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26th of October 2009 | 16:53 GMT | Alex Oagana
The French Connection...
STORY HIGHLIGHTS:
- French cars were among the most innovative in history
- The French car industry might soon be back on its feet
... No matter what some history books are telling you, the French didn't invent the automobile. Yes, I know, a French dude by the name of Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot was experimenting in the late 1700s with a steam-powered vehicle - the so-called Fardier à vapeur - for the French army. Later on, another peer of his named Amédée Bollée, actually built a whole range of steam-powered vehicles in the 1870s, still about a decade before Karl Benz's and Gottlieb Daimler's inventions.
There are two fundamental flaws in thinking that those were the first automobiles. First of all, if a so-called "car" has an excruciatingly low top speed or it has to constantly stop in order to be refueled with coal, wood or any other flammable material and its range is worse than that of a cart pulled by a donkey with arthritis, then it's not exactly an automobile, is it? I mean, where is the actual mobility of it?
Second of all, Cugnot wasn't even the first to build a self-propelled vehicle. That title is more fitting to a certain Ferdinand Verbiest, who was a Flemish Jesuit missionary in China during the Qing dynasty, in the seventeenth century. Apparently, he designed and built a steam-powered (here we go again) four-wheeled toy for the Chinese Kangxi Emperor as early as 1672.
I think most of you will agree with me, neither one of these vehicles - as innovative for their times as they were - could be considered a modern automobile. That title still remains in the Germans' backyard.
As a matter of fact, the same could be said about popularizing the automobile (the French didn't do it, ed). The first "mass-produced" French automobiles were made by Panhard et Levassor, in 1890, which is pretty early, right? Well, guess what kind of engines were they using? If you guessed "Daimler engines used under license", you win the prize. So the Germans actually helped the French popularize their own automobiles.
Mkay, how about automobile safety or practical solutions for reducing costs and adding reliability? Well, the safety bit is shared between Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. So, no matter how many models with five EuroNCAP stars Renault might have, they still didn't introduce half as many safety innovations during the years as the aforementioned two. Cost reduction and reliability? Well, the automotive "Just in Time" concept was pretty much introduced by Toyota, while one of the most reliable car brands in history is Honda.
How about automotive design avangarde? Umm, I guess almost everyone agrees that the "automotive design prize for the most beautiful cars in the world" belongs 100% on Italian turf, no matter how many convex and concave shapes Renault and Citroën have brought to the table in recent years.
So, what did the French brought for the automotive industry anyway? I'll tell you what, innovation. They have been the true revolutionaries of the car world ever since the 1930s, when models like the Peugeot 402 BL Éclipse Décapotable (world's first retractable hardtop convertible) or the Citroën Traction Avant were making history. Things didn't stop after World War Two, with again Citroën leading the way in the technology department and Renault following them.
Then, the 1970s happened, and France's number one automotive technology leader went bankrupt and got sold to one of its rivals. Goodbye never-before-seen cars, hello French numbness when it comes to groundbreaking models!
Anyway, long story short, this year's Frankfurt Motor Show was host to a tidal wave of green and/or fuel efficient vehicles, with the spotlight appearing to show mostly... French car makes. Renault brought not one but four electric concept cars that are almost ready for mass production, Peugeot brought the BB1 city car concept and a couple of hybrids, while Citroën unveiled a green concept with a design harking back to the innovative 2CV and an entire fleet of hybrids and electric cars soon-to-be on the road.
My question to you guys is, will the three French car makers lead the way into a new era of greener cars in the near future – hence their recent fleet of electric and hybrid concepts which look near production – or will they miss the train again and lose the game to the Germans and the Japanese?
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There are two fundamental flaws in thinking that those were the first automobiles. First of all, if a so-called "car" has an excruciatingly low top speed or it has to constantly stop in order to be refueled with coal, wood or any other flammable material and its range is worse than that of a cart pulled by a donkey with arthritis, then it's not exactly an automobile, is it? I mean, where is the actual mobility of it?
Second of all, Cugnot wasn't even the first to build a self-propelled vehicle. That title is more fitting to a certain Ferdinand Verbiest, who was a Flemish Jesuit missionary in China during the Qing dynasty, in the seventeenth century. Apparently, he designed and built a steam-powered (here we go again) four-wheeled toy for the Chinese Kangxi Emperor as early as 1672.
I think most of you will agree with me, neither one of these vehicles - as innovative for their times as they were - could be considered a modern automobile. That title still remains in the Germans' backyard.
As a matter of fact, the same could be said about popularizing the automobile (the French didn't do it, ed). The first "mass-produced" French automobiles were made by Panhard et Levassor, in 1890, which is pretty early, right? Well, guess what kind of engines were they using? If you guessed "Daimler engines used under license", you win the prize. So the Germans actually helped the French popularize their own automobiles.
Mkay, how about automobile safety or practical solutions for reducing costs and adding reliability? Well, the safety bit is shared between Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. So, no matter how many models with five EuroNCAP stars Renault might have, they still didn't introduce half as many safety innovations during the years as the aforementioned two. Cost reduction and reliability? Well, the automotive "Just in Time" concept was pretty much introduced by Toyota, while one of the most reliable car brands in history is Honda.
How about automotive design avangarde? Umm, I guess almost everyone agrees that the "automotive design prize for the most beautiful cars in the world" belongs 100% on Italian turf, no matter how many convex and concave shapes Renault and Citroën have brought to the table in recent years.
So, what did the French brought for the automotive industry anyway? I'll tell you what, innovation. They have been the true revolutionaries of the car world ever since the 1930s, when models like the Peugeot 402 BL Éclipse Décapotable (world's first retractable hardtop convertible) or the Citroën Traction Avant were making history. Things didn't stop after World War Two, with again Citroën leading the way in the technology department and Renault following them.
Then, the 1970s happened, and France's number one automotive technology leader went bankrupt and got sold to one of its rivals. Goodbye never-before-seen cars, hello French numbness when it comes to groundbreaking models!
Anyway, long story short, this year's Frankfurt Motor Show was host to a tidal wave of green and/or fuel efficient vehicles, with the spotlight appearing to show mostly... French car makes. Renault brought not one but four electric concept cars that are almost ready for mass production, Peugeot brought the BB1 city car concept and a couple of hybrids, while Citroën unveiled a green concept with a design harking back to the innovative 2CV and an entire fleet of hybrids and electric cars soon-to-be on the road.
My question to you guys is, will the three French car makers lead the way into a new era of greener cars in the near future – hence their recent fleet of electric and hybrid concepts which look near production – or will they miss the train again and lose the game to the Germans and the Japanese?
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26.10.2009 | 19:24 GMT
Nice one! I miss that Megane 2 cool hatch ;)
30.10.2009 | 11:14 GMT
Do you have actually done any research on this subject or are these all just your personal opinions?
-Automobile means just a thing that moves autonomously no matter how slowly or unreliably, so the steam powered ones were the first autos.
-Citroën DS has been voted in many polls as one of the most beautiful cars of all time.
-Honda isn't actually the most reliable brand there is, its just perceived that way (tho it does come in the top 3 in reliability)
30.10.2009 | 14:28 GMT
Hi Richtofen, thanks for the message. I shall try to answer you point by point;
- yes, I did some prior research, especially on the steam-powered vehicles; still, that doesn't change the fact that I put a lot of personal opinions in it, since it's an editorial after all;
- steam-powered vehicles were the first automobiles, correct, but not the first modern automobiles; the Daimler Motorwagen and the Benz Patent Motor Car were the first modern ones, not that very different in the way they work to a modern automobile;
- true, I also think that the DS is one of the most beautiful cars ever; but what is your opinion on the design of the Citroën AX, for example?
- Honda has been near the top of most reliability studies for quite a few years now; I think it's more than just a personal opinion to consider it the most reliable brand on the whole...
30.10.2009 | 15:12 GMT
Citroën AX is about as beautiful as a potato I agree. Also I hugely appreciate the fact that you took time to respond to me.
04.11.2009 | 16:32 GMT
Interesting interaction above. You 'airbrushed' the role of Citroen DS by not telling all about it. It was not only beautiful, it was loaded with so much innovation modern automobiles are now catching up with it..eg. directional headlights!! Nice article!
05.11.2009 | 07:02 GMT
most CITROEN, RENAULT and PEUGEOT have been designed by Italians or directly by Pininfarina or Giugiaro , please read the history of the superb DS
http://designmuseum.org/design/flaminio-bertoni
06.11.2009 | 12:49 GMT
Accordin to this point of view, neither have the americans invented the airplane. Santos Drumont is the one who invented it.
07.11.2009 | 04:07 GMT
Yes, the Citroën DS is beautiful, but the Porsche 911 (1996 911 Turbo is perfection) and its bloodlines (VW Beetle all the way up to the GT3) is a perfect car.
There exist certain cars that are just timeless and use the same original design for a good number of yrs. The 911, Beetle, Bentley series, Rolls Royce, Land Rover, and my current favourite the mkII Opel Kadett, ah I will be slapped around the mouth if I don't mention the VW Golf and GTi.
07.11.2009 | 18:22 GMT
You just wasted so much time writing and posting this. Not only is it woefully uninformed, your opinions make it laughable. Saying automotive design prize goes to the Italians is like saying "I got some really great spiritual guidance from an episode of Hee-Haw."
10.11.2009 | 09:17 GMT
You forgott the technical revolution from the DS in 1955 (hydraupneumatic suspension+disc brakes+ hydraulic driven transmission) and the SM, first speed variable steering wheel assistance in 1970, 10 years before BMW on the 850...Or the first car with nicasil coated cylinders (Visa 652cc) now used by Porsche, Renault popularised the hatchback (R16), Panhard and he's aerodynamic cars (PL24 and others) better than most of the actuel cars.
Who invent the car? it's not the question: the car history is one addition of innovations from all of the world, same thing with the aircraft, and French take a big part of the innovations...
next generation: the electric car and the engine wheel: first of them is the Lohner Porsche in 1900, current use on heavy and slow machines (hydraulic or electric) last innovation 2007: Michelin active Wheel...French...
20.11.2009 | 07:50 GMT
Even for editorial opinion, this is a very poorly written blog entry. 'I think most of you will agree with me' that this is composed of ill-informed, non-specific generalisations. It went off the rails with the first argument on what defined the first automobile. The final question, being based on concept vehicles, is so meaningless as to insult the reader's intelligence.
As I can't find much positive to say about this piece, I will choose to believe that you can actually write much better than this effort, but were in a desperate hurry when you posted this.