If Germany was the birthplace of the motorcar, then France was its cradle. The pioneer French makes were Panhard and Peugeot, who used Daimler-designed engines. In 1891 Panhard built the first car with the modern layout of front engine, sliding gear transmission and rear drive. Louis Renault built his first car in 1898, starting production the following year. He used shaft drive from the start, when most contemporaries were only using chains or belts, and even his powerful racing cars and heavy trucks were always shaft driven. France made more cars than any other country up to 1906, when they were overtaken by the U.S.A.. AndrΘ Citr÷en, a former gear maker, became one of the Big Three (with Peugeot and Renault) in the 1920s, his best known models being the Austin Seven-rivalling 5CV of 1922-26, and the front-drive 7CV or Traction Avant of 1934-57. Development of this was so expensive that it bankrupted Citr÷en, and control passed to Michelin. After World War II France was famous for small cars such as the rear-engined Renault 750 and the front-drive, rustic-looking Citr÷en 2CV. Citr÷en also made headlines with the advanced DS19 of 1955, with its self-levelling suspension and disc front brakes. Between the wars France made many fine tourers and sports cars, through companies such as Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye, Hotchkiss and Talbot, as well as the luxurious Hispano-Suiza. None of these survived the 1950s, and apart from the Chrysler-engined Facel Vega of 1954-64, France has had no prestige makes ever since. But she has made up for this with excellent small cars such as the Renault 5 and Clio, Peugeot 205 and Citr÷en AX, and executive saloons like the Renault 25 and Safrane, and Citr÷en XM. France also pioneered the people carrier or Multi-Purpose Vehicle, with the Renault Espace, now joined by the Citr÷en Evasion and Peugeot 806.
