1. Peugeot, 2. Citroën, 3. Renault, 4. Bugatti, 5. DS Automobiles, 6. Alpine, 7. De La Chapelle, 8. Axiam, 9. Venturi, 10. Ligier. France is one of the world’s biggest car-producing countries, and even the most basic hatchbacks always exhibit a certain French refinement. The globe has been led by France’s innovative electric cars, and the country’s thriving microcard industry produces cars unlike any other. Some of the Most Popular Automobile Brands in France are listed here.
Peugeot
Automobile manufacturer Peugeot is a French brand that Stellantis owns. Founded in 1810 as a steel foundry, the family firm that preceded the modern Peugeot enterprises later expanded into the production of bicycles. Émile Peugeot submitted a trademark application for the lion on November 20, 1858. Along with Léon Serpollet, Armand Peugeot (1849–1915) created the company’s first automobile, a steam tricycle, in 1886. A Panhard–Daimler–powered internal combustion vehicle was then produced in 1890.
Both the Peugeot business and the family are Sochaux natives. Peugeot still maintains a sizable manufacturing facility and museum there. A recapitalization plan for the PSA Group was approved by the shareholders in February 2014, under which Dongfeng Motors and the French government each purchased a 14% stake in the business.
Peugeot’s market capitalization as of April 2023 is $23.44 billion. Peugeot is now the 745th most valuable company in the world according to market worth. The most recent financial reports from Peugeot indicate that the company’s current revenue (TTM) is $83.71 Billion. The corporation generated $83.71 billion in revenue in 2019, a decline from $84.68 billion in revenue in 2018.
Founded: 26 September 1810
Headquarter:Sochaux, France
Market cap: $23.44 Billion
Revenue in 2019: $83.71 B
Website: peugeot.com
Screenshot via peugeot.com
Citroën
The car company Citroen is based in France. André Citron established the “Automobiles Citron” manufacturing firm in March 1919. Since 2021, Stellantis has owned Citroen, which was formerly a part of the PSA Group after Peugeot purchased an 89.95% stake in 1976. Citroen’s headquarters, formerly at Rueil-Malmaison, have moved to the Stellantis Poissy Plant in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine as of 2021. Other offices for studies and research are located in Vélizy-Villacoublay, Poissy (CEMR), Carrières-sous-Poissy, and Sochaux-Montbéliard.
With the Traction Avant, the company gained a reputation for cutting-edge technology in 1934. This was the first mass-produced vehicle in history to include front-wheel drive, four-wheel independent suspension, and unibody construction, which eliminates the need for a separate chassis and uses the vehicle’s body as its primary load-bearing structure.
They created the first hydropneumatic self-leveling suspension system in the world in 1954, the ground-breaking DS, the first mass-produced car with contemporary disc brakes in 1955, and swiveling headlights in several of their models in 1967. These vehicles have won numerous national and international awards, including three European Car of the Year awards.
Founded: March 1919
Headquarter: Poissy (New), Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, France
Market Cap: N/A
Revenue: N/A
Website: citroen.com
Screenshot via citroen.com
Renault
Renault was established in 1899 and is a French multinational vehicle manufacturer. In addition to making a variety of automobiles and vans now, the business has also produced autorail vehicles in the past, along with trucks, tractors, tanks, buses, and coaches.
In terms of manufacturing volume, Renault was the ninth-largest manufacturer in the world in 2016, according to the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles. The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance overtook Toyota as the largest seller of light automobiles by 2017. The Renault group, which has its headquarters in Boulogne-Billancourt, close to Paris, consists of the South Korean Renault Korea Motors, Alpine, Renault Sport (Gordini), Automobile Dacia, and the namesake Renault brand.
Renault’s market capitalization as of April 2023 is $11.44 billion. By market cap, this places Renault as the 1346th most valuable corporation in the world. The most recent financial reports from Renault show that the company’s current revenue (TTM) is $52.33 Billion. The company generated $52.33 billion in revenue in 2021, which is a decline from $53.47 billion in revenue in 2020.
Founded: 25 February 1899
Headquarter: Boulogne-Billancourt, Île-de-France, France
Market cap: $11.44 Billion
Revenue in 2021: $52.33 B
Website: renaultgroup.com
Screenshot via renaultgroup.com
Bugatti
Automobiles German and then French automaker Ettore Bugatti specialized in producing high-performance vehicles. The business was established in 1909 by Italian-born industrial designer Ettore Bugatti in Molsheim, Alsace, which was then a part of Germany. The vehicles were well-known for both their numerous race triumphs and stunning design. The Type 35 Grand Prix cars, the Type 41 “Royale,” the Type 57 “Atlantic,” and the Type 55 sports car are all well-known Bugatti vehicles.
Ettore Bugatti’s passing in 1947 dealt a serious blow to the brand, while his son Jean’s passing in 1939 left the manufacture without a leader to take over. Only roughly 8,000 automobiles were produced. A last model was produced by the company in the 1950s until it was eventually acquired for its airplane parts business in 1963 due to financial difficulties. The brand was purchased by an Italian businessman in 1987, and he resurrected it as Bugatti Automobili SpA.
Founded: 1909
Headquarter: Molsheim, Alsace, France
Market Capitalization: N/A
Website: https://www.bugatti.com/
Screenshot via https://www.bugatti.com/
DS Automobiles
Automobiles Citroen S.A., a division ultimately owned by Stellantis, is the parent company of the French luxury-premium vehicle brand DS Automobiles. Although it had been cut off from Citroen in Asia since 2012, the DS marque was founded independently in 2014 from the former DS subbrand and line of models of Citroen cars produced since 2009.
Different Spirit or Distinctive Series may be abbreviated as DS, while it is also thought to be a homage to the iconic executive automobile Citroen DS. The name plays on words as well because it is pronounced in French like the word déesse, which means “goddess.”
The Peugeot, Citroen, and Talbot car brands made up the PSA Group’s initial lineup, but none of them were regarded as “premium” names. Similar to Chevrolet/Buick or Volkswagen/Audi, PSA has experimented with distinguishing its brands based on price levels since 1976, but neither brand was strong enough to support premium pricing. Groupe PSA made the decision to capitalize on the design legacy of the original Citroen DS (1955-1975), which was created by Flaminio Bertoni and André Lefèbvre.
Founded: 2009
Headquarter: France
Website: dsautomobiles.com
Screenshot via dsautomobiles.com
Screenshot via dsautomobiles.com
Alpine
Established in 1955, the Société des Automobiles Alpine SAS, or Alpine is a French manufacturer of racing and sports automobiles. In 1954, the Alpine automaker was founded.
Formerly the owner of a Dieppe garage, Jean Rédélé founded Alpine. He first gained success in motorsport with the Renault 4CV, one of the first post-war French vehicles made. Through its history, Renault has had a tight relationship with the business, which it acquired in 1973.
In 1976, Alpine’s competitive division joined with Renault Sport, and the company stopped producing cars with the Alpine brand in 1995. With the release of the new Alpine A110 in 2017, the Alpine brand underwent a redesign. As part of a company reorganization in January 2021, Renault stated that Alpine and Renault Sport have once more been combined to establish an Alpine business unit.
Founded: 22 June 1955
Headquarter: Dieppe, France
Market Capitalization: €101.16 million (end 20200
Revenue: €92.58 million (2020)
Website: alpinecars.com
Screenshot via alpinecars.com
De La Chapelle
In the early 1900s, the De La Chapelle brothers made automobiles under the Stimula brand. Xavier de la Chapelle restarted the company in the 1970s, and it has since created bespoke road vehicles as well as well-regarded replicas of 1930s Bugattis. De La Chapelle currently offers the extraordinary new-from-old Atalante Series 6, based on the 1930s Bugatti Atalante and powered by a V8 engine, after focusing on electric people carriers.
With the Stimula brand, the De la Chapelle family has left a distinguished automotive tradition. Their second original product, the Roadster, was produced in 1996. They also provide miniature genuine autos for kids. The Roadster is powered by Peugeot (Straight-4/V6), the Concept Car by Mercedes (V8) or Jaguar, and the Replicas by BMW (Straight-6) (V12).
Founded: 1900s
Revenue:N/A
Website: https://delachapelle.com/
Screenshot via https://delachapelle.com/
Axiam
Aixam-Mega, pronounced in French, is a car manufacturer with headquarters in Savoie’s Aix-les-Bains. In 1983, it was established to produce microcars after buying Arola. Aixam-Mega was purchased by Polaris Industries, a US-based company, from its former owners Axa Private Equity on April 11, 2013.
The company can trace its roots to the founding of Arola in 1975, which Aixam purchased out of administration in 1983. The revised 325D was introduced by Aixam in 1984, and the 400D followed in 1985.
Mega began producing a variety of standard-sized cars in 1992, but by 2002, this name was only being used to identify a selection of microvans and light utility vehicles that were available in both diesel and electric versions. The firm presently manufactures the Aixam A.7XX series, a microcar equivalent to the Smart that is propelled by Kubota diesel engines. One major distinction is that in several European nations, some of the smaller models can be operated without a driving license and are limited to speeds of 45 kilometers per hour (28 mph) (including Belgium, Estonia, Germany, France, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, and Slovenia)
Founded: 1983
Headquarter: Aix-les-Bains, Savoie, France
Website: https://www.aixam.com/
Screenshot via https://www.aixam.com/
Venturi
Located in Monaco, Venturi is a company that makes cars. French engineers Claude Poiraud and Gérard Godfroy established MVS in 1984. (Manufacture de Voitures de Sport). Before declaring bankruptcy in 2000, Venturi ran for almost sixteen years. Gildo Pallanca Pastor, a Monegasque, bought Venturi in the same year and opted to concentrate on electric motors. Being the first team to sign up for the Formula E World Championship, Venturi competes with Edoardo Mortara and Lucas di Grassi as its drivers.
Claude Poiraud and Gérard Godfroy, two former engineers of Heuliez, developed the first Venturi in 1984. The objective was to display the one and only “Grand Tourisme” French vehicle that could compete with the German Porsche, Italian Ferrari, and English Aston Martin. The name of the first vehicle displayed was initially written “Ventury,” with a “y” at the end, and it had a VW Golf GTi engine.
The automobile was first displayed in 1985 with a 200 PS (147 kW) Peugeot 505 Turbo engine, but by the 1986 Paris Motor Show, the PRV V6 engine had given it its final shape. Five automobiles were constructed in the first year of production in 1987, and production grew in the following years.
Founded: 1984
Headquarter: Monaco
Website: https://www.venturi.com/en/
Screenshot via https://www.venturi.com/en/
Ligier
Guy Ligier (1930–2015), a former racing driver and rugby player, founded the French vehicle and minibus manufacturer Ligier, which specialized in the production of microcars. Ligier’s involvement in the Formula 1 World Championship from 1976 through 1996 is what made it most famous.
The Ligier-Martini organization provided sports prototypes used in endurance or hill climbing in cooperation with Automobiles Martini (CN). Ligier and Martini joined forces with Onroak Automotive (the manufacturing division of OAK Racing) following the ACO’s announcement that the new category LMP3 had been created in order to provide a full selection of prototypes (CN, LMP3, LMP1, and LMP2).
The company made its foray into the automotive industry with the mid-engined sports car for the road, the Ligier JS2, which was initially powered by a Ford V6 and, starting in 1971, by the same Maserati V6 engine as the Citroen SM. Several people thought the JS2 was a well-designed vehicle with an excellent power-to-weight ratio.
In honor of Ligier’s close friend and coworker Jo Schlesser, who died in the 1968 French Grand Prix while racing for Honda, all Ligier cars were given the prefix “JS.” The Ligier facility in Vichy also produced the finished SMs. Production of the JS2 was abruptly stopped because of the 1973 energy crisis, and the company switched its attention to microcars with the 1980 Ligier JS4, powered by a moped.
Founded: 1968
Headquarter: Abrest, France
Website: ligier.fr
Screenshot via ligier.fr
Source: https://top-list.co/top-most-popular-french-cars-brands-v12439.html
Keyword: Top Most Popular French Cars Brands