MacPherson

Vlot Vlaams · Post by **Vlot Vlaams** » Thu Jan 15, 2026 2:03 pm

Today’s cars — and we are in 2026, approaching 2027 — are heavily being advertised and promoted as “completely new.”

https://autosalon.be/en (Autosalon Brussels 2026)

Yet, when it comes to something as fundamental as suspension design, manufacturers appear unable to move beyond the MacPherson strut.

And even that is hardly new. MacPherson’s patent itself was a reworking of a principle already introduced by Guido Fornaca at FIAT in the mid-1920s (at least according to AI sources). Earlier still, the Cottin-Desgouttes front suspension drew inspiration from a 1904 design by the American engineer J. Walter Christie.

So we are talking about ideas that are eighty — or in some cases more than a hundred — years old. And yet, these “improved” suspensions, patented by the renowned Earle S. MacPherson while working for General Motors, continue to underpin what are marketed as modern vehicles.

To my knowledge, only Citroën truly dared to break with convention by introducing a fundamentally different concept: suspension “bags.” This innovation instantly made certain Citroën models — and the brand itself — famous.

Early experiments with simple air-filled bags were not particularly successful. The real breakthrough came when French engineers adopted a system using a mixture of hydraulic fluid and nitrogen — a solution that transformed ride comfort and vehicle behaviour.

French engineers have long shown a willingness to pioneer and implement genuine innovations in both car and motorcycle engineering — arguably more so than their German counterparts (who tend to refine rather than experiment), or the British (who often have brilliant ideas but fail to commercialize them effectively).

Only after Citroën’s patent expired, some twenty years later, did other manufacturers — notably Mercedes — adopt similar systems. Today, variations of fluid-based suspension are common, particularly in the luxury segment.
They only improvement they could still add, was to prevent the car to go through it's "knees" when the motor was stopped, because "pressure" in the suspension fell away.

If we are to speak of real innovation, however, it would mean going far beyond marginal refinements. Imagine cars without wheels — directional transport drones for people. Or vehicles in true James-Bond fashion, unfolding wings to take off and bypass traffic jams altogether.

Some of these concepts already exist in prototype form. Yet, even now, we have not properly introduced, regulated, or socially accepted self-driving cars. Nor have we adequately addressed the growing presence of e-scooters and Segway-type devices, which currently pose a largely unregulated danger on our roads.

Car Innovations? No

The following article says nothing about car innovation - all these cars are "normal" (imho)
And no French real innovation is mentioned. Like the 2CV, the DS, and the "traction avant" ...

https://hiconsumption.com/motors/most-innovative-cars/

Poor view on the car world, this column writer, and badly informed/inspired about car history.
Even "electric revolution" is a misser. The very first Mercedes/Benz seemes to have been an electric one.

Traction Avant, French car

The car:

The classic car you’re talking about is the Citroën Traction Avant — an iconic French automobile produced by Citroën from 1934 to 1957. It was one of the first mass-produced cars with front-wheel drive and a unibody body, giving it advanced handling and road-holding for its time. (Stellantis Media)

Famous film and TV appearances

The Citroën Traction Avant has appeared in hundreds of films and television shows. (Wikipedia) Below are some of the most notable:

International films:

From Russia with Love (1963) – the classic James Bond film features a Traction Avant in its iconic action sequences. (Wikipedia)
The Sound of Music (1965) – seen in scenes depicting pre-war Austria. (Wikipedia)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) – a Traction Avant is featured in the famous chase through the mountains with Harrison Ford. (citroenvie.com)

French cinema:

Le Bon et les Méchants (1976) – the Traction Avant is central to the film’s story about a gang of thieves in 1930s-40s France. (Wikipedia)
Army of Shadows (1969) – a WWII drama where the car is used to evoke the era. (Wikipedia)
Diva (1981) – the Traction Avant features prominently, contributing to the film’s stylish atmosphere. (Wikipedia)

Why it appears so often

The Traction Avant’s distinctive shape, association with the French Resistance and World War II, and its reputation as the classic “gangster car” make it a popular visual shorthand in film for 1930s-1950s Europe. (tractionavant.com)

Rechargeable Electric cars Not an innovation!! we talk 1890 !!

Again a few French in the lead with a racing car ... "La Jamais Contente (1899)"

Very early battery-powered cars existed long before modern EVs** and before gasoline engines dominated.
Here are some of the earliest significant examples of electric cars and prototypes:

Pre-1900 Battery-Powered Vehicles

Flocken Elektrowagen (1888)
One of the earliest electric production cars ever built was the Flocken Elektrowagen, designed by German inventor Andreas Flocken in 1888. It was a four-wheeled electric vehicle with battery power — decades before mass-produced gasoline cars became standard. (Wikipedia)

Early Rechargeable Battery Vehicles (1880s–1890s)
After Gaston Planté invented the rechargeable lead-acid battery in 1859, inventors started building practical electric carriages:

Charles Jeantaud and others in France built electric buggies in the early 1880s using rechargeable batteries. (History)
In the United States, William Morrison built an electric car around 1890 that could carry passengers and demonstrated early EV potential. (Encyclopedia Britannica)

Electrobat (1894)
In America, the Electrobat (1894) was one of the first battery-powered automobiles built by Henry G. Morris and chemist Pedro G. Salom in Philadelphia. Early versions were heavy and slow, but they established electric propulsion as a viable alternative in the 1890s. (Wikipedia)

Neale Electric Car (1897)
In Scotland, electrical engineer Douglas Neale built an electric car in Edinburgh in 1897, shown at the Motor Car Exhibition at Crystal Palace in London — complete with lead-acid batteries driving a 1 bhp motor. (Wikipedia)

Other Early Battery-Powered Vehicles

La Jamais Contente (1899)
Not just notable — this electric race car driven by Camille Jenatzy was the first automobile to exceed 100 km/h (₆₂ mph), proving how advanced electric propulsion could be even at the turn of the century. (Encyclopedia Britannica)

Lohner–Porsche (1900)
Ferdinand Porsche’s early work included electric vehicles built in the early 1900s — including battery-powered cars with hub-motors, and even one of the first hybrid electric vehicles. (Wikipedia)

Summary

So before gasoline-powered Benz and Daimler cars became dominant, a surprising number of electric vehicles were already being built and tested in the late 19th century. Some key early examples include:

Flocken Elektrowagen (1888) — earliest electric production car. (Wikipedia)
Morrison’s electric car (c. 1890) — one of the first US electric automobiles. (Encyclopedia Britannica)
Electrobat (1894) — one of the first practical EVs with lead-acid batteries. (Wikipedia)
Neale electric car (1897) — Scottish electric vehicle exhibited publicly. (Wikipedia)
La Jamais Contente (1899) — first to break 100 km/h in an electric car. (Encyclopedia Britannica)
Lohner–Porsche (1900) — early electric/hybrid designs with hub motors. (Wikipedia)

These early electric pioneers show that battery-powered automobiles were explored and developed long before internal combustion engines completely took over, and they laid the foundation for the EV resurgence we see today. (Encyclopedia Britannica)