A voiturette is a miniature automobile.

History

''Voiturette'' was first registered by

Léon Bollée Léon Bollée (1 April 1870 – 16 December 1913) was a French automobile manufacturer and inventor. Life Bollée's family were well known bellfounders and his father, Amédée Bollée (1844–1917), was the major pioneer in the automobile i ...

in 1895 to name his new motor tricycle. The term became so popular in the early years of the motor industry that it was used by many makers to describe their small cars. The word comes from the French word for "automobile", ''voiture''. Between

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

light-weight racing cars with engines limited to 1500 cc such as the

Alfa Romeo 158/159 Alfetta The Alfa Romeo 158/159, also known as the ''Alfetta'' (''Little Alfa'' in Italian), is a Grand Prix racing car produced by Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo. It is one of the most successful racing cars ever; the 158 and its derivative, the 1 ...

, the

Bugatti Type 13 The Bugatti Type 13 was the first true Bugatti car. Production of the Type 13, and later Types 15, 17, 22, and 23, began with the company's founding in 1910 and lasted through 1920, with 435 examples produced. Most road cars used an eight-valve ...

and the original

ERAs Eras is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by Albert Boton and Albert Hollenstein and was released by the International Typeface Corporation (ITC) in 1976. Eras is licensed by the Linotype type foundry. A distinct and curious feature of E ...

were known as voiturettes. In France, in the years after World War II a type of small three-wheeled vehicle voiturette was produced. In 1990s, voiturette became a French classification for a vehicle weighing less than 350 kilograms (770 lb) empty and carrying a load (i.e. passengers) of not more than 200 kilograms (~440 lb). The top speed is limited to 45 km/h (~30 mph) and engine size to 50 cc or 4 kilowatts for an engine of "another type" for example an electric car. Zèbre poisson

Such vehicles are sometimes also called "motor quadricycles" or "motor tricycles". The

driver's license A driver's license is a legal authorization, or the official document confirming such an authorization, for a specific individual to operate one or more types of motorized vehicles—such as motorcycles, cars, trucks, or buses—on a public ...

for them is available to people over 16 years and is in category "B1" and is valid, subject to restrictions, in all

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

countries.

Renault's 1898 Voiturette

French maker

Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...

's first car was simply called

Voiturette A voiturette is a miniature automobile. History ''Voiturette'' was first registered by Léon Bollée in 1895 to name his new motor tricycle. The term became so popular in the early years of the motor industry that it was used by many makers t ...

, instead of the common usage then (it would have been called Renault 1¾ CV). The 1900 model (Voiturette C) was considered the first ever sedan (a car with roof).

Other automobiles so described

Dalifol The Dalifol was a French automobile manufactured only in 1896. It was a horizontal-engined gas-driven car built by a firm best known for producing steam motorcycles. See also *Dalifol & Thomas The Dalifoil & Thomas was a French automobile manufac ...

, manufactured in 1896 in France *

Dalifol & Thomas The Dalifoil & Thomas was a French automobile manufactured from 1896 until 1898. A voiturette built in the Dulac factory in Montreuil-sous-Bois, it was powered by two separate De Dion engines. In 1899 the company introduced a motor tricycle A ...

, manufactured from 1896 until 1898 in France * Populaire, manufactured only in 1899 in France *

Esculapeus The Esculapeus was a British automobile manufactured for one year only, 1902. A "chainless" voiturette, it had a five-horsepower twin engine. Befitting its name, the car was designed for doctors (Asclepius was the Roman God of medicine and hea ...

, manufactured in 1902 in England * Damaizin & Pujos, manufactured in 1910 in France * David & Bourgeois, manufactured in 1898 in France *

De Boisse The De Boisse (possibly a.k.a. Denis de Boisse), was a French automobile manufactured from 1901 until 1904 by Jacques de Boisse in Paris. Company The company was based in Paris,Harald H. Linz, Halwart Schrader : The International Automobile Encycl ...

, manufactured from 1901 until 1904 in France *

De Riancey The De Riancey was a French automobile manufactured from 1898 until around 1901. A front-wheel-drive voiturette, it used an air-cooled flat-twin engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mech ...

, manufactured from 1898 until around 1901 in France *

Guerraz The Guerraz was a French automobile manufactured only in 1902. A voiturette A voiturette is a miniature automobile. History ''Voiturette'' was first registered by Léon Bollée in 1895 to name his new motor tricycle. The term became so pop ...

, manufactured in 1901 in France *

Guerry et Bourguignon The Guerry et Bourguignon was a French automobile built only in 1907 by a cycle company from Paris. It was described as a "tri-voiturette A voiturette is a miniature automobile. History ''Voiturette'' was first registered by Léon Bollée in ...

, built in 1907 in France

External links

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Description of Light Vehicles
Veteran vehicles {{classicpow-auto-stub