1971 Meyer (France) - AllCarIndex

The Meyer car, born out of passion and ingenuity, began its journey in the winter of 1969 when Gérard Meyer, intrigued by the work of André Koenig at the Sarap company, fell in love with the design of the Sarap 701. Although the kit he initially ordered was never produced, Koenig handed Meyer the mold, and within just eight days, Meyer crafted the body of his car. With Koenig's help, who welded a draft chassis, Meyer set off on a challenging and rewarding journey to build his own vehicle.

Faced with a heap of polyester and square tubes, Meyer spent over 30 hours a week dedicated to its construction. After three months of hard work, he completed the chassis and installed a Renault 8 Major engine. Cooling was handled by a front-mounted Renault 16 radiator, and the car featured a Renault 16 gearbox, which Meyer cleverly modified using a 13 cm spacer to accommodate the central engine layout. Other components like the transmission, hub carriers, steering rods, and suspension were also sourced from the Renault 16, showcasing Meyer’s resourcefulness.

Despite its delicate appearance, the lightweight car, weighing only 620 kg, proved reliable after 10,000 kilometers of rigorous testing on rough roads. Meyer then focused on refining the interior with Veglia instrumentation and enhanced the exterior by adding retractable headlights, while the windshield was taken from a Fiat 124 coupe.

In August 1971, the car was successfully approved by the Mines department, marking its official recognition and right to be cited on the road.