Weird tiny French cars - WTF?
Discussion
I can't see the piccies on my work computer as our server blocks them.
But guessing they may be the Ligier / Axiam things from the early 2000s? Maybe?
I think the French like them because i'm sure the driving age in France is, or at least was, 18 yrs old, whereas motorbikes was 15. And you can drive these on a bike licence. Something like that.
I think the manufacturers hoped to compete with the then MCC Smart but they didn't really take off over here. There's quite a few in France though.
But guessing they may be the Ligier / Axiam things from the early 2000s? Maybe?
I think the French like them because i'm sure the driving age in France is, or at least was, 18 yrs old, whereas motorbikes was 15. And you can drive these on a bike licence. Something like that.
I think the manufacturers hoped to compete with the then MCC Smart but they didn't really take off over here. There's quite a few in France though.
I'm sure they were popular in France because its drink drivers had a loophole, whereby someone who is banned can still drive one of these. I think this loophole is now closed, but they are a cheap to buy, cheap to run form of transport. Its actually the sort of thing more UK cities need to have for ths school run etc
A lex said:
We have these in NL as well - bloody liabilities.
The 'powerful' ones are limited to 45kmh and are allowed to drive on normal roads. The lower powered ones are limited to bicycle/moped pathways.
The ones on the road cause chaos everywhere they go, the ones on the pavement are generally driven very badly (and in to / over people).
As mentioned they can be driven on motorcycle licenses, which is the principal attraction - usually pioted by old giffers or 16yr old kids round these parts.
Id burn them all if I thought I could get away with it.
In Delft, a couple of the worst of the "chav brigade" drive around in these things, blinged up to the max with spoilers and splitters and vent and side skirts, pumping out terrible Rotterdam rap music with the windows down so we can see their mullets.The 'powerful' ones are limited to 45kmh and are allowed to drive on normal roads. The lower powered ones are limited to bicycle/moped pathways.
The ones on the road cause chaos everywhere they go, the ones on the pavement are generally driven very badly (and in to / over people).
As mentioned they can be driven on motorcycle licenses, which is the principal attraction - usually pioted by old giffers or 16yr old kids round these parts.
Id burn them all if I thought I could get away with it.
- shudder*
You can buy the Axiam (the grey one) over here in RHD - there's one I see regularly meandering around near my house. The economy isn't as impressive as you might hope and they're not that cheap either.
They had a stand at the last couple of Birmingham motor shows I went to. I wanted to have a sit inside one but they were always locked and with no-one manning the stall.
They had a stand at the last couple of Birmingham motor shows I went to. I wanted to have a sit inside one but they were always locked and with no-one manning the stall.
The French call them 'Sans Permis' cars, and the principal attraction was that when banned for a DD offence, you could still get around in one of these (think thats still the case). Suppose the thinking is they can't go fast enough to do any real damage.
Where I live in France there is a farmer who, over the last 5 years, has had a Range Rover Sport, then a little SP car, then the same RRS, then the little SP car..etc etc. Suspect Sunday lunches in his local restaurant are very good.
Where I live in France there is a farmer who, over the last 5 years, has had a Range Rover Sport, then a little SP car, then the same RRS, then the little SP car..etc etc. Suspect Sunday lunches in his local restaurant are very good.

Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff






