AUTOCULT - HANNOYER - REYONNAH FRANCE 1951

1/43 #03009 Reyonnah (F, 1951)

The Parking Dwarf

In the light of the present traffic and parking situation in the cities, it seems downright ironic that already in the end of the 1940s a man gave thought to parking problems in a French major city and along with it seriously tried to find a remedy.

This man was called Robert Hannoyer, lived in Paris and found his calling in presenting his fellow citizens a car that should solve parking problems satisfactorily. As long ago as 1947 he put a solution on paper in which the passengers sat behind one another. Robert Hannoyer presented his small passenger car for the first time at the Paris Motor Show under the designation Reyonnah; the reverse spelling of his surname; in 1950. Displayed was a torpedo-shaped version with opened roof and special front wheels. Whereas the 15-inch rear wheels with less track width were fitted into the body, the front wheels were fitted outside, but in parking position they could be folded backwards! As a result, the nose of the little car came up and the total front track width was reduced from 132 centimeters to only 75 centimeters. With backwards-folded front wheels the car was almost able to park on a motorbike parking space. Hereby Robert Hannoyer thought that he found his solution for parking problems. An optional built-in engine with 8.5 hp performance and three gears speeded the car up to 80 km/h. Due to legal regulations in France it was permitted to drive the car without having a driving license, which is why he fondly hoped to get great popularity from the citizenry without driver’s license. Based on constant presence at the annual Paris Motor Show from 1950 to 1954 and thru presentations in the press at that time, the micro car quickly went viral.

In the end series production failed because of body supply difficulties. Due to financial problems Robert Hannoyer had to give up his production. In total he built 16, other Sources mention 12, copies of the Reyonnah.

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