IN post-war Paris, cars once represented a rising standard of living and industrial strength – but there were some major problems.
The city’s population grew by about 50,000 a year between 1946 and 1954, adding 379,000 residents.
However, very little housing had been built during the war years.
More than a third of the city’s apartment buildings had been built before 1871 and 80 per cent of them did not have their own bathroom, 55 percent did not have their own toilet – let alone parking for cars.
Most of the motorists had fairly compact cars like Citroens, Peugeots, Fiats, Renaults, Simcas and the like, but they collectively took up too much space and parking became a hassle.
Renault came up with the 4CV, Citroen with its 2CV and Panhard’s Dyna were all a size smaller, but didn’t alleviate the problem.
Then, in 1949, Robert Hannoyer, had a lightbulb moment.
The owner of a thriving car repair business in Paris, he came up with a microcar, one that could be partially folded to take up less space on the street, but also so small it could be wheeled through the garden gate, even indoors.
He built the prototype, called it the Reyonnah (his surname spelled in reverse) and put it on display at the 1950 Paris Salon.
It had tandem seating for two and looked much like some cyclecars of the time, but you could lift the front and a mechanical system of parallelograms folded the front wheels under the nose.
It made it look like a vehicular praying mantis, but it reduced the width by half, from 1.45 to 0.75m, in line with the close-together rear wheels.
It had no doors, so you simply stepped over the body sill and into the cockpit.
There was no roof on the show car, but later models had a side-hinged canopy with a canvas top.
Power was from a 175cc AMC engine and Hannoyer said his little car was good for 70km/h.
Paulette Dubost poses with the Reyonnah
Reyonnah at Montlhery in 1952
A production version emerged in 1951 with a high, straight beltline, cutaway rear wings and motorcycle-style front mudguards.
There were also narrow running boards, with aluminium footpads for easier access.
The aircraft-style hinged canopy could be had with either a folding canvas top or a slightly taller steel hardtop with side windows and a sunroof.
The interior sported a steering wheel under the dashboard, there was a hinged front luggage compartment and a choice of AMC or 125cc Ydral motors.
Transmission was a three-speed manual and a chain drive to the rear wheels.
Hannoyer was determined to get wider press coverage so he managed to persuade Paulette Dubost, the famous film star of the time, to pose with his car.
He also entered the 1951 Paris-Chartres economy run and in 1952 he built a special Torpedo-Sports model for a speed run at the Montlhéry race track.
The Torpedo, which featured a low, streamlined windscreen and tonneau cover, hit 100km/h (62mph) and achieved an average 96.67km/h during a non-stop run of 50km.
Hannoyer’s enthusiasm kept his small car alive and appearing at the Paris Motor Show for at least three years from 1950 till 1952 during which the car failed to attract customers in the numbers for which he had hoped.
He got lots of interest, but no actual buyers.
Only about 17 Reyonnahs were ever built.
Three years later the Messerschmitt three-wheelers arrived and were an instant success, even though they could not be folded up and taken into your lounge room.
But the Reyonnah seemed to have a very positive effect on Paulette Dubost: She lived to 101!
And in 2013, one surviving Reyonnah was sold by RM Sotheby’s – for US$184,000 (AU$267,000).
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