8 Best French Car Brands

Are you looking for popular French car brands?

French cars are beautiful, charming, and elegant – words that are all synonymous with France. They are stylish and original without compromising quality and safety. 

Throughout its history, the French automotive industry has worked so hard to be where they are today and achieve what they have. 

They are recognized globally, being the third-largest automobile producer in Europe, after Germany and Spain, and on the top 10 spots in the list of the largest automakers in the world.

8 Best French Car Brands  

Here’s a list of the 9 best French car brands.

1. Alpine

Alpine is a French manufacturer of sports and racing cars, established in 1955 by Jean Rédélé, a rally driver who was also a Renault dealer. It is headquartered in Dieppe.

Alpine was created by Rédélé out of unofficial Renault mods, using and improving Renault products until he founded a company officially named the Societe Anonyme des Automobiles Alpine, which is literally translated as “the Nameless Alpine Automobiles Company”.

Alpine Cars quickly gained recognition in the 1950s and 60s for its innovative and lightweight designs. It won a number of prestigious races on the European and international motorsport circuits.

Alpine was even the company behind Renault’s original F1 entry, persuading it to take the plunge.

In 1973, Renault S.A. bought Alpine. Unfortunately, the production of these premium racing and sports cars with the Alpine nameplate was discontinued in 1995. It was revived recently, however, with the release of the Alpine A110.

2. Renault

Renault S.A. is a multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899 by the Renault brothers – Louis, Marcel, and Fernand.

This French car brand makes a range of cars and vans, but in the past, they have also produced trucks, buses/coaches, tractors, and even tanks, aircraft and aircraft engines, as well as auto rail vehicles.

Renault is headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, but has international subsidiaries from Spain and Russia to Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina.

In 2021, the iconic Renault Sport name has been officially retired. The French automaker announced that its Renault Sport division is now renamed Alpine Cars. The Renault F1 team has also been rebranded as Alpine F1.

3. Bugatti 

Bugatti is a French manufacturer of high-performance automobiles, founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, by the Italian-born industrial designer Ettore Bugatti. The cars are famous for their many race victories. 

Bugatti is one of the most expensive car brands in the world, its prices ranging from $1.7 million for the cheapest model (Bugatti Veyron) up to a whopping $18.7 million for a Bugatti La Voiture Noire which is the most expensive car in the market to date.

The most famous Bugatti EB110 owner is Michael Schumacher, the 7-time Formula One World Champion racing driver. He purchased an EB110 in 1994. 

4. Citroën

The name Citroën comes from the Dutch “Limoenman,” which translates to “small lemons man.” The name was changed to “Citron” and then to “Citroën” when the Dutch-Jewish family came to France.

In 1919, the youngest of five Citroën children, André who was by then a succesful industrialist, founded the Citroën automobile company in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, France.

The first car to cross the Sahara was a Citroën, a record set in 1923. André Citroën adopted Henry Ford’s production techniques.

He also innovated in the fields of advertising by illuminating the Eiffel Tower with the name “Citroën” and its logo.

In 1994, Citroën produced the Xantia Activa, which holds the record as the winner of the slalom course for a production car.

Citroën has produced more award-winning cars, which makes it one of the best French car brands, but no other cars have yet managed to outperform the Xantia Activa. 

5. Peugeot

Peugeot didn’t even make cars when the company was started in 1810 by Jean-Pierre Peugeot. It was originally founded as a coffee mill instead. 

In the late 1880s, Jean-Pierre’s grandson, Armand, transformed Peugeot into a manufacturer of bicycles and of automobiles later, making Peugeot the world’s oldest automobile maker and one of the best French car brands out there.

The first Peugeot car, produced in 1886, had three wheels and was steam-operated. The company’s first 4-wheeled vehicle and petrol-driven were out in 1890.

Today, Peugeot produces electric vehicles, luxury cars, sports cars, and commercial vehicles. The French automobile company is based in Paris with its operations done in their plant in Sochaux.

6. DS Automobiles

The name DS can be an abbreviation of “Distinctive Series” or “Different Spirit,” but it also refers to the Citroën DS. The name is also a play on words since the pronunciation for DS is identical with déesse, the French word for “goddess”.

Before becoming a standalone brand in 2015, the French premium automaker DS Automobiles was a sub-marque of the Citroën company. 

DS Automobiles manufacture luxury vehicles in Rueil-Malmaison, France. The DS line started with the Citroën DS3 in early 2010, receiving the Car of the Year award by Top Gear Magazine that year. It also became the best-selling premium subcompact car in Europe. 

DS has been using the same platforms and dealerships since becoming a standalone brand but distinguishes itself from Citroën cars by employing “separate manufacturing and engineering standards.”

7. PGO Automobiles

This French car manufacturer produces exclusive sports cars. They advertise themselves as targeting the connoisseurs seeking individuality and style. The models they have manufactured to date are the PGO Speedster II, PGO Cévennes, and PGO Hemera.

PGO Automobiles was founded in 1985 by two avid automobile fans, Gilles and Olivier Prévôt, whose initials formed the brand name PGO.

The company originally built a name for itself by building replica sports cars, particularly the Porsche 356, which lineage can clearly be seen in the Cévennes Cévennes speedster and other PGO models.

PGO Automobiles is headquartered in Saint-Christol-lès-Alès, France. 

8. Genty Automotive 

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The French Genty Automobile, also called SAS Genty Automobile, is fairly young in the automotive industry but it is considered one of the best car brands in France. 

It was created by Frédéric Genty, who constructed the first wooden model of the would-be Genty prime sportscar Akylone after learning how to craft in mold making. He went on to establish Genty Automobile in 2010 with his own funds.

In 2011, the company started the development of The Genty Akylone, launching in 2017. It has been dubbed by critics as a French supercar. 

Genty Automotive is based in Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, France.