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 French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

word for "automobile", ''voiture''. Between

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

light-weight racing cars with engines limited to 1500 cc such as the Alfa Romeo 158/159 Alfetta, 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 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 publi ...

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

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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, 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, manufactured in 1896 in France * Dalifol & Thomas, manufactured from 1896 until 1898 in France * Populaire, manufactured only in 1899 in France * Esculapeus, manufactured in 1902 in England *

Damaizin & Pujos The Damaizin & Pujos was a French automobile manufactured only in 1910. The company built chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the ...

, manufactured in 1910 in France *

David & Bourgeois The David & Bourgeois was a French automobile manufactured only in 1898. A tiller-steered saloon, it featured a "square-four" engine developed by Paul Gautier Paul may refer to: * Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with ...

, manufactured in 1898 in France * De Boisse, manufactured from 1901 until 1904 in France * De Riancey, manufactured from 1898 until around 1901 in France * Guerraz, manufactured in 1901 in France * Guerry et Bourguignon, built in 1907 in France

External links

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

History

Renault's 1898 Voiturette

Other automobiles so described

See also

External links