The France-based Renault Trucks is a major producer of commercial vehicles and is owned by Volvo. Both PSA and Renault produce a large number of vehicles outside France. French automotive manufacturers were long dominant in francophone Africa, but beginning in the 1970s the Japanese were making inroads due to lower prices and the availability of suitable light offroad cars and trucks.[8]
1890 – Armand Peugeot produces a four-wheeled car powered by a Daimler gasoline fueled internal combustion engine.
1894 – Albert de Dion and Georges Bouton produce a single cylinder gasoline-powered engine and in 1898 produced a four-wheeler. They had previously built steam-powered vehicles beginning in 1883.
1903 – France remains the world's leading automaker, producing 30,124 cars (nearly 49% of the world total) as against 11,235 cars produced in the USA.[12]
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. The 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.
1920 – Darracq (founded 1896) merges with Sunbeam and Talbot, creating what eventually became Talbot-Lago in 1935. The 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.
1929 – French annual automobile production peaked at 253,000 passenger cars, a level that would not be matched till after the Second World War.[13]
1933 – With French passenger car production at 140,635 units, France lost its place as Europe's top automobile producer to Great Britain 220,775. The French roads nevertheless reflected three decades during much of which the French auto-industry had led the world, with a "car parc" of 1,448,000, ahead of Britain which had 1,210,880 cars registered and of Germany with only 510,680 cars.[13]
1934 – Citroën 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.
1936 – While the British and German economies powered ahead during the 1930s, growth in the French economy was at best tentative, with a period of destructive strikes and economic paralysis during the middle years of the decade. In Germany the Hitler government treated the German auto-industry to a central role in a radical economic strategy driven by what can be seen as a Keynesian approach to "fiscal stimulus". In 1936 France fell from second to third place among Europe's auto-producing nations, recording production of 204,000[14] cars, while Germany's production amounted to 213,117 passenger cars.[15]
1945 – Renault becomes state owned and is called Régie nationale des usines Renault (RNUR).
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.
1955 – Citroën introduces the Citroën 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. Launch of the Citroën DS, flagship saloon car in the Citroën range.
1961 – Launch of the Renault 4, a small estate car which is aimed at the lower end of the market dominated in France by the Citroën 2CV, as well as foreign competitors like the Volkswagen Beetle and BMC's new Mini.
1963 – American automotive giant Chrysler takes a 63% ownership stake in Simca.
1964 – Closure of Facel Vega after just 10 years of car production due financial problems.
1965 – Matra begins automobile production. Citroën takes over Panhard, phasing out the marque on passenger cars. The Renault 16, a large family hatchback (the first production car with that bodystyle), is launched and voted European Car of the Year.
1968 – Citroën takes over Italian sports and luxury car maker Maserati. Peugeot launches the 504, a large rear-wheel drive family saloon, which is voted European Car of the Year.
1969 – The Renault 12 medium-sized saloon and estate range is launched, but it missed out on the European Car of the Year award, which goes to the Fiat 128 from Italy.
1970 – Citroën introduces the Citroën SM, a large coupe featuring a self-leveling suspension, self-centering speed-sensitive power steering, hydropneumatic brakes, and engine technology from Maserati. It also launched the new GS family car, which is voted European Car of the Year. Chrysler launches a new French-built, British-designed flagship saloon model, the 180.
1972 – Launch of the Renault 5, France's first small hatchback. It features a three-door bodystyle and front-wheel drive.
1973 – Launch of the Chrysler 2 Litre, a larger-engine version of the 180 model.
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. Peugeot launches its first hatchback model, the three-door 104, which is launched two years after the original saloon.
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. Citroën is saved from collapse by merging into Peugeot. Renault moves into the luxury car market with its 20/30 range, which unusually for this sector of car features a hatchback and front-wheel drive. Launch of the Citroën LN, which features a 652cc two-cylinder engine and a three-door hatchback based on the Peugeot 104. The last Citroën DS is built after 20 years and more than 1.4 million sales worldwide.
1976 – Renault launches a new small family hatchback model, the R14, which is similar in concept to the Volkswagen Golf from West Germany.
1978 – PSA Peugeot Citroën takes over Chrysler’s European division, the former Rootes Group in Britain and Simca in France. Shortly before the sale is completed, the new Horizon mid-sized hatchback is voted European Car of the Year. Launch of the Renault 18 saloons and estates, which feature front-wheel drive and will eventually replace the long-running R12 models. Renault begins financial involvement with American Motors. Citroën launches the Visa, a small five-door hatchback. Peugeot launches the 305 saloon, which will eventually replace the smaller 304.
1979 – Peugeot launches the 505 saloon, replacement for the 504, which will remain in production for a few years in Europe. The Simca marque is discontinued after 45 years by the company's new owner Peugeot, who revive the Talbot badge for the entire former Chrysler Europe model range. The Citroën GS is updated after nine years to become the GSA, and gains a hatchback.
1980 – Demise of the Renault 12 after 11 years in production and the Renault 16 after 15 years. New to the Renault range is the Renault Fuego coupe, which is similar in size and price to cars like the Ford Capri. Peugeot launches the Talbot Solara, a saloon version of the Alpine hatchback, and a new flagship saloon, the Tagora, which was actually developed by Chrysler as a replacement for the 180/2 litre models.
1982 – Citroën launches the Citroën BX, which will eventually replace the smaller GSA.
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. French production of the Peugeot 504 ends after 15 years. At the end of the year, Renault replaces its 20/30 flagship models with the R25.
1984 - Renault launches the Espace - Europe's first volume multi purpose vehicle. The R5 receives a complete redesign but its styling is still recognisable as an update of the 1972 original.
1985 – The Peugeot 309 goes into production, built at the former Rootes factory near Coventry, England, rather than in France. Peugeot had scrapped plans to sell the car under the Talbot marque, which will now be phased out on passenger cars.
1986 – Georges Besse, Chairman of Renault, is murdered by the communist terrorist group Action Directe. End of Talbot Samba and Alpine production, as Peugeot begins to phase out the Talbot brand, which will be retained for commercial vehicles only. Renault replaces the 18 saloon and estate with the Renault 21 saloon and Nevada/Savanna seven-seater estate. French production and sales of the Renault 4 finish after 25 years, but it is set to continue production in Argentina until the early 1990s. The Citroën GS/GSA is finally discontinued after 16 years in production.
1987 – Peugeot launches the 405, also built in Britain, which is voted European Car of the Year. Citroën has a new entrant in the supermini market with its AX. A year after the end of French and British production, the last Talbot Horizon models are built in Spain and Finland, signalling the end of the Talbot brand on passenger cars.
1988 – Citroën 2CV production in France ends after 40 years, along with the Visa after 10 years. 2CV production is to continue in Portugal until 1990. Renault replaces the 9/11 range with the R19. Launch of the Peugeot 405 in estate form.
1989 – The Citroën CX saloon is discontinued after 15 years and replaced by the XM, which is voted European Car of the Year. The last Peugeot 305 models are built.
1990 – Launch of the Renault Clio, a new small hatchback, which will eventually replace the R5. It is voted European Car of the Year. Citroën ends production of the 2CV after 42 years, the last two of which saw the car produced in Portugal.
1991 – Peugeot partly replaces its hugely popular 205 with the slightly smaller 106, while Citroën re-enters the medium-sized hatchback market with its ZX, the first of two replacements for the ageing BX. The final versions of the CX are built after a production run of 17 years, with the estate model being axed two years after the saloon, to make way for the new XM estate. Peugeot launches a new entry-level model, the 106.
1992 – PSA Peugeot Citroën establishes joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Corporation in China. Renault enters the city car market with the Twingo, which is only built for left-hand drive markets. Renault replaces the eight-year-old R25 with the Safrane as its new top-of-the-range model.
1993 – Peugeot replaces the 309 with the 306, which also partly replaces the smaller 205 (which is still in production in its tenth year). Citroën launches the Xantia, replacement for the BX hatchback. At the end of the year, Renault discontinues the R21 after nearly eight years on sale and replaces it with the Laguna.
1994 – The last versions of the Citroën BX are produced after a 12-year run, when the estate model is finally replaced by an estate version of the Xantia hatchback.
1995 – Renault launches the Mégane, a medium-sized range of hatchbacks, saloons, coupes, cabriolets and estates. Renault also launches an estate version of the Laguna to replace the Nevada/Savanna. Launch of the Eurovan, a venture between PSA and Fiat, which will be sold as an MPV with Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat and Lancia badges. Peugeot replaces the long-running and hugely successful 405 with the 406, although it is initially only sold as a saloon.
1996 – Renault is privatized and its new Scénic version of the Megane hatchback is launched to compete in the new compact MPV sector, winning the European Car of the Year award. Production of R5 is finally ended after nearly 25 years, although the last few years of production were concentrated in Slovenia rather than France. Peugeot facelifts the 106 supermini to keep it competitive with a host of newer rivals, while Citroën makes use of the 106 design for its new Saxo, which replaces the AX. Peugeot re-enters the coupe market after more than a decade away with the 406 Coupe.
1997 – Smart assembly plant opened in Hambach, Moselle by German carmaker Mercedes-Benz to produce two-seater microcars. Peugeot's 406 range is completed with the launch of an estate model.
1998 – Volkswagen AG obtains the rights to the Bugatti name. They later build an auto plant in Molsheim which will later produce the Bugatti Veyron. Demise of the Peugeot 205 after 15 years. Its replacement is the 206, which is built in both France and Britain.
1999 – Renault obtains a controlling interest in Japanese automaker Nissan. Renault buys 99% ownership in Romanian automaker Dacia, which has produced its version of the Renault 12 for the last 30 years. Launch of the Citroën Picasso, a compact MPV similar in the style to the Renault Scénic, which is based on the floorpan of the Xsara hatchback.
2000 – Demise of the Citroën XM after 11 years, following a sharp fall in sales since the mid 1990s. The Peugeot 206 CC is launched - the first French car to feature a folding steel roof, which enables it to double as a coupe and convertible. The second generation Renault Laguna is introduced at the end of the year, being one of the first mass production cars to feature a "keyless" entry and ignition system.
2000 – present
2000 – Renault buys 70% of South Korean Samsung Motors and forms a new subsidiary Renault Samsung Motors (now 80% owned). Launch of the Renault Laguna II, which is one of the first mass-produced cars in the world to feature keyless entry and ignition.
2002 – The Renault Megane II is launched and voted European Car of the Year. The five-door Citroën C3 is launched, the first of two new cars which will replace the Saxo.
2003 – End of Peugeot 106 production after 12 years. It had been on sale since 1991, with a facelift in 1996. The Citroën Saxo is also discontinued following the launch of the three-door Citroën C2.
2005 – The Renault Clio III is launched and voted European Car of the Year, with the second generation model being renamed the Clio Campus and now being produced in Slovenia. Launch of the Citroën C1 and Peugeot 107, which are built in a Czech factory as part of a venture with Toyota.
2006 – Launch of the Peugeot 207, which will eventually replace the 206. The new car is produced in France. Peugeot closes its factory near Coventry, England, which it bought from Chrysler 28 years ago. The Picasso and seven-seater Grand Picasso versions of the Citroën C4 are launched, but the hugely successful Xsara Picasso remains in production alongside it.
2007 – The Renault Twingo, France's longest-running current production model, is replaced by an all-new model after 15 years. The new Twingo is only produced in Slovenia. The Peugeot 307 is replaced by the Peugeot 308.
2008 – Renault obtains a 25% interest in Russian automaker AvtoVAZ.
2010 – Demise of the Peugeot 206 after 12 years in production, the last four of which took place in Slovakia. Peugeot replaces its 407 and 607 saloons with a single model, the 508. Launch of the second generation Citroën C4 family hatchback, which also spawns a more luxurious version called the DS4.
2012 – Launch of the Peugeot 208, replacement for the 207. End of Citroën Xsara Picasso production after 13 years, marking the end of the last volume production passenger car in France from before the year 2000.
2014 – Replacement of the Peugeot 107 with the Peugeot 108, which once again is part of a Peugeot-Toyota venture, built in the Czech Republic alongside the new generation Citroën C1 and Toyota Aygo. Launch of the Renault Twingo III, which features a switch to rear-wheel drive and a rear-mounted engine, the first Renault in half a century to feature such a mechanical layout.
2021 – PSA Group completed the merger with Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, thus leading up to the establishment of Stellantis, which headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This merger also leading up to the reunition between Maserati and Citroën after 46 years.
Total worldwide motor vehicle production by Renault in 2010 (excluding Nissan) was 2,716,286, of which 2,395,876 were passenger vehicles. This ranked tenth among all vehicle manufacturers. Total motor vehicle production by PSA Peugeot Citroën in 2010 was 3,605,524, of which 3,214,810 passenger vehicles. This ranked eighth among all vehicle manufacturers.[1]
Simca was a French automaker, founded in November 1934 by Fiat S.p.A. and directed from July 1935 to May 1963 by Italian Henri Pigozzi. Simca was affiliated with Fiat and, after Simca bought Ford's French subsidiary, became increasingly controlled by Chrysler. In 1970, Simca became a brand of Chrysler's European business, ending its period as an independent company. Simca disappeared in 1978, when Chrysler divested its European operations to another French automaker, PSA Peugeot Citroën. PSA replaced the Simca brand with Talbot after a short period when some models were badged as Simca-Talbots.
The Rootes Group or Rootes Motors Limited was a British automobile manufacturer and, separately, a major motor distributors and dealers business. Run from London's West End, the manufacturer was based in the Midlands and the distribution and dealers business in the south of England. In the decade beginning 1928 the Rootes brothers, William and Reginald, made prosperous by their very successful distribution and servicing business, were keen to enter manufacturing for closer control of the products they were selling. One brother has been termed the power unit, the other the steering and braking system.
The Peugeot 309 is a small family car that was manufactured between 1985 and 1994 in England, Spain and France by PSA Peugeot Citroën. It was originally intended to be badged as a Talbot and, as development progressed, to be called the Talbot Arizona.
The Peugeot 104 is a supermini car produced by the French company Peugeot between 1972 and 1988. It was designed by Paolo Martin was initially only sold as a four-door saloon car, with a three-door hatchback variant introduced in 1974 and a five-door hatchback version replacing the saloon in 1976. The 104 was the first model produced at the company's Mulhouse plant. It was also the first new Peugeot introduced since 1955 not to be offered in a diesel version.
Talbot is a dormant automobile marque introduced in 1902 by British-French company Clément-Talbot. The founders, Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury and Adolphe Clément-Bayard, reduced their financial interests in their Clément-Talbot business during the First World War.
The Talbot Horizon is a compact hatchback that was designed by Chrysler Europe and was produced from 1978 to 1987 under the Simca, Chrysler and Talbot nameplates. The successor to both the Simca 1100 and Hillman Avenger, the Horizon adopted a front-wheel drive, transverse-engine layout.
The Talbot Tagora is an executive car developed by Chrysler Europe and produced by Peugeot Société Anonyme (PSA). The Tagora was marketed under the Talbot marque after PSA took over Chrysler's European operations in 1979. PSA presented the first production vehicle in 1980 and launched it commercially in 1981. The Tagora fell short of sales expectations, described as a "showroom flop" just a year after its launch, and PSA cancelled the model two years later. Fewer than 20,000 Tagora models were built, all of them at the former Simca factory in Poissy, near Paris, France.
The Simca 1307 is a large family car produced by Chrysler Europe and subsequently PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1975 to 1986. Codenamed 'C6' in development, the car was styled in the United Kingdom by Roy Axe and his team at Whitley, and the car was engineered by Simca at Poissy in France.
The Talbot Samba is a city car manufactured by the PSA Group in the former Simca factory in Poissy, France, and marketed under the short-lived modern-day Talbot brand from 1981 to 1986. Based on the Peugeot 104, it and the Talbot Express were the only Talbots not inherited from Chrysler Europe, engineered by PSA alone. It was also the last new Talbot car to be launched. Its demise in 1986 was effectively the end of the Talbot brand for passenger cars. Launched initially as a three-door hatchback, it was also for some time the only small car available in a factory-ordered cabrio body style, and the most economical car in Europe.
Chrysler Europe was the American automotive company Chrysler's operations in Europe from 1967 through 1978. It was formed from the merger of the French Simca, British Rootes and Spanish Barreiros companies. In 1978, Chrysler divested these operations to PSA Peugeot Citroën.
The Chrysler Sunbeam is a small supermini three-door hatchback manufactured by Chrysler Europe at the former Rootes Group factory in Linwood in Scotland, from 1977 to 1981. The Sunbeam's development was funded by a UK Government grant with the aim of keeping the Linwood plant running, and the small car was based on the larger Hillman Avenger, also manufactured there. After the takeover of Chrysler's European operations by PSA, the model was renamed Talbot Sunbeam and continued in production until 1981. A Talbot Sunbeam Lotus version was successful in rallying and won the World Rally Championship manufacturers' title for Talbot in 1981.
The PSA Group, legally known as Peugeot S.A. was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles and motorcycles under the Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhall brands. On 18 December 2019, PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced that they had agreed to the terms of a binding $50 billion merger. On 16 July 2020, both companies announced the new name for their merged operations, Stellantis. The deal closed on 16 January 2021. As of 2022, Stellantis is fourth largest automaker by sales behind Toyota, Volkswagen Group, and Hyundai Motor Group.
The Peugeot 305 is a medium-sized car produced by the French automaker Peugeot from 1977 to 1989. It was offered as a four-door saloon, five-door estate, and as a three-door van derivative.
The Simca 1100 are a series of French compact family cars – mainly C-segment hatchbacks, but also a compact wagon and popular delivery vans – built for over 15 years by French car-maker Simca, from 1967 through 1982/1985. There was even a very early 'hot hatchback', and a family cross-over: the Matra Simca Rancho. The hatchbacks were replaced by the Simca-Talbot Horizon.
The Chrysler 180 was the base name for a series of large saloon cars produced by Chrysler Europe. Resulting from joining the development efforts of Rootes Group and Simca, the car was produced from 1970 to 1975 in Poissy, France, and later in Chrysler's subsidiary Barreiros' factory in Spain. The Chrysler 180 was also the base for the medium-sized model built by Chrysler Australia, the Chrysler Centura.
The C-segment is the 3rd category of the European segments for passenger cars and is described as "medium cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "small family car" size class, and the compact car category in the United States.
1986 in motoring includes developments in the automotive industry throughout 1986 by various automobile manufacturers, grouped by country. The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles.
1979 in motoring deals with developments in the automotive industry that occurred in 1979, listed by country. The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles.
1978 in motoring deals with developments in the automotive industry that occurred in 1978, listed by country. The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles.
The Stellantis Poissy plant is a French car plant belonging to Stellantis located in Poissy, Yvelines. It is dedicated to the manufacturer's Platform 1 cars, which are cars in the subcompact class, with an annual output of approximately 200,000 cars.
↑ Thevenet, Jean-Paul, ed. (January 1977). "30 jours d'automobile" [30 days of the automobile]. L'Automobile (in French). Neuilly, France: Societé des Editions Techniques et Touristiques de France (367): 5.
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