Citroen Ami 6

29/07/2026 update: Now with the Top 13 All French brands and Top 34 All French models.

Today we go back 60 years to study the best-selling brands and models in France in 1966…

Consult over 130 years of French Historical Data here

Check out newly updated French historical posts here:

France 1967: Renault and R4 reclaim leadership

In 1966 sales of new French vehicles at home jump +14.6% to 1,209,708 units, including commercial vehicles. Citroen (+12%) keeps the lead of the brands charts but sees its share thaw from 34% to 33.2%. Renault (+16.2%) is catching up and ends the year at 32.5% of its home market. Peugeot (+29.1%) advances to 19.3% while Simca (+3.5%) drops to 11.5%.

Renault 4L

The Citroen Ami 6, characterised by an unusual reverse-raked rear window, was launched in 1961 to bridge the gap in the Citroen range between the luxurious DS and the frugal 2CV. Its sales went up steadily until 1966 when it manages to snap up the best-seller title off the Renault 4L for just 5,000 sales. The Ami 6 achieves the highest annual sales volume by any model in France so far… 1966 would be the only year the Ami 6 ranked 1st in France and the last Citroen to top the charts at year-end. Because the 4L is more successful in export markets it keeps the #1 ranking production-wise at 226,000 units vs. 180,000 for the Ami 6, and celebrates its one millionth unit produced on February 1. 

Citroen DS

The Citroen 2CV (+3.3%) rounds up the podium and is the third model to pass the 100,000 annual sales this year. The Peugeot 204 (+137.3%) ascends to #4 for its first full year in market, toppling the 404 (-10.4%). Also launched in 1965. the Renault 10 (+112.3%) is up to #6 and the Renault 16 (+163.6%) up to #7. The Citroen ID-DS (+9.6%) drops two spots to #8.

Opel Kadett

The Opel Kadett is the best-selling foreign model in France in 1966, ranking #12 overall ahead of the Fiat 850 at #13, the Ford 12M at #14 wand the Opel Rekord at #15. Other imports in the Top 20 include the Austin/Morris Mini at #16, the VW Beetle at #18 and the Fiat 500 at #20.

Full Year 1966 Top 13 All French brands, Top 34 All French models and Top 20 overall models and Top 13 French models production below.

“Never before in history had a car sold so many units in a year in France!” Many thanks to Vavon for sourcing this ad.

February 1, 1966: 1,000,000th Renault 4L produced

France 1966 – French brands (incl. Commercial Vehicles):

PosBrand1966%/651965%Pos1Citroen401,61333.2%+ 12.0%358,47534.0%12Renault392,94932.5%+ 16.2%338,11632.0%23Peugeot233,62019.3%+ 29.1%180,96717.1%34Simca139,11611.5%+ 3.5%134,37912.7%45Saviem22,0251.8%+ 87.2%11,7661.1%66Berliet12,4701.0%+ 4.0%11,9861.1%57Unic (FFSA)5,8620.5%n/a00.0% –8Hotchkiss6540.1%– 46.8%1,2300.1%99Matra-Sports5100.0%+ 140.6%2120.0%1010Alpine3200.0%+ 190.9%1100.0%1311Sovam2700.0%new00.0% –12Willème1290.0%– 11.6%1460.0%1113F.A.R.780.0%– 12.4%890.0%14

France 1966 – French models (excluding medium and heavy commercials):

PosModel1966%/651965%Pos1Citroen Ami 6165,62413.7%+ 19.7%138,35713.1%22Renault R4160,88813.3%+ 7.8%149,24114.1%13Citroen 2 CV109,5919.1%+ 3.3%106,08410.0%34Peugeot 20497,4038.1%+ 137.3%41,0473.9%95Peugeot 40487,3217.2%– 10.4%97,4049.2%46Renault R1078,7716.5%+ 112.3%37,1113.5%107Renault R1668,9165.7%+ 163.6%26,1422.5%118Citroen ID-DS 19, 2164,1925.3%+ 9.6%58,5925.6%69Simca 1300-130149,6034.1%– 1.6%50,3994.8%710Simca 100044,7493.7%+ 6.5%42,0334.0%811Renault R835,6352.9%– 44.5%64,2506.1%512Simca 1500-150130,0242.5%+ 17.0%25,6642.4%1213Renault R4-300kg (LCV)21,9761.8%+ 11.7%19,6781.9%1314Citroen AK20,1201.7%+ 9.9%18,3071.7%1715Renault Estafette18,9631.6%– 1.7%19,3001.8%1516Peugeot 40315,1591.3%– 22.9%19,6681.9%1417Peugeot 404 U (LCV)14,2701.2%+ 52.1%9,3830.9%2118Citroen 2 CV AZU (LCV)9,8940.8%– 11.7%11,2011.1%1919Peugeot 403 U (LCV)8,8910.7%+ 0.5%8,8460.8%2320Simca Break 1300-13017,4770.6%+ 211.9%2,3970.2%2921Simca Break 1500-15017,0310.6%– 39.5%11,6251.1%1822Peugeot 204 U (LCV)5,8970.5%new00.0% –23Citroen ID Break5,1060.4%+ 13.9%4,4810.4%2524Renault Dauphine4,3880.4%– 51.7%9,0870.9%2225Citroen Panhard B, BT, CT3,5370.3%new00.0% –26Renault Caravelle2,2890.2%– 33.0%3,4180.3%2727Citroen HY/HZ2,1120.2%– 88.8%18,8251.8%1628Matra-Sports 6 CV5100.0%+ 140.6%2120.0%3529Alpine 6 CV3200.0%+ 190.9%1100.0%3730Sovam 6502700.0%new00.0% –31Simca 1000 U (LCV)2320.0%new00.0% –32Hotchkiss JH 102-HWL2190.0%+ 253.2%620.0%3833Sovam 1100340.0%new00.0% –34Sovam VUC/C (LCV)100.0%new00.0% –

France 1966 – Sales (different source, including imports):

PosModel1966%1Citroen Ami 6162,00013.2%2Renault 4L160,00013.0%3Citroen 2CV107,0008.7%4Peugeot 404106,0008.6%5Peugeot 20495,0007.7%6Simca 1301/150193,0007.6%7Renault 1078,5006.4%8Citroen DS/ID69,0005.6%9Renault 1668,0005.5%10Simca 100044,5003.6%11Renault 835,5002.9%12Opel Kadett20,5001.7%13Fiat 85019,5001.6%14Ford 12M14,2001.2%15Opel Rekord12,4501.0%16Austin/Morris Mini10,1000.8%17Peugeot 4039,0000.7%18VW Beetle7,5500.6%19Fiat 5006,3000.5%20Ford 17M6,3000.5%

France 1966 – Production:

PosModelProduction%/651Renault 4L226,00012.7%+ 24.0%2Citroen Ami 6180,00010.1%+ 14.0%3Peugeot 404178,00010.0%+ 9.0%4Simca 1000177,0009.9%+ 50.0%5Renault 10168,0009.4%+ 133.0%6Simca 1300/1500153,0008.5%+ 30.0%7Citroen 2CV137,0007.7%– 1.0%8Peugeot 204118,0006.6%+ 131.0%9Renault 16118,0006.6%+ 203.0%10Citroen DS/ID91,0005.1%+ 10.0%11Renault 860,0003.4%– 40.0%12Peugeot 40318,0001.0%– 33.0%13Renault Dauphine13,0000.7%– 43.0%

Source: Manufacturers, L’Auto Journal, L’Argus