Yes, the French car market is doing well! Or rather that of old cars. In this sector of vehicles over 30 years old, the Peugeot 205 was the best-selling car in France in 2022, with more than 8,000 transactions (+ 15.5%), according to figures from the NGC-Data firm published on Wednesday by L’Argus.
“The Citroën 2CV remains one of the star models in the collection market. But its prices have also reached new heights, diverting enthusiasts on a budget to more accessible models,” explains L’Argus at the opening of the Retromobile show in Paris. The little Peugeot 205, which celebrates its 40th birthday in February, is an example of this, even more so in its affordable versions than in its sports versions (GTI, Rallye, etc.). However, it rarely remains registered in the collection.
The 2CV ranks second with more than 6,000 sales, ahead of the Renault 4, the Volkswagen Golf, and the Renault 5. The Golf is also the best-selling convertible, while the queen of old sports cars is the Porsche 911, with its very long career. In Corsica and Reunion, the all-terrain Nissan Patrol takes the lead in the ranking.
A market up 3%
Among the Renaults, the Express utility recorded an astonishing score with more than 1,000 sales. “It’s a safe bet that it is of interest to craftsmen to allow them easier access, in the future, to low-emission zones”, notes L’Argus.
In total, sales of old cars increased by 3% in 2022, i.e. 98,000 vehicles sold, on a second-hand market down slightly to 5.2 million cars. 30% of these old cars were registered with a collector’s registration document.
By way of comparison, the total number of new car registrations in January 2023 reached 111,940. This is an increase of 8.8% compared to January 2022. But this corresponds to a decline of 28% compared to January 2019, according to the Automotive Platform. Specialists in the sector highlight the continued production difficulties. The slight improvement in delivery times does not compensate for this problem.