Spring 1948, Paris Motor Show. André Citroën finally unveils his little revolution: the 2CV. Except there's a juicy little detail... The hood is welded! No one can see the engine! Customers who want to order this strange car will have to wait at least twelve months for delivery. And they have no idea what's hidden under that mysterious hood. Is it marketing genius ahead of its time or total recklessness? I'm leaning towards pure genius.

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This anecdote perfectly sums up the French spirit of automotive innovation: audacity, creativity, and this unique ability to transform constraints into revolutions . Because yes, contrary to what one might believe, France did not wait for Tesla to innovate in the automobile. We invented the rechargeable electric battery, we created the first electric car to exceed 100 km/h, and we revolutionized the industry with concepts that seemed completely crazy at the time.

Today, I'm telling you the story of this French automotive touch , which stretches from our 19th-century pioneers to today's electric challenges. A story of visionaries, unsung geniuses, and innovations that changed the world... sometimes in spite of themselves.

The true pioneers of electric

1859, somewhere in a Parisian laboratory. A certain Gaston Planté, a physicist by trade, has just created something extraordinary: the first rechargeable electric battery in history . The lead-acid accumulator. Does that mean anything to you? And yet, it's exactly the same principle as in your current car, even if it has a combustion engine.

But wait, it's not over yet. Twenty-two years later, in 1881, Camille Alphonse Faure drastically improved Planté's design. These two Frenchmen had just laid the technical foundations for the entire modern electric automobile . Not bad for guys with handlebar mustaches, eh?

And you know what? That same year, 1881, Gustave Trouvé presented an electric automobile at the International Electricity Exhibition in Paris. Yes, you read that right: an electric car in 1881 ! When I think that today we're still fighting over whether it's the future...

La Jamais Contente or how to break records in 1899

Well, hold on tight. In 1899, a certain Camille Jenatzy, a Belgian engineer but with a French car, climbed into a machine that looked like a torpedo on wheels. Its name? "La Jamais Contente." And this little electric marvel would become the first vehicle in history to exceed 100 km/h . 105.88 km/h to be exact.

I'm fascinated by this era where we experimented with everything and anything. Imagine the faces of people who saw this thing go by at over 100 km/h, while most of them had never seen a car in their lives! It was the era of pioneers, guys who were afraid of nothing and who invented the future through trial and error.

André Citroën and Louis Renault: when dunces become geniuses

Come on, a little leap back in time. We find ourselves at the Lycée Condorcet, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, at the end of the 19th century. In this class, there are two kids who don't yet know that they are going to revolutionize the global automobile industry. André Citroën, the brilliant student, and Louis Renault, the dunce .

I love this twist of fate! The "dunce" Renault will become one of the largest car manufacturers in the world, while the top of the class Citroën will revolutionize the industry with its crazy ideas. Like, high school grades...

Louis Renault: the inventor of the modern gearbox

Louis Renault, in 1898, at only 21 years old, invented the direct-drive gearbox. It sounds technical when you say it like that, but this invention literally revolutionized the automobile . Before that, changing gears was a nightmare, after that it became child's play. Well, almost.

And the strongest? Renault would also be a pioneer in electric vehicles ! In 1974, they developed the electric Renault 5 in partnership with EDF. Yes, the electric Renault 5! Forty years before Tesla made its mark. But hey, at the time, everyone thought it was a gimmick.

André Citroën: the visionary with 100 patents

André Citroën, on the other hand, is something else. In 1919, he founded Citroën and immediately revolutionized the industry by creating the first mass-produced car in Europe . But his masterpiece was the Traction Avant in 1934.

This car, nicknamed "the car with 100 patents," encapsulated everything that was most modern at the time: front-wheel drive, independent suspension, monocoque construction, hydraulic brakes ... The list is endless! It was so revolutionary that the car remained in production for 23 years. Twenty-three years! Imagine a car today that would remain unchanged for that long.

French automotive innovation has a name, and I created my BernardMiniatures.fr store precisely to celebrate this fabulous era. Because when I see a small 1/43 scale Traction Avant in my collection, I think back to all that French audacity. I have more than 1,500 miniatures in stock, mainly 1/43 scale, with many French models from this golden period - Citroëns of course, but also Renaults, Simcas, Panhards... Well, I'm not a big site, so I often only have one or two of each model, but that's also part of the charm. Delivery is free from €75 in France, and I make sure to wrap everything well with bubble wrap because these little historical wonders break easily. Go take a look at bernardminiatures.fr if you're interested - and you'll see, I have a few nuggets that tell this beautiful story of French innovation.

Now let's talk about the absolute star of French innovation: the 2CV.

Pierre-Jules Boulanger and the 2CV revolution

In 1936, Pierre-Jules Boulanger became the head of Citroën. This man would literally change the history of the automobile with a seemingly simple idea: to create a car for ordinary people . Not for the Parisian bourgeoisie, no. For farmers, modest families, those who had never been able to afford a car.

And its specifications are absolutely brilliant in their simplicity: this car must be able to transport four people and a basket of eggs across a field without breaking a single one . I swear it's true! Can you imagine the engineers' faces? "Okay guys, we have to make a car that protects eggs..."

The Egg Test: Between Genius and Madness

This requirement, which seems completely crazy today, was in fact revolutionary . It required an ultra-sophisticated suspension, capable of absorbing all the defects of the dirt roads of the time. Because in the 1930s and 1940s, tarmac roads were still a luxury in the countryside.

I love this typically French approach: starting with a concrete, down-to-earth need and turning it into a technological revolution. No marketing fluff, just: "It has to work for real."

A resistance fighter in command

And then there's a detail I love in Boulanger's story: during the war, this guy was a member of the Resistance . He was literally sabotaging the production of trucks for the Wehrmacht! Imagine the nerve: the boss of a car factory and a member of the Resistance at the same time. He risked his life, but he continued to secretly develop his little people's car.

When the 2CV finally came out in 1948, it embodied the French spirit: simple, ingenious, accessible, and revolutionary despite its modest appearance . More than 5 million units were produced until 1990. Forty-two years of career! And even today, when you come across a 2CV, you automatically smile. That's the French Touch.

Technical heritage: from aviation to the automobile

Well, I'm going to tell you about a little-known but absolutely brilliant guy: André Lefebvre . This guy was an aeronautical engineer who transposed aviation techniques to the automobile. And guess what he worked on? The 2CV!

This interdisciplinary approach is typically French. They take innovations from one field, transpose them to another, and presto! Revolution. Lefebvre notably influenced the stripped-down, functional design of the 2CV. No frills, just pure efficiency.

The French philosophy of innovation

What strikes me in all these stories is this French philosophy of innovation : we don't make things complicated when we can make them simple, we start from people's real needs, and we don't hesitate to shake up established codes.

Take the Traction Avant: before it, all cars had their engine in the rear that pushed. Citroën said: "What if we put the engine in front that pulls?" Revolution! Or the 2CV: "What if we made a car that costs nothing and lasts a lifetime?" Revolution again!

The French Electricity Paradox

Well, now we come to the French paradox. We invented the rechargeable battery, we created the first high-performance electric cars, we were pioneers for over a century... And yet, we were left behind by Tesla .

How is this possible? How did the inventors of the electric car end up behind? I have my own little theory about that.

The curse of "all electric"

In fact, I think the French believed too much in thermal engines . We were so strong in gasoline and diesel engines that we said to ourselves: "Why change a winning team?" And while we were perfecting our small, economical diesels, the Americans were reinventing electric with a completely different approach.

Tesla didn't just make an electric car. They created a computer on wheels , connected, autonomous, with over-the-air updates... We were still making "classic" cars, but electric. It's not the same!

The French spirit today

But hey, the story isn't over yet! The French spirit of innovation is still there. Look at the latest Peugeot e-208 or Renault ZOE: they rediscover this French philosophy of accessible and intelligent automobiles .

And frankly, between us, a Tesla is technically impressive, but does it have the soul of a 2CV? Will people smile in 50 years when they see a Model 3 go by the way they smile today when they see a 2CV? I have my doubts...

French DNA: still alive

What doesn't change in the French automobile industry is this ability to innovate differently . Not necessarily the most high-tech, not necessarily the most expensive, but always the smartest.

Take the Citroën Ami: a small electric car that can be driven from the age of 14, that costs next to nothing, and that perfectly meets today's urban needs. It's the spirit of the 2CV in an electric body! Simple, clever, accessible.

Or look at Renault with their battery leasing schemes: rather than selling an electric car at a high price, they separate the car from its battery. Clever, right? That's French innovation: finding the angle that no one has seen .

From Planté to the present day: 165 years of innovation

Can you believe it? France has been innovating in the electric automobile industry for 165 years! From Gaston Planté in 1859 to the latest Peugeot e-208 today, there's incredible continuity.

And when I look at my little French miniatures in my collection, I tell myself that we really have an exceptional automotive heritage. Each model tells of an innovation, a boldness, a French way of seeing the automobile .

The 2CV with its revolutionary suspension, the Traction Avant with its 100 patents, the electric R5 from 1974 that heralded the future... All this is our heritage. And it's not over yet!

The future in French style

Today, France must rediscover its creative madness . Stop chasing Tesla and others, and become again what we have always been: different innovators.

Electricity is fantastic, but it's not the only revolution awaiting us. There's hydrogen, biofuels, connected cars, new urban uses... So many areas where the French spirit can still work wonders .

Because in the end, what is French innovation? It's about starting with people's needs, not technology. It's about making things simple rather than complicated. It's about having the audacity to shake up established codes. And no one can take that away from us .

So yes, we got a bit left behind when it came to high-end electric vehicles. But the history of the French automobile industry teaches us one thing: we always come back stronger . With our vision, our creativity, and this unique ability to transform constraints into revolutionary innovations.

From Planté's battery to Boulanger's 2CV, from André Citroën's Traction to future innovations we can't even imagine yet, the French spirit of automotive innovation hasn't said its last word . And that's a good thing, because the world still needs it!