Cars - France: Illustrated History Books & Guides

Michelin à la conquête de l'automobile

Michelin's history is so vast and rich that many people today are unaware that it was a manufacturer of light automobiles with Citroën, Panhard and Maserati, but also of heavy goods vehicles with Berliet, of Breguet aircraft during the Great War and of trains with the famous Micheline.

This book looks back at the epic of the Clermont-Ferrand company, officially founded in 1889. It obviously tells the fabulous industrial rise of this small rubber manufacturer that chose to set up in Auvergne in Clermont-Ferrand, which became the world capital of tires.

It also tells how its creator revolutionized the tire by making it easily removable and repairable, at a time when a puncture was part of the journey.

He dwells on its fabulous expansion and its family and social management, its original legal structure of a limited partnership with shares through the managers who have succeeded one another at its head, from Edouard Michelin the creator to Jean Dominique Senard, even if Michelin always claims that the only real boss is the customer!
He also evokes the obsessive cult of secrecy which has long characterized the Auvergnat, the genius of Michelin advertising who made his logo, the famous Bibendum, one of the most famous characters in the world. It analyzes its respect for human values without forgetting everything that has made history and sometimes its legend.

This book dwells at length on the relationships that link this tire manufacturer with the automobile industry since the Clermont-Ferrand firm, through Citroën and its satellites, was a car manufacturer for forty years, which is unique.

It also expands on the birth of its tires, including the revolutionary X radial born after the Second World War, which allowed Michelin to set out to conquer the world and motorsport, which is widely discussed throughout the pages of this book.

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Garages, ambiances d'hier

When a historian goes in search of iconographic documents for his works, he sometimes comes across photographs of rare intensity. Black and white has this wonderful ability to make you dream and bring a new dimension, compared to color photographs, which tell the story of "real life", without embellishment or sentiment.

Dominique Pagneux offers us a fascinating dive in texts and photographs, in black and white, into the world of garages and the daily life of the automobile from the 1910s to the 1970s.
Throughout the pages, we explore, with a nostalgic air and a poetic gaze, the mechanical atmospheres and the mysteries of certain garages and service stations of yesteryear, sometimes letting ourselves be captivated by the architecture of the buildings. Through these garages and factories, we rediscover in particular particular aspects of the automobile history of the brands Panhard & Levassor, Citroën, Peugeot, Renault.

Brilliantly presented by Dominique Pagneux, "Garages, ambiances d'hier" provides powerful moments of rare intensity, which are manifested on particular elements of these famous garages: on a windshield, a raised hood, a reflection on the bodywork, oil stains on the ground...

The black and white photos tell of memorable moments of life and dreams, while revealing the mysteries of these old garages.

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Les 100 voitures qui ont fait la France

For this second book in the "100" series (Les 100 trains qui ont changé la France being the first title), here are The 100 cars that made France.
From the Renault type JM to the Peugeot 3008, these models have all, each in their own way, written a page of our national history.

Pages of the book "Les 100 voitures qui ont fait la France"

Luxury (Delage D8S, Delahaye 175 S, Facel Vega, DS 23 Pallas), sport (Bugatti, Alpine A 110, Peugeot 205 and 206 proto, Renault F1), politics (the DS of the Petit Clamart attack against General De Gaulle, the CX Prestige of Jacques Chirac elected President of the Republic), news items (the Tractions Avant of the thugs and those of the police, those requisitioned by the Gestapo and those of the FFI), History (the Taxis of the Marne)...

French society, all generations combined, is told through its cars, 100 in total, selected for the mark they have left on our national novel.

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L'Illustration - L'Automobile : Histoire d'une révolution 1880-1950

The first illustrated magazine of its time, L'Illustration was a privileged witness to the appearance and then the irresistible development of the automobile, as well as the real revolution it brought about in lifestyles.
First considered an oddity for the idle rich, then as a sport, the car became a popular phenomenon after the Great War, which profoundly changed the country. Cities and roads soon adapted to this new means of transport which allowed the French to go away for weekends, on vacation, and to discover tourism.
Road signs, red lights, and the highway code appeared. Design, advertising, and fashion developed around the car.

Pages of the book "L'Illustration - L'Automobile : Histoire d'une révolution 1880-1950"

From the steam-powered automobile of Dion-Bouton to the 2CV, via the luxurious convertibles of the Belle Époque, the beautiful American cars of the 1950s, from the first crossings of the Sahara to the raids of the Yellow Cruise, from the golden age of rallies to the creation of the Twenty-Four Hours of Le Mans: a complete and abundant panorama of the history of the automobile through the most beautiful pages of L'Illustration.

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BRI - Brigade Rapide d'Intervention - La vitesse au service de la loi

This book aims to present and retrace the history of the BRI (Brigage de Recherche et d'Intervention), which is ultimately little known to the general public, through the different vehicles used within the brigade.
The origin of the creation of the BRI dates back to the 1960s, during an official visit by the President of the Republic Charles de Gaulle to West Germany in 1962, who noted that the German motorway network was controlled by a police unit equipped with Porsche racing cars.
In October 1965, the gendarmerie published a call for tenders to manufacturers to equip its units with cars.

At the time, the brands Alpine (including the A110 and the A310) and Matra (with the Djet) were notable before other manufacturers came to offer rapid intervention vehicles (VRI) to the BRI, like Peugeot (405 MI16 and 306 S16), Citroën (ID, DS 21 and 23, SM and CX 2400 GTI and 2500 GTI), Subaru (Impreza WRX) and Renault (R21 turbo, Mégane and Mégane 3R).

A police officer and motorsport enthusiast, Christophe Cattet highlights the history and role of the Brigade de Recherche et d'Intervention (BRI), the investigation and intervention unit of the French judicial police, responsible for highway safety and attached to the French national police.
Richly illustrated, "BRI - La vitesse au service de la loi" also presents the different vehicles used over the years by the brigade, some of which have even distinguished themselves in the world rally championships.

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Génération 60 en 60 voitures

Browse through sixty carefully selected models from the 1960s in these pages. The 1960s represented the height of automotive pleasure, when the road was a space of total freedom, providing a genuine joy of driving, where everything seemed permitted.
The significant reduction in customs duties thanks to the common market has considerably expanded the purchasing options for French motorists. They can now acquire a Ford Taunus, an Opel Kadett, or a Fiat 500 at prices comparable to those of a Peugeot 404, a Simca 1000, a Citroën 2 CV, or a Renault 4.

This book highlights iconic cars from this decade that profoundly marked our history. During these years, the automobile was a catalyst for happiness and freedom, symbolizing a fantastic momentum towards a memorable era.

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Génération 70 en 70 voitures

Take the wheel of seventy cars from this unique decade. Models that you may have owned or that have made you dream: from the Renault 5 or the Fiat 127 to the DS 23 and the Renault 30 TX, via the Peugeot 304 or the Renault 12 and the Simca 1100. Why not sports cars with the Alpine A310, the Porsche 911 S and the Dino Ferrari 2.4 liters?

The 1970s marked a brutal break between the optimism of the previous decade and the questions of the next. In these pages, you will find the scent of these years adorned with bright colors certainly intended to make us forget the grayness of the events that almost made the automobile disappear.

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Génération 80 en 80 voitures

Both so close and so far away, the 1980s are synonymous with progress for the automobile: ABS, four-wheel drive, aerodynamics and airbags. This book travels through this decade, both gentle and violent, at the wheel of the flagship models of this era. It also crosses it through its current events marked by a wind of freedom blowing in the East or revolt in China, the years of Tonton, Noah, Prost, Balavoine, Tapie and Paul-Loup Sulitzer, Caroline of Monaco, and Dallas and its merciless universe.

An invitation aboard 24 cars from the 1980s. Cars that you may have owned or that have made you dream. From iconic models like the Porsche Carrera, Alpine and Renault 5 Turbo to more popular ones like the 2 CV Charleston, Renault 4, Visa, Fiat Panda, or more sporty ones like the 205 GTi, Renault 5 Turbo, Golf GTI, Delta Intégrale.
A fascinating journey on the roads of the 1980s still lined with many service stations, free of roundabouts and speed bumps, and fixed speed cameras.

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Génération 90 en 90 voitures

During the 1990s, the automotive industry responded to new demands by evolving towards more economical, imaginative, environmentally friendly, domestic and protective vehicles. This evolution gave birth to a captivating generation of cars.
Ninety iconic models are carefully selected, reflecting the spirit of the decade. These include family saloons and MPVs such as the Renault Espace, Citroën Picasso, Citroën ZX and Peugeot 306, as well as more sporty saloons such as the Golf VR6, Clio Williams and BMW M3.

The book also explores open-top experiences with the Mazda MX-5, Fiat Barchetta and MGF, as well as tests of sports models such as the Alpine A610, Viper GTS, Nissan 300 ZX, Ferrari 512 TR and Alfa Romeo GTV.
This selection represents an immersion into the 1990s era, highlighting iconic vehicles that marked the decade through their design and performance.

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Quand l'auto fait sa pub

The approximately 600 images in this book will take you through a hundred years of the history of automobile brands and advertising. Among thousands of documents, the author has selected leaflets, catalogues, press announcements, posters, billboards and also photos of events such as elegance competitions and motor shows.

This book tells in images and anecdotes, not about technical progress - many books have already covered this - but rather about the gradual advancement of communication between manufacturers, accessory manufacturers and future buyers of a car. We must not forget that at the beginning of the last century it was necessary to choose the brand of your engine, then go to a coachbuilder who made "almost custom-made" parts. The vehicle was then equipped with accessories, wheels, tyres, seats, hence the profusion of advertisements for each element.

You absolutely have to read some of the ad texts to realize how much advertising language has evolved; in the past it was surprisingly "elitist", aimed only at a very wealthy section of the population, the arguments to seduce were elegance and speed; today we talk more often about fuel economy, price and interior comfort.
Times have changed: the automobile and advertising too!

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Voitures françaises 1945-1950

Rediscover the most iconic French vehicles that crisscrossed the roads of our childhood. DS Citroen, Simca Aronde, 4 CV Renault, Peugeot 203 (and so many others), none are missing.
The author tells the story of all these vehicles that rocked our childhood: so many adventures lived in our parents' cars, when we traveled in the back seat, to go to school or to go on vacation. Remember, it was not so long ago...

This collection of books traces in detail the career of all these legendary models, brand by brand, each volume covering a period of five years.
1945-1950: Reconstruction in a France devastated by war, the difficult restart of an industry in full transformation, which concentrated all its efforts on the production of economical and cheap models, shortage obliges...

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Voitures françaises 1950-1955

The book "French Cars 1950-1955" is part of a beautiful collection of stories of French car brands, during the period of the Trente Glorieuses. It is the second in the collection, which focuses on the years 1950 to 1955.

Thanks to magnificent illustrations and solid documentation, Xavier Chauvin traces, with talent, the entire history of the most emblematic French cars of the time, brand by brand, including the Citroën 2 CV, the Ford Vedette, the Peugeot 203, the Renault Frégate, the Simca Aronde, and many others ... which present the birth of the era of mass motorization.
These true mechanical legends accompany us during our childhood, on our trips and car rides.

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Voitures françaises 1955-1960

Rediscover the most iconic French vehicles that crisscrossed the roads of our childhood. DS Citroën, Simca Chambord, Renault Dauphine, Peugeot 404, Panhard 24 or Facel Vega, none of them are missing.
The author tells the story of all these vehicles that rocked our childhood: so many adventures lived in our parents' cars, when we traveled on the back seat, to go to school or to go on vacation. Remember, it was not so long ago...

This collection traces the career of all these legendary models in detail, brand by brand, with each volume covering a five-year period.
1955-1960: The French had more money and wanted less Spartan and more efficient vehicles, like the flirtatious Dauphine, which came to support the austere 4 CV.
The clash of cultures: the legendary DS, a real UFO in the automotive landscape of the time, overcame its competitors. Alpine and Facel Vega were the brilliant representatives of the "French-style" sports car...

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Französische Autos 1945-2000

France is known for enjoying life to the fullest and translating this joy into its cars. This is evident in iconic models like the Citroën DS, also known as the "Goddess," or the comfortable Renault 16. The love for automobiles led to the creation of numerous small manufacturers in France.

Pages of the book "Französische Autos 1945-2000"

Andreas Gaubatz and Stefan Müller explore 55 years of French car manufacturing. The main section focuses on the "Big Four": Citroën, Peugeot, Renault, and Simca, complemented by informative tables and an excellent selection of images.
Discover the evolution of French car manufacturing from the post-war period to the new millennium.

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