Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

Germany is considered to be the birthplace of the automobile industry, but in fact, it was the French who really promoted the development of cars.

In 11769, Junio, a technical officer of the French Army, successfully trial-produced the world's first steam car with practical value with the support of the government, which triggered an upsurge in research and development and automobile manufacturing all over the world.

Unfortunately, the subsequent French Revolution interrupted the hot trend of automobile research for a time. However, the enthusiasm of French man-made cars has not been extinguished, and some people are still quietly improving their car-building technology.

In 1828, Paqual, president of the Paris Technical School, built a steam-towed car. He creatively placed the engine at the front of the car and adopted the general layout of rear axle drive.

The car is driven by a chain between the engine and the rear axle. In order to turn flexibly, the rear axle system is composed of two half shafts, which are connected by differential gears, which is the first invented differential. In addition, the two small front wheels are elastically connected with the frame, which is the earliest prototype of the independent suspension system of the vehicle.

It is worth mentioning that these two technologies are still widely used in automobile manufacturing technology.

The steam age pushed Europe into the era of science and technology blowout, which inspired all kinds of inventions.

With the advent of technological products such as gramophones, movies and streetcars, Europeans have tasted the pleasures of world civilization and accelerated economic prosperity.

From the banks of the Danube to the Alps, a wave of modernization swept across Europe. The girl lifted the veil over her face, the boy was no longer proud of growing beards, and even the swimming pool removed the baffle that separates men and women.

In the face of the rapid development of capitalist industry and commerce, governments in Europe and the United States felt that carriages were far from being able to meet the needs of the times and began to vigorously advocate power locomotives. The car-building industry in European countries, such as a long drought, developed rapidly.

In 1886, in the third year of the Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul, Turkey, the German Mercedes-Benz and Daimler successively invented cars powered by internal combustion engines.

The Germans invented the car, but the French turned it into a real commodity with a shrewd mind. In 1887, the French company Prunl bought Daimler's authorized production license and began to sell it to the rich.

At that time, cars were purely luxury goods and adopted the order-to-order production mode. Automakers completely customize the shape of the car and even the engine horsepower according to the needs of customers.

Since no more than 50 models can be made by hand, each model sells for hundreds or even thousands of francs, and French carmakers have made a lot of money from it.

Since making cars makes so much money, French scientists have also accelerated the progress of research and development.

In 1889, French Jeanpierre Peugeot and steam dynamicist Leon Sepoli jointly developed France's first car. The steam-driven three-wheeled car was named Sapolai Peugeot, and Peugeot was founded.

When seeing the strong power of the internal combustion engine invented by Daimler in Germany, Peugeot did not hesitate to give up the production of steam locomotives and turn to the research and development of four-wheeled cars with internal combustion engines.

French Panhard followed, changing the car design that generally hid the engine at the bottom of the seat to a front engine plus rear wheel drive, completely breaking the status quo that the shape of the car could only imitate the style of a horse-drawn carriage.

At that time, although internal combustion engine cars became the consensus of all car manufacturing countries, the car market was still dominated by steam cars.

In 1894, in the first car race in history, the Paris-Rouen race, it was lively that several old cars that looked funny today chased each other.

In the end, the winner was a steam car made by a French brand called DeDion, which reached a top speed of 38 mph.

Although the speed is not fast, countless Europeans yearn for it because of the excitement brought by the car race.

The strong interest in cars has driven the Excelsior Frenchman to continue to delve into automobile technology.

In 1899, the Frenchman Louis Renault replaced the traditional chain or belt drive with a gear drive, which further improved the efficiency of the car and founded Renault.

An endless stream of inventions and designs have promoted the arrival of the automobile era in France.

At the beginning of the 220th century, there were hundreds of French automakers, and Peugeot was the most powerful.

Since its birth, Peugeot has been actively absorbing the world's advanced automobile manufacturing technology for its own use.

By 1903, Peugeot had successfully produced and sold six models. Especially the Peugeot 39 car, the shape design is very amazing. It not only sells well in Europe and the United States, but also is exported to China.

At about the same time, Renault was luckily chosen as the designated model by Paris Taxi and subsequently occupied most of the French and British taxi markets.

In the context of car manufacturers competing with each other, France's level of science and technology is also advancing by leaps and bounds.

In the summer of 1909, French engineers flew their own planes across the English Channel, cheering all over Europe.

Before the outbreak of World War I, Peugeot updated its products every year and produced 12000 vehicles a year, accounting for 50 per cent of French car production that year.

Germany produces about 20,000 cars a year, but France is far ahead in terms of car shape design, engine performance and parts.

As for Britain, which is also an industrial power, because of its conservative attitude towards cars and disdain for new things, it produced less than 2000 vehicles a year in the same period.

When Germany and France were proud of their cars, the cheap and high-quality American Ford swept the entire European market, which soon stopped the two auto giants from laughing.

In 1914, the United States produced 485000 cars a year, of which more than 200000 were Ford Model T cars produced by assembly lines, while the total production of nearly 150 French automakers was only 45000.

French carmakers are finally aware of the ruthless crush of modern industry on the traditional manual production mode and are catching up.

However, due to the outbreak of World War I, all French automakers were inevitably involved in the war and reduced to a war machine.

During the war, Peugeot showed a strong spirit of patriotism in front of the German invaders: in addition to the occupied Lille factory, the remaining four Peugeot factories were at full capacity. A total of 3000 cars, 6000 trucks and 10000 aircraft engines were produced for the French army, contributing to France's victory.

Renault's taxi fleet has also become the most important French transport fleet, winning praise for the brand.

The same is true of Citroen, which received a lot of money for automobile production during the war because of the production of arms.

Citroen started out as a gear factory, and its founder, Andre Citroen, was so excited when he saw the advanced manufacturing methods of the assembly line in the United States that he vowed to become the Henry Ford of France.

In 1919, Citroen launched the TYPE-A, the first product to be mass-produced on an assembly line, announcing the arrival of the era of national consumption of cars in continental Europe.

After the end of World War I, the pattern of French automobile industry gradually formed an era of three giants represented by Peugeot, Renault and Citroen.

Throughout the 1920s, the fashion of the world looked at Paris, and countless art lovers came to France with a pilgrimage mood.

Although France was not the most powerful car producer in the world at that time, the inherent aesthetic taste of the French extended to car manufacturing.

For example, France's top luxury car brand Delahaye 135, which is as famous as Chanel jewelry and fashion, stands at the pinnacle of car design with its beautiful teardrop design.

French automakers treat each car design like a work of art, leaving behind the design model that has been praised so far.

While competing, the three major automakers have contributed a number of benchmark technological innovations to the world automobile industry, making France the second largest automobile producer in Europe.

In 1929, Peugeot at the Paris Motor Show in France launched a new model, the first Peugeot 201. The car is still in use by Peugeot with a middle number of zero.

The Peugeot 201 is the first car in the world with independent front suspension and has been used for reference by other competitors. Today, the suspension system design of French cars is still unique.

In the 1930s, the United States and Europe produced more than 5 million cars a year, finally allowing cars to enter thousands of households.

The rapid spread of cars has made Europeans who have just survived the economic crisis relaxed and can drive to farther places, and the world has become so accessible.

In the warm breeze, the French drive the Peugeot 301 with a new aerodynamic design, with a German airship slowly across Europe overhead, and people look up and cheer.

In 1931, Citroen organized a "fleet of brave people" to cross the Himalayas to Beijing to complete the incredible "Journey to the East"-the first time mankind has achieved a great feat across Eurasia by mechanical power.

At that time, it seemed to be the first appearance of globalization, there was an attractive sweet smell in the air, and people outlined a bright future in the convenience brought by cars.

On May 6, 1937, the airship Hindenburg crashed and burst into flames. At least 36 of the 97 passengers and crew were killed.

People who heard the bad news had tears in their eyes, but did not realize that the death knell of the golden age sounded.

In 1939, the second World War broke out.

Hapless France was once again occupied by Germany, and several car giants fell into German hands one after another.

Because of Peugeot's consistent uncooperative attitude, a large number of factories were closed by the German army, production materials were plundered and operations were interrupted.

Citroen was also unkind to the Germans, pretending that its French and Belgian factories were bombed by the Germans, and always disobeyed Germany's order to resume production as soon as possible.

By contrast, Renault's performance is very different from that of World War I. With the help of its founder Louis Renault, Renault was notorious for producing a large number of tanks, aircraft engines and other weapons for the Germans during the war.

As a result, Peugeot and Citroen continued to develop after the war, Renault was taken over by the French government, Louis Renault was arrested and died on the day awaiting trial.

After World War II, Europe rose from the ruins of the war, and people healed their wounds and rebuilt their lives.

Although Renault was accepted by the government for its "betrayal" during World War II, it was blessed by misfortune, and backed by the government to merge many car companies, developed a variety of models, which was very eye-catching in the French automobile market at that time.

One of the Renault 4CV models with 747mL engines is exported to European countries for its outstanding performance, with an annual output of 1.5 million vehicles, which has established Renault's influence throughout Europe.

In 1946, the battered Peugeot struggled to recover with the remaining equipment and personnel.

At the Paris Motor Show two years later, Peugeot unveiled the latest postwar model, 203. The car was so popular with its integrated body structure and new technology that it became the first Peugeot model to sell more than 500000 vehicles and continued to sell well for 12 years.

In order to help the French people recover their economy after the war, Citroen decided to build a car that "everyone can afford", "can carry four people, 50 kilograms of potatoes", and "can travel freely on the path between the Alps."

As a result, the Citroen 2CV with only 375mL displacement arises at the historic moment.

This is an economical car as famous as the Beetle and Mini in the 1950s. It is cheap but has excellent performance.

In particular, the unique horizontal shock absorber has excellent comfort and handling stability.

It is said that when developing the Citroen 2CV, Citroen hired a peasant woman to carry 50 eggs through the rugged mountain road. When the peasant woman can easily drive in the field and the eggs are intact will show that the performance of the car has passed.

It is precisely this "simple" goal that Citroen 2CV has been producing for half a century, with a total production of more than 5 million vehicles, which can be called a generation legend.

The inherent aesthetic orientation of the French character also gave birth to the beautiful Citroen DS.

Compared with the models of the same period, the Citroen DS made of aluminum alloy plastic is as exquisite as a work of art from the future. Forward-looking ideas and a sense of innovation, even on today's road, will still bring a lot of head-turning rates.

In addition to its beautiful appearance, Citroen DS also uses the world's first developed high-pressure pneumatic-hydraulic suspension system, which enables the chassis to maintain the same height and comfort under any load.

Later, Citroen's technology was bought by Britain's Rolls-Royce and used in later models.

For the French, the elegant Citroen DS is not only an outstanding representative of French cars, but also a loyal and reliable "partner".

In 1962, French President Charles de Gaulle escaped a deadly assassination in the company of a black Citroen DS.

At that time, the whole car was shot 14 times, and the front and rear tires were blown out, but DS quickly drove out of danger with its excellent pneumatic suspension system, ensuring the safety of the president.

Since then, the Citroen DS has become a favorite of all French presidents and has become its most classic model.

In 1974, Renault, with the help of the government, through merger and expansion, became the largest carmaker in France, with an annual output of more than 1 million vehicles.

At this time, Peugeot is also feeling the crisis, hoping to "warm up" each other by acquiring the struggling Citroen.

Although Citroen is the "third" of French car brands, due to the death of its founder, its own business is not ideal, almost reduced to the brink of bankruptcy.

But the strong Citroen is not reconciled to being acquired by its competitors. on the one hand, it is too embarrassing for itself, on the other hand, it does not want its own technology to be taken so easily by Peugeot.

In order to take care of Citroen's "face", Peugeot joined Michelin, France's largest tire and rubber manufacturer, as a "lobbyist". After lengthy negotiations, Michelin bought 90 per cent of Citroen and 10 per cent of Peugeot, the official birth of France's largest car giant, the Peugeot Citroen Group (PSA).

The merged Peugeot has a big appetite. In 1978, when Chrysler in the United States was not doing well in Europe, it acquired its branches and factories in Europe, further strengthening its product system and position.

However, the rapid expansion immediately plunged Peugeot into a serious financial crisis. Because the plant and equipment delivered by Chrysler are so old that they have to be maintained with a lot of money for a long time, causing misery within the PSA Group.

In the 1980s, the French automobile industry was hit hard by the worldwide economic crisis, coupled with the continuous impact of Japanese and Korean cars.

In 1984, Renault's production fell sharply to 300000 vehicles until it gradually recovered in the early 1990s, and then formed the Renault-Nissan alliance through the acquisition of a 36.8% stake in Nissan.

The struggling Peugeot-Citroen (PSA) was also looking for a turnaround in anxiety until it noticed the rise of an oriental power.

In 1985, in the second year of the establishment of Shanghai Volkswagen, French Peugeot also entered China and established Guangzhou Peugeot.

Peugeot was the first foreign car brand to enter China, winning a 16% market share with the latest Peugeot 505.

However, due to the high maintenance costs brought about by the low localization rate, coupled with the lack of understanding of the rules of the game in this ancient oriental country, Guangzhou Peugeot only existed for 10 years and immediately disappeared in people's field of vision.

During this period, Citroen also quietly came to China and sincerely brought its latest model, Citroen ZX, which was given a Chinese name by DPCA-Fukang.

The performance-to-price ratio of this car is much higher than that of other joint ventures of the same kind, especially its excellent handling makes people really realize the pleasure of driving and become the most popular private car for Chinese families.

Even, when the original CTCC China RV Championship opened, the track was full of Fukang.

The roar of the engine is filled with the message of the booming of China's automobile industry.

Since then, PSA has established two joint ventures with Dongfeng Motor, Dongfeng Citroen and Dongfeng Peugeot, successively introducing French cars such as XSara, Sarah Picasso, Triumph, C2, New Elysee, Sega, C4, C5, C6, etc., and gradually gain a firm foothold after appearing in the face of joint venture cars in China.

If you just focus on the elegant appearance of the French car, it is obviously not enough to show its true charm.

You know, world-class car endurance races and rally races were initiated by the French, especially with F1 and WRC (World RallyChampionship) World Automobile Rally Championships, which really embodies the super strength of French cars.

The WRC, which began in 1973, competes in rainforests, mud, snow, deserts and winding mountain roads around the world.

Unlike F1, all participating vehicles must be developed and manufactured by mass production vehicles, which is a great test of the performance of the vehicles.

In previous WRC events, Peugeot and Citroen in French cars are almost regular guests on the championship seat, and there is no doubt about their chassis and handling advantages.

Renault, on the other hand, has a special fondness for F1 and has been in the F1 arena since it first appeared on Silverstone in 1977.

In 1979, Renault RS01, equipped with a 1.5L turbocharged engine, won the first F1 race of the year, leading the field for a decade.

Since participating in F1 racing for more than 40 years, Renault has won 12 team championships and 11 drivers' championships, fully demonstrating the professional strength of Renault.

French teams and drivers are always the favourites to win the championship in world famous auto races such as Le Mans 24-hour endurance race and Dakar Rally.

However, the brilliance of the race does not give French brands an absolute advantage in the global car market, because young people are no longer so enthusiastic about cars.

In 2012, the New York Times wrote that the younger generation is no longer interested in cars.

Cars used to be a sign of young people's freedom and independence, where they can drive around and make friends, but with the advent of the Internet and social media, cars have become less important for young people to communicate without having to go out.

At the same time, the high oil prices and the emphasis on environmental protection have gradually reduced young people's interest in cars.

In 2015, French newspaper Le Figaro reported after a survey that only 35% of French 18-year-olds have a driver's license, up from 54% a decade ago.

This background is bound to lead to a further decline in car sales, which automakers around the world are lamenting.

In the face of the overall decline in sales and the wave of globalization, several major French automobile groups can only try to save themselves through mergers and acquisitions.

In May 2016, when he learned that Mitsubishi Motors was mired in a financial crisis due to an emissions fraud scandal, Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault-Nissan, was overjoyed and joined Nissan to acquire a 34% stake in Mitsubishi for 237.35 billion yen.

A year later, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, which completed the equity acquisition, became the world's largest auto brand alliance by sales.

In 2019, after completing its acquisitions of Opel, Vauxhall and Free2Move brands, Peugeot-Citroen (PSA) set its sights on Fiat Chrysler (FCA) and made a merger request.

After years of negotiations, in January 2021, Peugeot-Citroen (PSA) formally completed a merger with Fiat Chrysler (FCA) to form a new group: Stellantis.

The merged French car still has a good record in the European market, beating Japan and South Korea and Volkswagen many times to win the European car sales championship.

This is because French automakers are becoming more and more "considerate", designing models that are not only ingenious and fuel-efficient, but also in line with the environmental needs of Europeans.

Oddly enough, French cars sold in the Chinese market always seem to fall short of their ambitions. Not only the achievement is not as good as that of Europe, but it is not even better than German and Japanese cars, and its market position is in jeopardy.

This may be due to the romantic "style" of French cars, and the design is really fashionable. But on closer inspection, French cars are not as "tough" as American cars, the power system is not as "rich" as German cars, and the cost-effective ratio is not as high as Japanese and Korean cars.

To put it bluntly, French cars turn a blind eye to the points that Chinese people attach more importance to when they buy cars.

Artistic romance is respectable, but sales narcissism is a bit too conceited.

More than three hundred years ago, the ideological Enlightenment, which began in France, took a hundred years to complete the liberation of European thought, art and culture, and gave birth to thinkers such as Montesquieu and Voltaire.

More than a hundred years ago, the French automobile industry also started the "New Enlightenment Movement" of the human automobile industry, which promoted the upsurge of automobile research and development and manufacturing all over the world.

In the years that followed, the French car conquered the world with its modern design concept, while trekking across mountains and rivers, directly "measuring" the earth with wheels.

Those prosperous lights and shadows of the past have been left behind by the galloping era.

In the face of an uncertain future, the throttle of the French car industry may still be afraid to let go.

This article comes from the official account of Wechat: ID:lishiqiche2016, author: Wang Jian

Welcome to subscribe "Shulou Technology Information " to get latest news, interesting things and hot topics in the IT industry, and controls the hottest and latest Internet news, technology news and IT industry trends.