two 90-liter fuel tanks. The air outlet is located on the side of the vehicle and is used to dissipate engine heat.
[6] Peugeot 1007
It is a compact MPV made by Peugeot, a derivative of the Peugeot 206 with a raised roof, but it comes with sliding doors instead of regular doors to emphasize the characteristics of the MPV, so getting on and off the bus is comfortable.
However, since sliding doors are placed to the size of compact cars and must pass crash safety standards, unnecessary development costs are invested. As a result, the price was too high, and users did not pay for it, and the 1007 was recorded as the least successful model of the Peugeot model, losing 15,380 euros for every one sold.
[7] Renault Avantime
Renault Avantime is a renault home MPV that maintains its important position as a French family MPV. Renault wanted a smaller MPV and wanted to reflect the tastes of younger consumers.
As a result, Renault created a design that blended MPVs, station wagons, coupes and convertibles. It doesn't belong to any category and is basically the shape of an MPV, so the space is spacious. But there are only two doors. There is no B-pillar, and because it is a frameless way, it is necessary to strengthen the parts in many ways, so the doors are very heavy.
However, it comes with novel features such as the ability to open the sunroof and all windows at the touch of a button, as well as improved front visibility by raising the rear seats. However, sales were average, with a total of 8,000 units sold and discontinued three years after their release.
[8] Renault Renault Project 600 & 900 concept car
In the 1950s, Renault began developing cars with the goal of maximizing interior space. At that time, due to technical limitations, it was impossible to miniaturize parts, and the actual living space was not satisfactory compared to the size of the body. In addition, the front view is limited because the hood is located at the front.
So Renault had a whim, changing the rear of the car to the front of the car and the front of the car to the rear. This is probably the strangest car styling in the world. It is powered by the world's smallest V8 engine with a unique displacement of 1.7 liters.