Topic: SOLVED: del78 no. 191 by cmetisse: Gateau Maximini

[del78]

what is this for a point

[del78]

experts time

[luisps]

GATEAU LA GRANDE another French microcar

[cmetisse]

No, it is the "wide version" : Gateau Maximini, based on the "La Grande", but enlarged by 11 cm to make good use of changes in french laws on "voitures sans permis" that occured in may 1986.
The Maximini was launched at the 1986 Paris Motorshow in october, where this picture has been taken.
FWD, 325 cc Lombardini or 426 cc ACME diesel, production by Gateau International in St Gilles Croix-de-Vie, Vendée, or later in Machecoul, Loire-Atlantique.

[luisps]

Anyway is a GATEAU LA GRANDE I haven't seen any more detailed request of identification from del78

[cmetisse]

imho, these are clearly two different cars :
-the Gateau La Grande was made road legal in 1983 under the type 3 T DSP.
-the Gateau Maximini was certified in late 1986 under the type 3 T DEP, with many differences in width, front and rear track, heavier weight (350 kilos vs 248), and a lot of evolution in components (CVT, transaxle, suspension). Again, two really different cars with separate chassis numbers, even if these looks quite the same.

[Paul Jaray]

Bump!

[del78]

again cmetisse is right
this is Gateau Maximini so point goes to him

[cmetisse]

I understand that it can be very confusing between all Gateau nameplates. For the first gen of Gateau microcars, here is a list of it :
-narrow body : Egzo-7 (in prototype form only), Egzo-3 and later (small facelift) La Grande or Le Break. Le Break was an Egzo-3 or a La Grande with side-hinged rear door, borrowed from the slightly modified Handimobile shell, for a more practical boot access.
-disabled version : Handimobile
-wide body : the Maximini.
Here is a Gateau range folder, to make it clearer :

[Wendax]

... and the Handimobile was also marketed as Egzo-3 H.

When I first came across the Gateau microcar, I wondered about the unusual Egzo-7 name, until I pronounced it in French  :

[cmetisse]

Yes, the very first Handimobile were marketed Egzo-3 H.

Ahah, the Egzo-7 name ! You were on the right track : I'm not joking, Eugène Gateau named it that way for its first motorshow back in 1982 because in his view, it was the first voiturette capable of achieving its objectives ! 
He changed his mind very soon, when a journalist told him it was pretty bad taste as the Falklands War has started... That's the reason why the name was changed for Egzo-3 in the early days of 1983, just before the production started.
At the factory, some says "Egzo" stood for "Eugène Gateau et les autres" (say it in french !)...

More sadly, Mr. Gateau passed away just a few months ago.