Various early French cars from the 16th, 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries!


Ferdinand Verbiest's steam car, vintage 1672.

Ferdinand Verbiest's Steam Carriage of 1672 holds the title as the world's first motorized vehicle, albeit steam-powered. Verbiest constructed this marvel for the Kangxi Emperor in China, showcasing early automotive ingenuity. Ironically, Verbiest hailed from Flanders, Belgium, which historically formed part of the ancient Frankish realm, known as the West Frankish Kingdom.

Amedee Bolee, a French clockmaker, is credited with crafting one of the earliest motorized vehicles capable of carrying multiple passengers. Meanwhile, Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot engineered the Fardier à Vapeur, recognized as the first documented automobile, also powered by steam. Verbiest's creation, on the other hand, wasn't designed for practical driving and could be considered more of a toy or prototype.

Joseph Cugnot, for the record, also resided in Belgium for much of his retirement years, between 1789 and 1800, which, considering the lifespan of that era, was quite a lengthy period.


During a modern exhibition at the museum where it resides, the Fardier à Vapeur was showcased. Additionally, the Fardier à Vapeur was the world's first self-propelled tractor.

Joseph Cugnot's vehicle, as you can see from the picture, was intended to drive through walls. The Fardier à Vapeur indeed had brakes, but they were not sufficient for downhill slopes.

Amedee Bolee was a true pioneer in the early days of automobiles back in the 1870s and 1880s. In the 1870s, he even introduced a so-called minibus with room for several passengers, all powered by steam. By the mid-1890s, one of his sons, Leon Bolee, patented the world's first quadricycle or bicycle car powered by gasoline. This contraption, known as the Voiturette, was adopted by several other French car manufacturers from the late 1890s to the early 1900s, including Renault, who made a breakthrough with their own Renault Voiturette, marking their debut in the automotive industry. I am going to write more on my streetcar blog, about Renault's innovations, including their pioneering use of streamlined hoods or fronts.

Here's a rundown of Voiturettes and French vehicles from around the late 1890s to 1900:

1. Dalifol & Thomas (1896-1898), with Dalifol alone in 1896!
2. Triouleyre (1896-1898)
3. Goujon (1896-1901)
4. Lufbery (1898-1902)
5. Soncin (1900-1902)
6. Gregoire (1902-1924)
7. Jules Tourey (1898)



One of the early Renault Voiturettes, developed from what's known as a quadricycle or bicycle car, remains modern even today, especially in the realm of bicycles.

A Leon Bollee Voiturette 1890. 



















Dalifol Labeille 3CV.

Tourey 4CV Duc 1898

Bolees La Rapide 1881

Bolees La Marianne 1879

Goujon 3,5 CV

Triouleyre 1896-1898!


Triouleyre


Triouleyre

 




Amedee Bolee's La Mancelle steam car, model of 1878.

Soncin Ca 1900.


Amedee Bolee's Mini Steam Bus, model of 1873, with a top speed of 40 km/h.

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