This week we saw the debut of the Alpine A390, an oh-so-French electric crossover with a wacky design and compelling dynamics, and it got me thinking about French cars. Admittedly, it doesn’t take a lot to get me thinking about French cars. Most of my conversations about cars end up becoming about French cars. Most of my conversations and thoughts in general end up being about French cars, actually. That’s brought me to today’s question: What’s your favorite French car?
There are so many incredible French cars that you could pick as your favorite, especially given how a French guy created the first self-propelled motorized land vehicle all the way back in the 1700s, and Peugeot was founded in 1814. The French have produced everything from affordable and adorable hatchbacks to mid-engine supercars and spacious family vans, all of which have a certain je ne sais quoi to their design and engineering that separate them from boring cars from other countries. I’ll even let you pick a race car if you’d like, as the French have been quite good at building those, too.
My choice is incredibly easy
For once, my own answer for a question of the day isn’t gonna be a Bugatti. My favorite car of all time is the Citroën DS, and nothing else comes close. We throw around words like “groundbreaking” and “iconic” a lot, but the DS is worthy of such hyperbole more than any other car. When the DS debuted at the 1955 Paris Motor Show it was like a UFO had landed, instantly captivating the audience (as you can see above). There had never been a car that looked anything like it, and the DS had a radical, magical suspension setup to boot. I think the DS remains the most beautiful car of all time, especially if we’re just talking about normal stuff, and it is still a major fixture in pop culture.
But what say you, dear Jalops? What’s your favorite French car? Let me know in the comments and I’ll round up my favorite answers later this week. At least one of you better pick the Renault Avantime.
