In 1975 Arola built what Aixam calls the first licence-free vehicle. In 1983 Aixam was born by buying it.
- Country
-
France - Active
- Since 1983
- Website
- Official website ↗
A car you can drive without a licence
Aixam’s story starts before Aixam existed. In 1975 a company called Arola built what Aixam describes as the first licence-free vehicle, a tiny quadricycle for people who had no driving licence. Over the next few years it grew up fast: a two-stroke petrol engine, a steering wheel instead of handlebars, doors, headlights and indicators.
In 1983 Aixam was created by buying Arola. The new company settled in Aix-les-Bains, in the French Alps, and according to the French motoring site Caradisiac the name was chosen as a reference to that new home. A year later, in 1984, the first Aixam quadricycle arrived: the 325 D.
Then came a surprising detail. In 1988, Aixam says, it became the first quadricycle maker to pass a crash test, even though the law didn’t ask for one. Small cars, taken seriously.
From microcars to a V12
In 1992 the company launched a second French brand, Mega. Its first headline act was anything but small: the Mega Track, a car powered by a V12 engine from Mercedes-Benz. In 1996 Aixam bought Monte-Carlo Automobile. Over time, though, Mega found its real job. From 2003 it built ultra-light commercial vehicles, and in 2006 the Mega Multitruck joined the range.
On 11 April 2013 the American group Polaris Industries announced that it had acquired Aixam Mega. Polaris described the company as a maker of enclosed on-road quadricycles and light-duty commercial vehicles, with two plants in France: Aix-les-Bains and Chanas.
A name on the map
The Aixam badge is, first and foremost, a name, and the name is the place. Beyond that, Aixam doesn’t publish an official explanation of its emblem’s shape or colours, so we won’t guess at one.
What the company does record is a change. In 2010 the Aixam Mega group introduced a new logo, the same year it launched the Impulsion range. Aixam’s own short description of itself is a confident one: “Leader in licence-free cars.”
Small cars, big milestones
In France these cars are known as voitures sans permis. Aixam’s own timeline is a list of small steps that made them more car-like: crash tests, bigger bodies, convertibles and electric power.
Landmark Aixams, decade by decade
- 1984: 325 D. The first quadricycle launched under the Aixam name.
- 1991: twin-cylinder quadricycle. According to Aixam, the first quadricycle with a liquid-cooled twin-cylinder engine.
- 1992: Mega Track. The flamboyant debut of the Mega brand, with a Mercedes V12 engine.
- 2005: Scouty. A convertible with a removable hard top.
- 2011: GTO. A sporty model launched the year after the new group logo.
- 2022: Mega e-Scouty. An all-electric model launched for Mega’s 30th anniversary.
Aixam plays in a different league from most brands on this site, but the idea of a tiny city car isn’t unique to it. Compare it with Smart, or with fellow French names Renault, Peugeot and Citroën.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the name Aixam come from?
From Aix-les-Bains, the town in the French Alps where the company is based. According to Caradisiac, the name refers to the company’s base there after it took over Arola in 1983.
When was Aixam founded?
In 1983, when it acquired Arola, the company that had built its first licence-free vehicle in 1975.
Who owns Aixam?
Polaris Industries, the American vehicle maker, which announced its acquisition of Aixam Mega in April 2013.
What is Mega?
Aixam’s second brand, created in 1992. It started with the V12-powered Mega Track and later focused on light commercial vehicles.
The licence-free file
- Founded
- 1983
- Country
- France
- Headquarters
- Aix-les-Bains, France
- Parent company
- Polaris Industries
- Current emblem
- The Aixam name; the Aixam Mega group logo was renewed in 2010
- Known for
- Licence-free microcars (voitures sans permis) and Mega utility vehicles
- Website
- Official website ↗
