A picture history of French cars in America

In 2019, there are three French cars sold new in the US: the Toyota Yaris, the Smart Fortwo and the Bugatti Chiron.

In 1969, there were nearly a dozen available models made by France’s top car manufacturers. They all left the US decades ago due to falling sales and a general inability to adapt to the intricacies of the American market. None have dared to go back since but the reinvigorated French giant PSA Group plans to re-introduce its Peugeot brand in America by 2026 and perhaps even sooner. The mistakes it needs to avoid making are clearly recorded in history books.

As Peugeot puts together its comeback strategy, we’re taking a look at a picture history of French cars in the US:

Unofficial imports

American motorists didn’t wait for French manufacturers to establish official sales channels to import cars from France. In the 1940s, when importing a car was as simple as putting it on a boat, several French cars made the trip across the Atlantic. The brave souls that drove them waited weeks for parts and often had a difficult time finding a garage willing to perform repairs. The situation improved when, one by one, France’s top car brands became interested in the American market. Note: Citroën Traction Avant pictured.

Simca tries first (1948)

Simca began sending cars to the US in 1948, shortly before its main rivals. It sold 331 units in 1948 but sales dropped to just 45 cars the following year. The brand lacked a clear strategy in what was, at the time, the largest and most competitive new car market in the world.

The Vedette (pictured) was reasonably sell-suited to the American market because it traced its roots to a Ford model and offered a V8 engine but Simca’s lack of image and tiny dealer network prevented it from merging into the mainstream. It nonetheless helped the firm reach 5766 sales during 1957. The situation looked promising. Chrysler started importing Simca models into the US during the late 1950s.

Overshadowed by Volkswagen

Even in France, Simca’s line-up lacked anything resembling congruity. By the 1960s, it had moved downmarket with the rear-engined 1000 (pictured) and largely let its bigger models wither on the vine. It began selling the 1000 in the US in 1963 as a boxier, roomier and more Gallic alternative to the Volkswagen Beetle. Pricing started at $1595 ($13,000/£9800 in 2019 money) which was the exact same price Volkswagen sold the Beetle for. That wasn't a coincidence, either.

Simca, like its rivals, found out trying to compete against Volkswagen in America was futile. The 1100 – which became the 1204 in the US – did little to turn the company’s US division around even though it was much more modern in conception and execution than its chief competitors. Sales reached 7776 units in 1969, 6035 in 1970 and 2600 in 1971, Simca’s last year in America.

Citroën’s slow beginnings (1949)

In 1949, Citroën sold approximately 10 cars in the United States. Its line-up consisted exclusively of the Traction Avant (pictured), which celebrated its 15th birthday that year. Annual sales grew to 13 cars in 1950 but dropped to five in 1951. The firm sold 11 and 40 cars in 1952 and 1953, respectively. Most Americans had never heard of Citroën and the ones willing to consider its cars found them almost tractor-like in their simplicity and severely underpowered.

In 1954, the year the Traction Avant turned 20, Citroën charged $2275 for a four-cylinder 11 model and $2975 for a 15 with a six-cylinder engine. That same year, a Chevrolet Bel Air with more powerful six-cylinder engine, a more modern design and a contemporary-looking interior cost $1684. Note: those figures correspond to $21,300/, $28,000 and $15,700 respectively, in 2019 money.

Something old and something new

The DS 19 (pictured) sent the crowd into a frenzy when Citroën unveiled it at the 1955 Paris auto show. Its streamlined design was at least 20 years ahead of its time and it came with an innovative hydropneumatic suspension system no other manufacturer offered. As the waiting list grew, Citroën swiftly turned its attention to the American market. The DS was the complete opposite of the Traction Avant, its predecessor. Surely, if there was a model to help it conquer the US, this was it.

In 1956, the DS 19 cost $3295. The Traction Avant remained listed in Citroën’s catalog for $2400 and buyers could pay $1195 for a 2CV, though very few did. Brilliant and sought-after as it was in Europe, the 2CV was utterly ill-suited to the American market. Note: those figures correspond to $30,500, $22,200 and $11,000, respectively, in 2019.

Citroën’s upmarket move

Citroën attempted to sell the Ami 6 in the United States until it realized competing against Volkswagen in America was futile. Its cars were overly basic and too underpowered, even when compared to a homely Beetle. It stopped offering two-cylinder cars in 1966 (though the Mehari joined its American line-up in 1970 only) and focused on the upper end of the market. All told, it sold less than 1000 2CVs in America and even fewer Ami 6s.

The face-lifted DS range carried Citroën into the late 1960s. The D Special remained its entry-level model but it gave buyers the option of choosing the flagship, 117hp DS 21 Pallas model with a standard automatic transmission and available air-conditioning. Leather was a $40 ($240 in 2019) option.

Citroën’s range-topping model, the V6-powered SM (pictured), was a hit in the US. Its relative success gave executives hope that the company would finally reach its cruising speed during the 1970s.

Close, but no cigar

With the DS 21 Pallas and the SM, Citroën looked ready to finally join the ranks of America’s luxury automakers. It charged $5065 for the full-fat DS and $11,700 for the SM. Quirkiness, inimitable style and an exotic engine boosted SM sales but the DS found itself competing against American models that were more powerful and better equipped. To add context, Chrysler charged $4557 for a 1972 Newport Royal with a 175hp V8, seating for six and lots of chrome.

Note: the aforementioned figures represent $30,500, $70,500 and $27,400, respectively, in 2019. 

The end of Citroën’s American adventure

Citroën hoped the GS would help it reboot its American division during the 1970s. It sent dealers a handful of US-spec cars (fitted with legally-mandated sealed-beam headlights) to prepare for the launch. It canceled the car when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) banned companies from selling cars with an adjustable suspension due to safety concerns.

Though not entirely unexpected, this rule kept Citroën’s bigger models – like the GS, the CX and the SM (pictured) – out of the American market. Installing a fixed suspension would have required a costly, complicated redesign. The firm’s smaller models – the 2CV and its derivatives – were ill-suited to the American market. Out of cards, Citroën folded. It left the US in 1974 and it hasn’t returned since.

The CX’s second chance

The NHTSA regulated the CX out of the American market but Dutch businessmen Andre Pol and Malcolm Langman gave the model its chance to shine in the US. They founded a company named CX Automotive (CXA) in the early 1980s that specialized in federalizing and importing CXs to America. Starting with Belgian- or Dutch-spec cars, CXA fitted an array of required equipment (like side marker lights and sealed-beam headlights) and tweaked the engine so it would comply with pollution regulations.

CXA charged a small fortune for a US-spec CX; prices started in the vicinity of $30,000 during the mid-1980s, which represents $70,000 in 2019 money. Charging Cadillac money for a quirky French car with zero parts and service support was an optimistic decision and sales predictably remained low. CXA nonetheless turned its attention to the XM after CX production ended and sold a tiny handful of examples in the US.  

Renault’s entry (1949)

New York-based John L. Green Operations began selling the Renault 4CV in America in 1949. It was available in two trim levels called Standard and Grand Luxe, respectively, and sales literature claimed the 4CV could return 50mpg. Pricing started at $1035, a figure that represents $11,000 in 2019. It was one of the cheapest cars available new in the US. The Volkswagen Beetle, one of its closest competitors, cost $1280 ($13,500 in 2019).

John L. Green sold 1551 4CVs in the US in 1949 and 777 the following year. In contrast, the Hoffman Motor Car company sold just two examples of the Volkswagen Beetle that same year and 270 in 1950.

Renault’s conquest of America

Early on, Renault took steps to Americanize its cars. By 1956, it fitted an automatic choke to the 4CV and offered it with an optional semi-automatic transmission. Its efforts extended to the Dauphine, which was released in the US in 1957 and massively advertised. Billboards highlighted its 43mpg fuel economy and flaunted its Gallic charm. “The Dauphine? So French! So elegant! So beautiful!”

Renault impressively sold 57,000 examples of the Dauphine in the US in 1958 plus 7500 examples of the 4CV. Officials believed they had it made. The celebrations began. Renault sent dirt from its headquarters in Billancourt (near Paris) and water from the Seine river to the Chicago auto show to add a touch of French authenticity to its stand.

The Floride/Caravelle was developed with the American market in mind and Renault’s bet paid off. The company received 13,000 orders for the car at the 1958 New York auto show even though it clearly told buyers they wouldn’t get their car for at least 10 months.

The Dauphine’s decline

Demand for the Dauphine fell abruptly in early 1960. This was due to several factors. First, the American new car market entered a recession; Detroit’s biggest automakers suffered from it, too, and reduced their production output by 40% in early 1961. Second, the Volkswagen Beetle was becoming immensely popular and American firms were beginning to release their own compact models. Third, buyers were starting to realize the Dauphine really wasn’t designed to be driven for 15,000 miles a year, often flat-out on the freeway. The problems experienced by early cars hurt the model’s reputation.

Soon after, banks refused to loan dealers the money they requested to buy Dauphines from Renault because they feared no one would purchase the cars and they’d never get paid back. Renault kept shipping boatloads of cars to the US but dealers had no funds to buy them. Even if they could, motorists were more likely to buy a Volkswagen or a Chevrolet Corvair.

45,000 unsold, unpaid cars ended up parked in Newark, Boston, Los Angeles and other American ports where they rusted in the salty air, baked in the sun and soaked in the rain. There was a glimmer of hope: a typhoon destroyed 2000 cars in Houston, Texas, allowing Renault to claim insurance money.

Forgetting the Dauphine

Renault needed to banish memories of the Dauphine from the minds of American consumers. It decided the best way to do what was to stop making economy cars and compete in more upscale segments of the market. This strategy likely explains why the 4 wasn’t added to its US catalog even though it was extensively tested in Minnesota in the years prior to its launch.

It released the 10, which it billed as a luxury compact model, and added the 16 to its portfolio in 1969. Few motorists noticed the 10 but the 16 (pictured) did reasonably well. Renault US sold 20,419 cars in 1969 and 23,373 the following year. It was joined by the 12, the 15 and the 17 during the 1970s.

Renault’s success was again short-lived. Only 5780 American motorists bought one of its cars in 1975. To add context, Peugeot sold 11,850 examples of the 504, the only model it offered in the US, that year. Volkswagen ended 1975 far ahead with 268,751 sales but it had its own problems to deal with; sales had plummeted spectacularly from their 1970 peak of 582,573 units.

Up, down, up, down

Renault’s roller coaster ride continued. If it couldn’t sell big cars, it would go back to making the small, cheap ones that Americans fell in love with during the 1950s. After all, the vehicles already existed; it sold a complete line-up of cars in Europe. Getting them to America was simply matter of federalizing them. It chose the 5 as its weapon and fitted it with bigger bumpers. Sales began in 1976 and the model became known as the LeCar the following year. The timing was right; America was still recovering from the Arab Oil Embargo and Japanese companies were making a small fortune by selling motorists small, fuel-efficient cars.

In 1976, Renault charged $3295 ($14,600 in 2019 money) for the 5. That same year, Honda’s Civic started at $2729 ($12,000 in 2019). Renault didn’t have pricing on its side but its strategy worked. It sold 6819 cars in the US during 1976 and 25,365 during 1980. Adding the 18 and the Fuego to the catalog bumped its sales to 37,702 in 1982; Renault’s American division was flying high again.

Franco-American

Renault began investing in AMC in 1979 and it purchased a controlling stake in the company in 1980. The deal saved AMC from bankruptcy. On paper, the two automakers complemented each other exceptionally well. AMC was an all-American company that specialized in making big cars and Jeeps. Renault was unabashedly French and had been making small, efficient cars for decades. Combined, they could cover nearly every segment of the American market while branching out into new sectors of the European market.

AMC began producing the Renault 9 in its Kenosha, Wisconsin, factory in 1983, which was originally a Nash plant. Called Alliance, it was an Americanized version of the car with a market-specific design and US-only features like softer seats. The 11 became the Encore when it received similar tweaks in 1984. It was built in Kenosha, too. Both sold well early on but reliability problems soon dented their reputation. They also ate into Renault’s profit margin because a lot of the issues were covered by the warranty. The issues sent customers into the arms of Japanese automakers.

The fiasco surprised many. After all, these cars seemed to work okay in Europe. AMC built 623,573 examples of both cars (including a convertible sold only in the US - pictured) between 1982 and 1987.

Renault deep-sixes its American division…

AMC’s share of the American market had dropped to about 1% in 1987, while Renault CEO Georges Besse - who had championed its US venture - was murdered by terrorists in November 1986.

Renault chose to sell its stake in the company to Chrysler and leave the US to focus on other regions rather than keep pouring money into AMC. Its American roller coaster ride was finally over. Note: Renault Encore pictured.

…but its ghost remains

Renault was gone from the American market but some of its cars outlived its American division. The 21 had become the Renault Medallion in 1986 and it morphed into the Eagle Medallion after the Chrysler take-over. It remained on sale until 1989 though we’re not sure anyone noticed.

The 25 became the Eagle Premier (pictured) in 1988 and remained on-sale through the 1992 model year. It spawned a badge-engineered model named Dodge Monaco. Both cars were built in the Brampton, Canada, factory that manufactures Dodge’s Challenger and Charger models in 2019.

Panhard (1954)

Panhard offered the Dyna and the Junior in the US through independent importers starting in 1954. It sold about 20 cars in America that year. Sales increased during the late 1950s, when Citroen began distributing Panhard models, but the firm was never successful and its American sales always represented a rounding error at best.

Panhard stopped sending cars to America after 1962. The PL 17 wasn’t cutting it and executives accurately argued it was more important to try to save the brand in its home country than to pierce into a market increasingly dominated by the Volkswagen Beetle. Their efforts weren’t enough and Panhard’s car-building division shut down in 1967 after getting absorbed by Citroën.

Peugeot marches in (1958)

Peugeot officially began selling cars in the United States when it started importing the 403 in 1958. It had planned its entry well and its line-up was more closely aligned to the tastes of American buyers than Citroën’s. The 403 range was limited to a four-door model (the coupe was never officially sold in the US) but cars bound for America came standard with a sunroof.

Pricing varied from region to region, a common practice during the 1950s. On the west coast, the 403 started at $2245 ($19,500 in 2019 money). Based in New York, Peugeot’s distributor sold 6867 cars in 1958 and 15,787 the following year. The brand was off to an encouraging start.

Thinking big

Unlike Renault, Peugeot had little interest in competing against Volkswagen for a slice of the bargain-priced economy car segment. It replaced the 403 with the 404 but it never considered selling the smaller 204 in the US. It briefly tried thinking small when it began importing the 304 during the 1971 model year. The advertising campaign that promoted it cleverly placed it “between the Bugs and the Benz” but the model didn’t sell well and it retired after 1972.

The company’s fate rested solely on the 504 (pictured) for most of the 1970s.

Behind the curve

Peugeot was often slow to react to changes and trends on the American market. It believed its smaller models wouldn’t sell well in the US, which was likely an accurate assessment, but it sat on the sidelines and watched as American buyers gravitated towards large, diesel-powered cars like the Mercedes-Benz W123.

Even Cadillac and Oldsmobile released models equipped with a diesel engine. And yet, it waited until 1977 to release the 604 in America and it didn’t add a diesel engine to the line-up until 1982.

The fives

Imported premium and luxury cars were in hot demand in the US during the 1980s. The segment was fiercely competitive; Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Alfa Romeo, Saab, Volvo and Renault tussled for a slice of it. The Japanese were upping their game and Ford created its Merkur brand to Europeanize itself. Peugeot had everything it took to compete.

Released in 1979, the 505 stood out as one of its best-ever cars. It looked good, it handled well, it was solidly built and the line-up included a wide variety of models. Even in America, buyers could choose between a sedan and a station wagon and a long list of trim levels ranging from a base-spec GL model to a 142hp Turbo. Taxi drivers loved it; Peugeot even offered to paint the 505 taxi yellow right at the factory (pictured).

The 604 faded into the distance as the 505 grew in popularity. Sales increased almost every year during the early 1980s but they began to drop as the 505 aged. It couldn’t keep Peugeot profitable on its own. Officials considered selling the 205 as an alternative to the Golf but the project was canceled and the 405 didn’t come to the rescue until 1989, when the 505 celebrated its 10th birthday.

Peugeot’s last stand

In hindsight, the 405 deserved better. It was a handsome, well-built car with sure-footed handling. Peugeot included four-wheel disc brakes, central locking, and automatic air conditioning on every American-spec car it built and it tried luring enthusiasts into showrooms with the 150hp Mi16 model. It was too little, too late; the 405 was the kind of car Peugeot needed in the middle of the 1980s.

Peugeot collapses

Peugeot’s annual American sales peaked at 20,000 units in 1984 but the company couldn’t sustain this volume. It sold just 4200 cars in 1990 and, alarmingly, only 2223 units during the first seven months of 1991. Its cars were as robust as ever but America’s appetite for diesel engines was shrinking and Peugeot’s competitors were becoming more aggressive. It couldn’t keep up. In August of 1991, Peugeot of America announced its own demise to its 151 dealers.

With Citroën, Renault and Peugeot gone, American buyers who wanted a French car were plainly out of luck.

PSA’s American comeback

In 2016, PSA boss Carlos Tavares boldly announced plans to send one of the group’s brands back to America. In late February 2019, he revealed Peugeot will spearhead the offensive. “We believe bringing the brand that three times won the Indianapolis 500 is the right thing to do,” he ambitiously stated during a press conference. Peugeot won the event in 1913, 1916 and 1919, so memories may be somewhat dim by now.

Details about which model(s) Peugeot will sell in America and when remain up in the air. The company is wisely planning a careful, gradual return. Its currently studying the market to gain insight on what motorists want and shaping its future cars accordingly. It will begin its return by placing its vehicles in car-sharing programs and it wants to sell cars to private customers by 2026. Note: 2019 Peugeot 208 pictured.

How will Peugeot sell cars to Americans?

Peugeot, Citroën and Renault closed their respective dealer networks shortly after leaving the United States. Starting from scratch would be unspeakably expensive yet Peugeot will need to find a way to distribute its cars if it wants to thrive on the American market. Tavares revealed his team has come up with a “creative and disruptive way” to distribute cars but he stopped short of detailing what he has in mind. Selling cars online is a possibility but – contrary to popular belief – some customers still like seeing, touching and driving a car before they buy it.

Many US states prohibit manufacturers from selling cars directly to consumers. Tesla has ended up in court time and again to fight for its right to bypass franchised dealers; as of March 2019, the California-based company will exclusively sell cars online. Peugeot will likely need to fight similar battles if it wants to follow the path blazed by Tesla. 

Tesla barely markets its cars, relying instead on Elon Musk's Twitter feed, other public relations, and its mostly zealous owner-fanbase instead, and it certainly has a unique proposition and branding that Peugeot will find hard to mimic - buyers will want to kick the tires first. Note: Peugeot 308 GTi pictured

What about the other French automakers?

As of 2019, Peugeot is the only mainstream French automaker with plans to return to America. PSA hasn’t given Citroën the green light. We’re not ruling it out but it won’t happen until the late 2020s at the earliest.

Renault is in a position to try again. The Koleos (pictured) is closely related to the Nissan Rogue, one of the best-selling cars in America, and it could conceivably distribute its vehicles through Nissan dealers. The company has shown no interest in the US, however.