Spring 2017, the Geneva Motor Show. Mercedes-Benz unveils its all-new X-Class pickup with great fanfare . A vehicle that, according to them, will revolutionize the European utility market. Except that three years later, it's a first-class burial. 16,700 sales worldwide in 2018, and that's it. Playtime's over.

Do you know why? Because doing American when you're European is complicated . And this story of the X-Class is a bit like the story of all European pickup trucks: sometimes brilliant, often failed, but always fascinating attempts to copy what works across the Atlantic.

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So today, I'm going to tell you the epic tale of European pick-ups , those vehicles that wanted to conquer a market dominated by the Americans. A story that begins in the 70s with a visionary Alsatian electrical engineer, which goes through resounding commercial failures, and which leads us to the latest attempts at electrification.

Because you'll see, Europe has always had a complicated relationship with the pickup truck . Between the taxation that destroys everything, the manufacturers who don't really know what to do, and the consumers who don't understand the point... well, it makes for some juicy stories.

Henri Dangel: The Alsatian who invented the French pickup truck

Well, let's start at the beginning. Late 70s, Henri Dangel . This guy is an Alsatian electrical engineer who has a thing for cars. In the 60s, he was already making racing cars that he called "Mongouste". Then he became an importer of BBS rims. In short, a passionate man who dabbles in everything.

And then one day, Henri had a flash of genius . He thought, "What if I created a 4x4 kit that could be adapted to a production car?" Can you imagine? Back then, we either had military-style Land Rovers or classic cars. Nothing in between.

His choice fell on the Peugeot 504 estate . Why the 504? According to him, it was the most reliable. And he wasn't wrong, the 504 was tough. So Henri developed his all-wheel drive system, and then... Peugeot officially adopted his system in 1981 .

Imagine the scene: a young guy from Alsace arrives at Peugeot with his plans under his arm and convinces a car manufacturer to take over his invention. It's beautiful, isn't it?

Result: between 1981 and 1985, Dangel produced 3,168 pick-ups and 1,142 504 4x4 estates . It's not huge, but it's the first modern French 4x4 pick-up. And I find that fascinating because it shows that we had the skills in Europe, we knew how to do it.

The Peugeot 504 Pick-up: A 26-year marathon

By the way, let's talk a little about this Peugeot 504 pick-up . This thing is a monument. Launched in September 1979, it was produced for... brace yourself... 26 years . Until 2005! Can you believe it? A car that has survived three decades without flinching.

But the craziest thing is that it took 10 years to develop it . Ten years! Why? Because transforming a monocoque body into a utility version is complicated. It was so complex that Peugeot entrusted the assembly to Chausson, the commercial vehicle specialists.

And this 504 pick-up had its unexpected moment of glory. In 1988, Pope John Paul II used one during his trip to Lyon . I swear, the Pope in a Peugeot pick-up! It gives an almost divine aura to a French utility vehicle that was nevertheless at the end of its career.

In total, around 5,500 504 Dangel 4x4 pickups were built until 1994. Not bad for a niche market, right?

The 1980s and 1990s: Europe seeks its path

Well, while Peugeot was making its 504 pickup, Volkswagen was trying something in the United States . In 1979, they released the Rabbit Pickup, only for the North American market. And you know what? They even had specific rectangular headlights because the round H4 headlights were not approved in the USA.

This Rabbit Pick-up was just a Golf with a bed . The wheelbase was extended to 262 cm to accommodate a 2.4 m³ bed. Simple, effective, and it transformed a small car into an American-style utility vehicle. But that was for Americans. In Europe? Nothing.

And that makes me think. Why didn't Volkswagen try this in Europe? Maybe they thought the market wasn't ready. Maybe they were right, though.

Renault Express: Wasted potential

Because look at the 1985 Renault Express . This small utility vehicle, based on the Super 5, sold... wait for it... 1.7 million units ! 1.7 million! That shows that Europe had enormous potential for light commercial vehicles .

But Renault never, ever thought of making it a real pickup truck. It's a shame, because with such success, they could have created a real European dynamic.

Instead, we let the Americans and the Japanese show us how to do it . And that's typically European: we have the ideas, we have the know-how, but we don't dare.

2000-2010: Attempts to break through

Well, the 2000s arrived, and Europe began to think that perhaps it should try something . In 2007, Dacia launched the Logan Pick-up. Produced at the Mioveni plant in Romania, it was exported to South Africa under the Nissan NP200 badge.

Ironically, this "European" pickup never really took off in Europe . It was mainly sold in Africa and South America. You see the problem? We manufacture in Europe, but we sell elsewhere. It's a bit like the syndrome of the prophet who is not recognized in his own country.

And I think it's revealing of our relationship with the pickup truck . We know how to do it, but we don't own up to it. As if it wasn't noble enough for us, sophisticated Europeans.

But the real revolution will come from the Renault-Nissan alliance .

2017: The year of all hopes (and all failures)

2017 is the year Europe really decides to take the plunge . Renault releases the Alaskan, Mercedes unveils its X-Class. On paper, it sounds good: "a muscular pickup truck to conquer Europe."

Except, all these vehicles have one thing in common: they're based on the Nissan Navara . The Alaskan? It's a Navara with a diamond. The X-Class? A Navara with a star.

And there, Mercedes makes the mistake of the century . They take the technical base of the Navara, they stick their star on it, and they sell it... €52,272 compared to €31,810 for the Navara ! Can you imagine? €20,000 more for the same vehicle!

Obviously, it's a total failure . 16,700 sales worldwide in 2018, and by 2020, it's over. Mercedes is stopping the costs.

This X-Class story fascinates me . Because it sums up the whole European problem with pickups: we want to make premium in a segment that demands robustness and accessibility.

Do you know what I loved about miniature cars from the 80s and 90s? It was a time when European manufacturers still dared to experiment . They released atypical models, special versions. Today, it seems like they are afraid to take risks.

By the way, speaking of experimentation, I have some exceptional pieces from this era on my shop BernardMiniatures.fr . Rare models of European cars from the 80s-90s, this period when everything seemed possible in automobiles. I have more than 1500 miniatures in stock, mainly 1/43rd, with vehicles from this golden era of European automobiles.

I'm not a big site, so I often only have one or two pieces of each model, but that's also what makes it charming. Delivery is free from €75 in France, and I take care to pack these little wonders well with bubble wrap.

Go take a look at bernardminiatures.fr if you're interested - you'll see, I have some European utility vehicles from the period that are really worth a look .

But let's get back to our European pickups, because the story doesn't end there.

Ford Ranger: The exception that proves the rule

While Mercedes was failing with its X-Class, Ford was pulling off a remarkable feat with its Ranger . This pickup truck has become Europe's best-selling truck for the past eight years. It accounts for nearly half of all pickup sales in seven major European markets.

But be careful, Ford is not a European manufacturer in the strict sense . It's an American that knows how to make pickup trucks. And its success is largely based on a tax advantage in France. Because yes, taxation is the real scourge of pickup trucks in Europe .

French taxation: The pickup truck killer

So, hold on tight . In 2018, France introduced an ecological penalty that will literally massacre the pick-up market. Penalties that can reach €60,000 for double-cab pick-ups ! Sixty thousand euros!

Can you imagine? You buy a Volkswagen Amarok, and on top of the price of the vehicle, you pay a €60,000 penalty . At this level, it's more of a deterrent than a disguised ban.

As a result, Volkswagen has been grounded with its Amarok . A vehicle that was, however, decent, but which has become unsaleable in France because of this punitive taxation.

And this story drives me crazy . Because while we penalize European pickups, American 2.5-ton SUVs quietly slip through the net. There's a logic to it that I don't understand.

2015-2025: The era of forced partnerships

Faced with these difficulties, European manufacturers have found a solution: to join forces . The Ford-Volkswagen partnership, for example, which has given rise to the new Ranger and Amarok, manufactured in the same factories.

Volkswagen even publicly admitted that without this partnership with Ford, there would have been no second generation of Amarok . Admission of failure or economic realism? Probably both.

And that's where we realize the European paradox : we have the technologies, we have the factories, we even have the markets... but we can't manage to create an autonomous European pick-up industry.

Volkswagen Caddy: The Story of a Misunderstanding

By the way, a tasty little anecdote : in 1979, Volkswagen released the Rabbit Pick-up in the United States. With specific rectangular headlights because the round H4 headlights were not approved. This car retained the wheelbase extended to 262 cm to accommodate a 2.4 m³ bed.

It was great, it transformed a simple Golf into an American-style utility vehicle . But in Europe? Nothing. We waited decades for the Caddy, and even then, it's not really a pickup truck.

This story fascinates me . Volkswagen had the solution back in 1979, but they kept it for the Americans. As if we weren't worthy of having pickup trucks in Europe.

The Future: Electrification as a Last Chance?

Today, European manufacturers are going all out with electrification : Ford Ranger PHEV, Toyota Hilux 48V hybrid, and even the all-electric Chinese Maxus eTerron 9.

The idea is to get around the environmental penalties by offering electrified versions . Clever, but will it work?

I'm skeptical . Not about the technology, but about the approach. We're once again trying to make things complicated where the Americans keep things simple. A €60,000 electric pickup truck may be the future, but it's not democratization.

Conclusion: Europe and its complexes

Ultimately, the story of European pickups is the story of our complexes . We always had the impression that this segment was "not for us." Too American, too rustic, not refined enough.

Yet Henri Dangel had shown the way back in the 1970s . His Peugeot 504 4x4 was exactly what needed to be done: take a reliable European base, add technology, and create something unique.

But instead, we opted for rebadging . We took Nissans, stuck our logos on them, and hoped it would work. The result: failure across the board.

And you know what? It makes me nostalgic for that time when European manufacturers dared . The 80s and 90s, when they came out with crazy things, bold concepts. That time when a Peugeot 504 pick-up could rub shoulders with a Renault Express and when everything seemed possible.

Today, we are subject to taxation, we are forced into partnerships, and we hope that electrification will save us . It may be pragmatic, but it is less dreamy.

So there you have it, that was the story of European pickup trucks . A story of magnificent failures, aborted attempts, but also of a few successes like this 504 which survived three decades.

And who knows? Maybe one day, a new Henri Dangel will emerge from his garage with the idea of the century . A 100% European pickup truck that will make Americans tremble. In the meantime, we can always dream by looking at the miniatures of this era when everything was still possible.