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Voiturette

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Léon Bollée Voiturette 1895
Léon Bollée Voiturette 1895
Delage Voiturette c.1906
Delage Voiturette c.1906

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 to describe their small cars. The word comes from the French word for "automobile", voiture. Between World War I and World War II light-weight racing cars with engines limited to 1500 cc such as the Alfa Romeo 158/159 Alfetta, the Bugatti Type 13 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.

Such vehicles are sometimes also called "motor quadricycles" or "motor tricycles". The driver's license for them is available to people over 16 years and is in category "B1" and is valid, subject to restrictions, in all European Union countries.

Discover more about History related topics

Léon Bollée

Léon Bollée

Léon Bollée was a French automobile manufacturer and inventor.

French language

French language

French is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Northern Gaul. Its closest relatives are the other langues d'oïl—languages historically spoken in northern France and in southern Belgium, which French (Francien) largely supplanted. French was also influenced by native Celtic languages of Northern Roman Gaul like Gallia Belgica and by the (Germanic) Frankish language of the post-Roman Frankish invaders. Today, owing to France's past overseas expansion, there are numerous French-based creole languages, most notably Haitian Creole. A French-speaking person or nation may be referred to as Francophone in both English and French.

World War I

World War I

World War I or the First World War, often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. It was fought between two coalitions, the Allies and the Central Powers. Fighting occurred throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific, and parts of Asia. An estimated 9 million soldiers were killed in combat, plus another 23 million wounded, while 5 million civilians died as a result of military action, hunger, and disease. Millions more died as a result of genocide, while the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic was exacerbated by the movement of combatants during the war.

World War II

World War II

World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries, including all of the great powers, fought as part of two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. Many participants threw their economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind this total war, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. Aircraft played a major role, enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and the delivery of the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war.

Alfa Romeo 158/159 Alfetta

Alfa Romeo 158/159 Alfetta

The Alfa Romeo 158/159, also known as the Alfetta, 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 159, took 47 wins from 54 Grands Prix entered. It was originally developed for the pre-World War II voiturette formula (1937) and has a 1.5-litre straight-8 supercharged engine. Following World War II, the car was eligible for the new Formula One introduced in 1947. In the hands of drivers such as Nino Farina, Juan Manuel Fangio and Luigi Fagioli, it dominated the first two seasons of the World Championship of Drivers.

Bugatti Type 13

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 engine, though five Type 13 racers had 16-valve heads, some of the first ever produced. The road cars became known as pur-sang ("thoroughbred") in keeping with Ettore Bugatti's feelings for his designs.

English Racing Automobiles

English Racing Automobiles

English Racing Automobiles (ERA) was a British racing car manufacturer active from 1933 to 1954.

Driver's license

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 road. Such licenses are often plastic and the size of a credit card.

European Union

European Union

The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of 4,233,255.3 km2 (1,634,469.0 sq mi) and an estimated total population of nearly 447 million. The EU has often been described as a sui generis political entity combining the characteristics of both a federation and a confederation.

Renault's 1898 Voiturette

French maker Renault'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

Discover more about Other automobiles so described related topics

Dalifol

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.

Dalifol & Thomas

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 with a "Dust proof" two-speed constant-mesh gearbox.

Populaire (automobile)

Populaire (automobile)

The Populaire was a French automobile manufactured only in 1899. A light rear-engined voiturette, it featured three-seater bodywork.

Esculapeus

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, and came complete with a locker for their bags, as well as full weather protection.

Damaizin & Pujos

Damaizin & Pujos

The Damaizin & Pujos was a French automobile manufactured only in 1910. The company built chassis with a patented constant-mesh gear change, and may also have been known as "Dux".

David & Bourgeois

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.

De Boisse

De Boisse

The De Boisse, was a French automobile manufactured from 1901 until 1904 by Jacques de Boisse in Paris.

De Riancey

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.

Guerraz

Guerraz

The Guerraz was a French automobile manufactured only in 1902. A voiturette, it featured C-spring rear suspension and a 1357 cc Bolide engine the car was unreliable and that led to the downfall.

Guerry et Bourguignon

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".

Source: "Voiturette", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2022, December 27th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voiturette.

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