On the world stage, there is also a place for French car manufacturers. Being so accustomed to the more renowned American, German, or Italian iconic vehicles, car companies from France have always taken the second stage.
The reality is that there are a number of cool French cars that have been produced over the years. Some of them stand out with a cool and futuristic look, others have a true racing soul. We've also come to know some outstanding supercars produced in the land of the baguette which has immediately become dream cars for enthusiasts of all ages. Here are the most glorious French classic cars we would love to drive at least once.
10 Citroën DS
Presented at the 1955 Paris Motor Show, the DS featured technological innovations that remained current until the end of production in 1975. Some of them were rediscovered by many car manufacturers only several years after the end of its production.
The DS was equipped with hydro-pneumatic suspension which, until then, were only in the experimental phase. Also, this car allows the owner to change a tire without the use of a jack. The ride height of the suspension is adjustable and can be used to raise the car enough to slot an axle stand underneath.
9 Bugatti Type 35
The Type 35, along with the 37 and 39, is a racing car produced between 1924 and 1931 by the French manufacturer Bugatti. It's considered as one of the most significant sports cars ever, with a record of over 2,000 victories on tracks and on roads, which is a record still unbeaten. This was the model that - more than any other - fueled the legend of the "Bugatti thoroughbreds".
Even though it was a racing car, Ettore Bugatti wanted the Type 35 to be a good-looking vehicle. The car presented innovative alloy wheels, and the whole body was made from steel sheets with aerodynamic air intakes. The 8-cylinder in-line engine, together with a 4-speed transmission, could release 100HP (pretty astonishing for that time) and reach a top speed of 185km/h.
8 Renault 5 Turbo
The Renault 5 Turbo is not necessarily the most beautiful car in the world, but for sure is one of the most fun and naughty to drive. The sports version of the Renault 5, from which it derives, was produced between 1980 and 1985, and it was designed to be used in WRC rally competitions.
The car is powered by a 1.4L 4-cylinder engine, which is fitted with both a turbocharger and an intercooler to squeeze it to its highest peak of 160HP. For the racing version, the 5T was tuned up to 370HP in its most extreme version.
7 Peugeot 205 Turbo 16
The Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 is a mid-engined, four-wheel drive car produced in 200 units. With the EVO versions, Peugeot participated in the World Rally Championships from 1984 to 1986, winning two constructors' titles and two drivers' titles. In 1987, they participated in the Rally of the Pharaohs and in the Paris-Dakar where the car also raced in the following two years and won in 1987 and 1988.
Packed with a 1.8L 4-cylinder engine, the road version presents a twin-shaft distribution with a 16-valve cylinder head. It is supercharged by a KKK turbocharger and an intercooler for a power figure of 200hp. The gearbox is a 5-speed transmission and allows it to reach a top speed of 209 km/h and an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in only 6.0 seconds.
6 Alpine-Renault A110
The Alpine A110 was a sports car produced from 1962 to 1977. The most successful victories, in addition to the victories in the Monte Carlo Rally, were the two-time World Rally Championship title (1971 and 1973). Characterized by a steel frame and a fiberglass body, the swooping lines of the car make the A110 one of the coolest Europeans of that time.
Over the years, the car underwent modifications and engine swaps. One of the most appreciated versions is the 1.3L with 110HP. A rare pearl for collectors, this car is so enjoyable also thanks to the clean sporty driving set up and its lightweight.
5 Citroën CX
With the intention to produce an heir to the game-changing DS, Citroën gave birth to a high-end sedan, which proved to be an interesting car for several reasons. The CX owed its name to the intense work done by Robert Opron's team to create a car with marked aerodynamic characteristics: the aerodynamic penetration coefficient, known also as Cx, was 0.375, a remarkable value in the first half of the '70s.
The car presented some cool features: the suspension, the brakes, and the steering are hydraulic-powered. It all made a huge difference in terms of technology, in fact, this very car anticipated all the electric comforts that modern cars feature, but used mechanics and hydraulic systems to achieve the same.
4 Matra-Talbot Murena
We just can't stop looking at this cool '80s car with hidden headlights. This is a Matra-Talbot Murena and was produced between 1980 and 1984, and it was a mid-engined compact coupe.
It had two powertrain options; a 1.6L version and the larger 2.2L one. The 2.2-liter engine could also be ordered with a performance package called the "Préparation 142" option that increased the power output from 118HP to 142HP.
3 Venturi 400 GT
The Venturi 400 is a grand touring competition, from which a road version has been built. The main differences consisted in a series of small modifications aimed to get a proper road homologation, while the engine was the same as the race version, with a 5-speed manual gearbox and a top speed of 290 km/h.
The car was powered by a twin-turbo 3.0L V6 engine. The twin-turbo pushed the engine to produce 408 hp, with a torque of 530Nm and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds. Only 15 road units were made.
2 Citroën 2CV “Sahara”
The famous Citroën 2CV is so cool in its Sahara version. The car was packing 2 engines and each of the two were 26 cubic inches (don't laugh at these) and a power of 12 HP, for a total of 24 HP. In addition, each of the two motors drove the corresponding axle.
That means the Sahara was an all-wheel-drive 2CV, also characterized by the presence of two fuel tanks, one for each engine. And the driver could take advantage of the unique feature of choosing rear-wheel drive, front-wheel drive, and ultimately all-wheel drive.
1 Bugatti Veyron
Besides the long story in racing, Bugatti is currently a synonym of top-quality hypercars. The Bugatti Veyron is known to have been one of the most expensive production cars in the world during its production period (2005-2015) and was, at its launch, the fastest production car ever built, with a top speed of 408.47 km/h.
This Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Roadster is the ultimate high-performance Veyron launched in 2012. The top speed of the car is 410 km/h thanks to a W16 quad-turbo engine with large turbochargers that reach the incredible power of 1,200HP with a maximum torque of 1,500Nm. Getting from 0 to 100 km/h occurs in 2.6 seconds, and probably as soon as you finish reading this sentence, the car will be at 200km/h.