I logged thousands of miles in French cars in Egypt, over some of the worst roads/non-roads in the world. With very few problems.
Certainly less problems than a couple of other vehicles in the car pool, like a Ford Escape which constantly broke. And a Jeep Merdebox I was stuck with for a while.
And what's your expertise...or did you think you'd just Make A Funny by recycling Karl Rovian France-bashing circa 2003? I'm not sure why you'd want to do that on an allegedly progressive board, but whatever.
One of the most popular inter-city taxis in Egypt is the Peugeot 504 station wagon...which hasn't even been made since 1983, IIRC. I saw those things daily covering the Cairo-Alexandria route, crammed with adults in every seat, kids sitting in their laps, and a couple hundred pounds of luggage strapped to the roof rack.
There are junkyards in Egypt stacked high with recycled 504 bodies, already cut across the floor pan with the roof separated. Your 504 got hit in the back by a bus? No problem, just cut off the wreckage, weld on a new rear end, and off you go.
For nearly 2 years I rode every day in a Citroen C8 van. My daily commute was a little over 100 miles round-trip. That was in the Nile Delta, thru a string of little farm villages. The villagers often made their own speed bumps. Overnight. BIG speed bumps. Yesterday the road was smooth, this morning suddenly you're airborne then crashing down. And usually negotiating thru traffic jams including donkey carts, herds of sheep/goats, cows, and humongous water buffalo.
In bad moods I sometimes called it "L'Escargot" or "Shitroen," but that thing never broke down and always got me home.
Charles de Gaulle would probably agree, if he weren't dead and everything. In August 1962 a dozen French right-wingers with heavy weapons ambushed his Citroen DS19...while it was traveling 70 mph with Mr. and Mrs. De Gaulle inside. They fired 140 rounds, killed 2 bodyguards, shattered the Citroen's windows and shot out all 4 of its tires. The chauffeur hit the gas and got the DeGaulles away unharmed.
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