Jalopnik: French Cars

The Citroën SM’s sales brochure was awesome

Peter Orosz — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:30:00 EDT

So it was apparently not enough for glorious pre-Peugeot Citroën to create in the SM the greatest grand tourer ever made. They also had to photograph it floating against a dreamy orange industrial landscape. But of course. (H/T to Gashetka) More »

American cars just aren't French enough

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EDT

I'm no Francophile. I like certain French directors and adore certain French women. I can't stand French hip hop but I'll be damned if I don't love a French car. The stranger the better. And most French cars are weird in a way that American cars should be. More »

Leave it to the French to drive Citroën 2CV-based jeeps across the Sahara

Peter Orosz — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:30:00 EDT

A 600 cc, two-cylinder 2CV kitted out with sheet steel panels bolted together and called the Baby-Brousse is less ridiculous than it sounds. Leaving behind their humble origins as French peasant cars, these little Citroëns rode in 1973 from Paris to Abidjan, on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, to shame all future Paris–Dakar wannabes. More »

The most majestic French failure ever

Peter Orosz — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:30:00 EDT

What is it with the French and their magnificent market failures? This is the Citroën SM Opéra, a galactic market failure which makes galactic market failures like the Renault Avantime (total made: 8,557) look positively submicroscopic. For this, to be specific, is one of the eight Citroën SM Opéras ever made. More »

A Once-Common French Family Car Turned Fall Beauty

Peter Orosz — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:30:00 EDT

There may only be one Renault 16 in America. The remaining 1,845,958 are scattered all over the world. This is one of them, standing proud in fallen leaves. More »

A Monowheel in Pre-War Paris

Peter Orosz — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EDT

Monowheels have certainly not have taken off in any big way, but just like ekranoplans you sort of wish they had. This French model from 1932 even has very clever steering. Watch the inventor do le burnout! More »

Rock Out With Your Coq Out

Peter Orosz — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EDT

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Super2CV is a wonderful photoblog not only about 2CV’s but all flavors of classic Citroën, with a healthy sprinkling of kustom rods and cute French chicks smoking cigarettes on top. Photo Credit: Etienne Musslin More »

New Peugeot Bipper Tepee Has World's Dumbest Name

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EDT

The Frenchmen at Peugeot must have been quite drunk when they decided on "Bipper Tepee," and that's too bad, the weirdo name betrays what looks like a fairly useful little vehicle. More »

Citroën GS: As French As it Gets

Peter Orosz — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT

Sometimes, the French are even more French than anyone could imagine them to be. Meet the Citroën GS, star of a great little music video. More »

Secma F16 Roadster Provides Cheap Thrills

Mark Arnold — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:00:00 EDT

The tiny Secma F16 Roadster may not be angry or aggressive like a KTM X-Bow or a Caterham, but that doesn't mean you won't be able to have some good, clean fun in it. The 1.6-liter Renault four-banger powering the French track car produces just 105 HP, but it's mounted in the back for 40/60 front/rear weight distribution and Porsche-like handling. What's more, the whole car weighs just 1200 pounds, meaning the sprint from 0-62 MPH takes 5.9 seconds. Of course, the top speed is only 112 MPH, but you won't care, with a price equivalent to just over $23,000. Think of the Secma as part Meyers Manx, part Ariel Atom, but completely French. More »

Renaults, Citroens And Talbots... Oh My! French Cars On Bastille Day

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Happy Bastille Day! In honor of the 219th anniversary of the symbolic beginning of modern France, our very own Frenchman Franzouse, has collected these photos from the "Course de Cote" vintage hill climb in St Geniez D'olt. Each car is a unique part of French rallying history, and the gallery includes a Renault R5 Turbo 2, a Citroen Visa rally car and a Talbot Sunbeam. And that's just what we can name off the top of our head. More »

V8 Citroen 2CV For Safari Hoons

Mark Arnold — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:03:00 EDT

Amidst the sea of high-dollar muscle cars and carnauba-soaked hot rods, the last car you'd expect to see on the main floor of Autorama is a small French car. Any sort of Citroën 2CV would be distinct, but when it's one sporting safari survival equipment, off-road suspension, and a small block V8 under the hood, it looks fantastically wacky. Drivetrain and suspension bits come from an old Suzuki Samurai, hence this car's name: "Le Sami." No House of Kolor pearl ghost flames here; Le Sami has been ~~painted~~ coated with a thick layer of spray-on bedliner— yes, the stuff for pickup truck beds. That coating not only makes the car scratch-resistant, but also adds a degree of rigidity to the weak Citroën structure. So while most of the other cars on the show floor will only be driven off of trailers and over mirrors, this 2CV will be driven not just on the road, but off the beaten path as well. More »

DOTS Geneva: Citroen 2CV

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:30:30 EST

We haven't run the numbers, but there is an assumption the Citroen 2CV makes a decent showing when scored by our official guidelines. We caught this one parked alongside the Eglise Russa (Russian Church) and couldn't help but snap away like it was freshly unveiled. The French horse was tucked in tight and of course passers by assumed we were either French or insane while standing in the road admiring its underpowered glory. More »