Saviem

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title: "Saviem" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["saviem", "defunct-motor-vehicle-manufacturers-of-france", "truck-manufacturers-of-france", "defunct-bus-manufacturers", "suresnes", "french-companies-established-in-1955"] description: "French manufacturer of trucks and buses" topic_path: "geography/france" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saviem" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary French manufacturer of trucks and buses ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]

Field	Value
name	Saviem
logo	Logo saviem.jpg
type	Subsidiary
foundation	1955
defunct	1978
fate	Merged into Renault Véhicules Industriels
location_city	Suresnes
location_country	France
predecessors
successor	Renault Trucks
industry	Automotive industry
products	Trucks, light commercial vehicles, buses/coaches
parent	Régie Nationale des Usines Renault
::

| name = Saviem | logo = Logo saviem.jpg | type = Subsidiary | genre = | foundation = 1955 | defunct = 1978 | fate = Merged into Renault Véhicules Industriels | founder = | location_city = Suresnes | location_country = France | location = | predecessors = | successor = Renault Trucks | locations = | area_served = | key_people = | industry = Automotive industry | products = Trucks, light commercial vehicles, buses/coaches | services = | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = | parent = Régie Nationale des Usines Renault | divisions = | subsid = | homepage = | footnotes = The Société Anonyme de Véhicules Industriels et d'Équipements Mécaniques (), commonly known by the acronym Saviem (), was a French manufacturer of trucks and buses/coaches part of the Renault group, headquartered in Suresnes, Île-de-France. The company was established in 1955 by merging Renault heavy vehicle operations with Somua and Latil and disappeared in 1978 when was merged with former rival Berliet to form Renault Véhicules Industriels.

The company initially had various factories for vehicle production around France (mainly at the Paris area) which came from its predecessors and Chausson, but it soon centred assembly on Blainville-sur-Orne (trucks) and Annonay (buses and coaches). Saviem formed partnerships with other manufacturers, leading to technology-sharing agreements.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Saviem-LRS_1956.jpg" caption="Share of Saviem-LRS, issued 9. May 1956"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/1967-79_Saviem_SG2_(fl).jpg" caption="A Saviem SG2"] ::

Early years

At the end of 1946, Renault abandoned the production of heavy trucks in view of its financial troubles, and the company lost the position of France's market leader which it had before World War II. However, the rapid development and production concentration in that sector made Renault to seek ways to re-enter the market. In 1950, the Renault's technical chief, Fernand Picard, elaborated a plan to launch a limited range of trucks and buses with a single 105 CV engine, taking advantage of the economies of scale, which proved unsuccessful. In 1953, the strategy was changed and Renault decided to acquire rival manufacturers, starting with Somua and Latil. The company Saviem was formed in October 1955 by the merger of Renault's trucks and buses manufacturing operations with Somua and Latil In 1959, Saviem became a wholly owned subsidiary of Renault. The early product range of the company consisted of small commercial vehicles derived from Renault's existing models (Goélette and Galion), new medium and heavy trucks with Alfa Romeo engines With an aggressive market approach focussed on volume rather than on quality, Saviem became the leader by sales in France.

New vehicles and partnerships

During the early 1960s the company introduced a renovated JL heavy and medium duty trucks range with a revised design, In January 1961, Saviem took control of the bus manufacturer Floirat, based at Annonay. That year, Saviem signed a cooperation agreement with Henschel-Werke. In 1962, Pierre Dreyfus decided to expand the European partnerships of Saviem and the company received a large capital amount from the French State for recapitalisation and modernisation. It also got the Limoges factory, which manufactured diesel engines. Between 1963 and 1966, Saviem moved most of its production from the Paris area to Blainville-sur-Orne and Annonay. In 1965, Saviem acquired the French heavy equipment manufacturer Richard-Continental in a bid to compete with Caterpillar.

From 1963 to 1977, Saviem cooperated with MAN of Germany (in 1967 such cooperation was expanded). As part of the agreement, Saviem supplied cabs and in return, MAN supplied axles and engines. The result of this was the launch of the SM (Saviem-MAN) and JM The same year Saviem also acquired Sinpar and completed, together with Fiat and Alfa Romeo, the construction of a joint production facility for engines (Sofim) in Foggia, Italy, at a cost of .

In January 1968, the main Saviem factory at Blainville-sur-Orne was the setting for one of the first workers' protests that led to the French May.

Merger with Berliet

As a result of companies' reorganisation and a French State decision of unifying the heavy vehicle production in France, in 1975 Renault also acquired the truck and bus manufacturer Berliet from the Michelin group. In 1978, Berliet and Saviem were merged to form Renault Véhicules Industriels (RVI). In 1977, its last year as a separate company within Renault, Saviem manufactured 35,059 buses/coaches and trucks.

Facilities

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/RVI_Limoges-Le_Palais.JPG" caption="2015}}, the Limoges factory is owned by [[Volvo]]'s Renault Trucks"] ::

Vénissieux and Saint-Ouen

Vénissieux were Somua factories. Vénissieux continued producing trucks until 1962. and later auto parts.

Suresnes and Saint-Cloud

Suresnes and Saint-Cloud were Latil factories. Suresnes slowly ceased production but was kept as the head office and research and development base for the company.

Argenteuil

The Argenteuil factory was a former Chausson bus/coach facility operated by Saviem since 1960. It produced parts for both Saviem and Chausson.

Annonay

The coach/bus factory since 1961, originally part of Floirat and Isobloc.

Blainville-sur-Orne

Built in 1956 on the former Cahen shipyards, Blainville was the only truck factory owned by Saviem from 1966 onwards.

Limoges

In May 1964, the French government donated to Saviem the Limoges factory, a manufacturing facility for aircraft engine parts. Limoges became the main engine assembly location of the company.

Lyon

Saviem-owned Richard-Continental had two factories in Lyon.

Models

Trucks and light commercial vehicles

• Saviem/Renault Galion
• Saviem/Renault Goélette
• Saviem Super Galion
• Saviem Super Goélette
• Saviem H
• Saviem J
• Saviem JL
• Saviem JM
• Saviem P
• Saviem S
• Saviem SM
• Saviem PX

Buses and coaches

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Saviem_bus_in_Calais.jpg" caption="Saviem bus in Calais, 1980"] ::

• Saviem R-series
• Saviem ZR 20
• Saviem-Floirat ZF 20
• Saviem SC (Saviem-Chausson) 1/2/5
• Saviem SC10
• Saviem S45
• Saviem S53
• Saviem S105
• Saviem E5
• Saviem E7

Military trucks

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/TRM-4000_010_FR.JPG" caption="A Saviem SM8 TRM4000 military truck."] ::

• Saviem SM8 TRM 4000

References

References

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4. Pérignon, Sylvain. (1968). "Action syndicale et décentralisation industrielle : les grèves de janvier 1968 dans la région caennaise". [[L'Harmattan]].
5. (2008). "Die MAN: eine deutsche Industriegeschichte". CH Beck.
6. Greve, Jean François. (2007). "Firm strategies and public policy in integrated Europe (1950–1980): confrontation and learning of economic actors". Peter Lang.
7. Loubet, Jean-Louis. (1999). "L'Industrie automobile: 1905–1971". Libraire Droz.
8. Moneta, Erich H.. (1963). "Die europäische Automobilindustrie; Unternehmungen und Produktion". A. Lutzeyer.
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11. Peck, Colin. (2013). "British and European Trucks of the 1970s". Veloce Publishing.
12. Georgano, Nick. (1983). "World Truck Handbook". Jane's.
13. (2006). "Nicht öffentlich: Die Wurzeln des Lkw". KM Verlag.
14. Cohen, Robert. (1980). "La restructuration internationale de l'industrie automobile". Éditions De Boeck Supérieur.
15. Hirou, Amandine. (22 May 2008). "1968, année explosive". [[L'Express]].
16. Lancereau, Alain. (May 2014). "Les transports Mousset". Histoire et Collection.
17. Wilding, A. J. P.. (10 November 1967). "Lightweights in the limelight". Temple Press.
18. Wilding, A. J. P.. (8 September 1967). "MAN changes through the range at Frankfurt". Temple Press.
19. (30 December 1977). "Saviem new vehicles". IPC Transport Press.
20. Montgomerie, Graham. (10 January 1975). "First crack at the Club". IPC Transport Press.
21. Stanier, Richard. (13 December 2012). "10 steeling the show. 9: Saviem SG". Road Transport Media.
22. "Sachez reconnaitre les "cars Renault"". Car-histo-bus.org.
23. (25 September 2015). "Les utilitaires Renault fêtent 50 ans d'activités à Villiers-Saint-Frédéric". Le Parisien.

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