(first posted 1/22/2018) Oxymora sell. Gourmet burger, large studio flat, affordable luxury, freedom fighter, alcohol-free beer, genuine imitation… Those shouldn’t pair up so well. But they do, because they pique our curiosity and are thus PR gold: burgers, for instance, are a niche within fast-food and gourmet burgers are a niche within it. Now let’s consider the peculiar niche that are quadricycles, a.k.a license-free cars (LFC). Surely there might be a sub-category for “deluxe sports / high end” LFCs? Of course there is! Right this way to the Chatenet.
1920 Peugeot Type 161 “Quadrillette” with tandem seats.
Quadricycles have a very long history, going back to the beginning of the automobile. European countries all had different laws at different times to regulate automotive traffic, but there was usually always a threshold (in terms of engine capacity, power output, number of wheels and/or overall vehicle weight) below which one could be allowed on the road without a driver’s license. France has a long history of LFC production. Renault, Peugeot and Citroën all partook in making very small cars in the early 20th Century, as did many automakers from many countries in those days, but most of the spindly little quadricycles of the ‘20s (then called cyclecar in France) fell victim to legislative and/or fiscal change and were all but wiped out by the ‘30s. Microcars were beginning to appear though. And made it big during and after the Second World War.
Top: 1941 P. Faure; 1951 Ardex; 1954 Mochet. Middle: 1972 Willam, 1980 Ligier; 1981 Mini Comtesse. Bottom: 1986 Aixam; 2003 Microcar; 2015 Renault.
In many Western European countries, microcars (also called voiturette) only required a moped (or no) license, which is how the new niche of LFCs came to be. Companies in France, Britain, Italy and Germany were all competing for this small niche, which varied from one country to the next. Cheaper regular cars shrank the market again in the ‘60s; by the late ‘70s, France and Italy emerged as dominant – Britain’s enduring infatuation with three-wheelers left it isolated from the European market and Germany had shifted focus to regular cars and trucks. In France, by 1980, a jumble of microcarmakers such as Mini Comtesse, KVS, Ligier, Flipper or Duport competed fiercely for the LFC market. The ‘80s brought in yet more new players, such as Chatenet (in 1984) and Aixam, while others disappeared or consolidated, giving us the state of play we still have today. The market is dominated by three French companies: Aixam, Ligier and Microcar (these last two joined forces in 2008 and also own the Mega marque). Châtenet is a very distant fourth, ahead of Bellier and Italian firms Casalini and Italcar. Renault recently re-entered the market with their Twizy electric one-seater, selling over 15,000 units since 2012.
Brussels drafted EU-wide legislation regarding the LFCs in 1991 to harmonize the market along French and Italian legislation: two categories of quadricycles (light and heavy) were defined, the former being limited to 50cc for gasoline engines or 4kW (5.6 hp) for Diesel or electric engines, the car’s maximum weight being 350kg (200kg load limit). The “heavy” category is chiefly used for pick-ups and commercial vehicles based on the light LFC designs, which was pioneered in the ‘70s by Willam and soon emulated by many. Their power is maximum 15kW for 550kg (commercial vehicles have a 1000kg load limit), but this type requires a more thorough / expensive / time-consuming license than the light type. Current French (and other) legislation does not require any license of any kind for people born before 1988 to drive a light LFC. Younger people have to pass a relatively easy practical and written test from age 14.
The Ligier JS 50, current competitor with Chatenet for “sporty LFC” thrills (at 45 kph max).
Contrary to popular belief, these little things are not all driven by oldtimers – at least in France. Half of French LFC drivers are aged 32 or less. The reasons for this are manifold: some folks get their license pulled or otherwise nullified (about 20% of owners). The others never learned to drive – some because of age, others because of cost. A driver’s license is a very expensive piece of paper in most European countries, France included: not everyone has €2000 set aside for weeks of driver’s ed. When they were oddly-shaped and/or cheaply-made in the ‘70s, LFCs attracted people who used them as a tool. But what happens if you put a dab of style and exclusivity in one of these?
You get the rather handsome and well-proportioned Châtenet CH 32 Break, launched in 2010 and derived from a less-pretty two-door CH 26 saloon (a pick-up is also available). Its €15,000 price may cause you to balk a bit. There are plenty of “normal” city cars, which one can drive on highways and such, available for much less money. Yes, but you need a driver’s license. In a world where that’s not such an easy option for whatever reason, but money is less of an issue, a deluxe LFC like the Châtenet sort of makes sense.
Hidden by a rather torturously-designed snout, the Chatenet’s twin-cylinder Diesel engine, made by Yanmar, produces (quite loudly) a valiant 5.4 hp (DIN) thanks to its 523cc displacement. For the past couple of decades, the Diesel twin and electric motors have completely overtaken the 50cc gasoline engines, which are no longer used – at least in European four-wheelers – on anything other than quad bikes. Modern goodies from larger cars have made their way to this lowest level of motorized carriage: A/C, electric windows, ABS, alloy wheels and CVT are all part of the package, which may be accompanied by all manner of spoilers and flared wheel arches.
The cabin has been designed like a mini sports car, with more flair than one would expect to find in such a vehicle. The space inside is far from ridiculous and the overall impression is one of quality. This is not necessarily what cars in this niche were renowned for, but that’s the difference Chatenet have targeted. Other than that, with their FWD transverse layout, aluminium chassis, 2-cyl. engine and plastic bodywork, Chatenets are very close to their competitors.
The Chatenet CH 26 saloon originally came out (quite slowly, of course) in 2009.
Aiming at a niche within a niche will axiomatically result in small-scale production. With about 1500-2000 units made per year, Chatenet is perennially well behind market leaders Aixam (around 12,000 units) and Ligier-Microcar (15,000 units, together with Mega). France is a big market in itself for these of course: it is estimated that 140,000 privately-owned LFCs are crawling about on French roads. But over 60% of French-made LFCs are exported to various European countries, such as Benelux, Scandinavia, Germany, Austria, Spain and Italy. The 2008 financial crisis did claim two competitors (JDM and Grecav) fairly recently, which can only be good news for those still in the game.
LFCs exist because people need them, but they are usually regarded as the bane of other road users’ existence. A majority of these cars are used in rural areas (at least in France), picking up the baton from the 400cc Citroën 2CV, albeit with fewer doors and more creature comforts. At close to US$20,000 a pop, the latter is expected and the Chatenet seems to deliver. With production numbers below Rolls-Royce levels, it might also become a classic someday. In its own slow way.
Related post:
European Vacation Outtake: Aixam City – Only 5.4 HP, But No Car Driver’s License Required, by PN
I’ve heard these called vehicules sans permis and are favoured among wine enthusiasts http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35210572
Of all the cars mentioned or pictured, the only one I had heard of before today was the Twizy. And I thought the Twizy was a 2 passenger vehicle.
Here in Florida, the alternative for folks without a driver’s license is one of those 4 wheeled golf carts, or a moped.
It’s unfortunate but most folks here in the US would consider a few weeks training to get a driver’s license as being a few week too long…and it shows.
it is – but there is a 1 seat ‘cargo’ model
Wait a minute… Has the Italian Grecav gone out of business? Their LFC, the Sonique, was different from the rest as it used a spaceframe with aluminum body panels as opposed to fiberglass. Used to see a few in Portugal
Oops, didn’t read the rest.
It’s probably the worst loss for the LFC industry. The Sonique was a lot safer than the fiberglass/plastic cars (of which the only one a bit safe is the Chatenet with 2 NCAP stars). I still have its brochure stashed with 2 Ligier ones.
About JDM, been inside one (and inside an Aixam and a Ligier) a couple days ago, and liked how they had some attention to detail by putting some decent door cards. Much better than the ones in the bigger players. The rest of the cabin is just a PSA parts bin mishmash. It’s also sad they went out of business
I saw an Axiam in France and was curious enough to snap a picture of it. I still have a little trouble with the “looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, but is small and dangerous so it’s okay” school of thought…. but hey! France!
That Aixam might be from anytime between 1998 and 2003, more or less. The current one actually looks good.
The one thing that’s improved across the board for LFCs is styling. Night and day compared to the turn of the century output.
Thanks for the comprehensive overview of a niche I was only superficially aware of; you might say Europe’s version of the Kei car but with less regulation including safety. Do they factor significantly in accidents/injuries?
The ‘funny’ thing is at EUR15k t would be cheaper to get a normal licence and car, which would surely be nicer than this.
I don’t think there is anything equivalent in Australia, other than powered scooters etc limited to something like 200W output.
These microcars cannot access highways and the like, but they can and do putter around towns and country roads. The accident / injury rates I cannot ascertain, but the fact that the law was widened to the whole Union probably means numbers are insignificant.
Wow, I had heard of the Willam and Ligier but assumed this class of car (if not electric) had disappeared decades ago due to safety and emissions regulations, not to mention the whole concept of no driver’s license.
50cc gasoline engine displacement and 500+cc diesel engine displacement in the same regulation? looks like an obvious order of magnitude difference. 50cc is the territory of a honda moped. 1960s-70s US backyard minibikes had larger displacements. how could this motivate an enclosed vehicle with 1+ occupants?. i see a lot of exterior design cues from the prev gen mini cooper clubman in chatenet.
is it possible for the looks of a car to actually make you feel sick to your stomach?
I have driven a Twizy and it feels like a golf cart; a bit faster, but suitable for city use only – on a highway it’s akin to riding a bicycle among big rigs, not the safest thing. The wheels on the featured car look like those from a Kia Soul, and the Ligiers look like a miniature Suzuki Swift. I only knew of Ligier through its Formula 1 cars back in the ’70s and early ’80s; I didn’t know they made cars otherwise.
It’s funny you brought up a Kia Soul. My first thought was it looks like a mutated Kia soul. Or one that had gone thru the Mitsouku treatment
…”Cruising around in my GTO
Rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school”…
HA! Now there’s coffee on my phone.
Here in Portugal you need to be 16 to drive those. It makes little to no sense to buy one during high school.
Actually I knew of a guy who drove one of those little cars before 18. It was a Ligier JS50L dci. The car he got when he got his license? A ’10 E Class Cabrio. Go figure.
These cars for folks without licenses amuse me, as they seem to be 3/4 or 7/8 of a “real” car. Unfortunately, I still can’t wrap my head around the idea of driving without a license legally, I have to imagine the legal environment is far different there than it is in the US.
I was disappointed to see these things are not inexpensive, but I actually do like what I’ve seen here. Not seeing them in person and not seeing the older ones to compare against, I can only imagine that they’ve grown to be the size of the original VW Polo/Audi 50 from about 40 years ago. Or are they more original Mini or Fiat 500 size?
One more dumb question: Is the Ligier company that produces these sans permis cars also the one that used to make F1 racing chassis?
They are smaller or equal to a smart car
Yes, it’s the same Ligier (sad to say this), they have the racing flag logo, and their current model is called JS 50, where the JS stands for Jo Schlesser (if I’m not wrong), a hommage they’ve been doing for decades
Think of it as a Starter Car. Training wheels. Like the 50cc motorbike I was allowed to drive at 15, six months before I became eligible for a Learners Permit. My orange Italian two-wheeler was no faster than a moped with fixed pedals. I quickly learned to stay humble, make eye contact and smile, and drive ultra-defensively, all the while conserving momentum and the limited braking power available. You did not take bold chances or throw your weight around with that gangly two-stroke irritant, even though it did say “Harley-Davidson” in bold letters on the tank.
Once I’d survived my Baby Harley Year, I was allowed behind the steering wheel. My mom offered up her new ’66 Ford Mustang, and that was another story…
When I saw the close-up photo of the front end of the Chatenet, my first reaction was ‘I’ve seen that face before’.
My first thought was maybe something from Daft Punk, but then I realized it was the face of the robot in Royksopp & Robyn’s 2009 video ‘The Girl and the Robot’.
Maybe the designer was a Royksopp fan. 🙂
“Honda element” with “curves”.
So these are a sort of sub-Kei-car contrivance? I wonder what the Japanese authorities would make of them?
I can’t help thinking you’d be miles (kilometres, because France, I guess) better off getting a licence so you could have a proper car. Not going out on the highway wouldn’t bother me personally, but I’m trying to imagine driving this thing absolutely flat-out around town (NVH from that diesel twin at Vmax?) and still holding up traffic.
I hope European drivers are patient around these.