Automotive industry in France

France was a pioneer in the automotive industry and is the 11th-largest automobile manufacturer in the world by 2015 unit production and the third-largest in Europe (after Germany and Spain). It had consistently been the 4th-largest from the end of World War II up to 2000. It is 16% of sales of French manufactured products.

According to a market research forecast, the French automotive market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 6.5%, reaching a valuation of around US$50.9 billion by 2029.

France is home to two major automaking companies:

Additionally, Toyota operates a factory in France for production of small-class passenger vehicles.

Lower volume French automotive manufacturers include:

The France-based Renault Trucks is a major producer of commercial vehicles and is owned by Volvo. Both PSA and Renault produce a large number of vehicles outside France. French automotive manufacturers were long dominant in francophone Africa, but beginning in the 1970s the Japanese were making inroads due to lower prices and the availability of suitable light offroad cars and trucks.

French-designed cars have won the European Car of the Year and World Car of the Year awards numerous times. The Citroën DS took third place in Car of the Century award and has been named the most beautiful car of all time by Classic & Sports Car magazine.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.