André MARCADIER (1925 - 2013) André MARCADIER was born in Lyon on 17th March 1925. He has been immersed in mechanics and the craft industry since he was very young as his grandmother and his grandfather each owned a file manufactory. He very quickly developed a passion for tools and the manufacture of various items.

After secondary school studies, he got into the C.E.M. (Compagnie electro Mécanique), a very demanding training school. His military service in the airforce took him to Tunisia. At the time of the liberation of France, cycling had become very popular by necessity. Back in Lyon, he practiced this sport intensively, within a club in Villeurbanne in 1947.

One year later, he set up a bike manufacture business. The quality of his work enabled him to join the best manufacturers of the time in Lyon, worldwide known as "l'école lyonnaise du cycle". In 1956,go karting , imported from the USA, became fashionable. So André MARCADIER quite naturally got interested in these strange looking machines and built a very light chassis with a motorbike engine. Success in competition quickly came, winning a European championship in the endurance category (1961) with the team VERD - DUMONT - JANORAY.

Inspired by the genius of the Englishman Colin CHAPMAN and his famous LOTUS, he got into the car industry and released, at the beginning of 1983 and in association with Marcel FOURNIER, the first French kit sportscar : the famous FOURNIER-MARCADIER FM01 sportcar. A trophy was organized by the French magazine SPORT-AUTO and these cars proved a pleasure for unwealthy amateurs who had found a real sportscar, requiring a low budget, as long as they took the trouble to put it together by themselves.

In 1970, André MARCADIER kept producing cars alone and no fewer than 16 models were created until the late 80's. A few replicas would be added later. Spectacular race results rewarded more than 30 years of passion and creation. The whole production of the trademark is believed to go up to 600 kits.

Today, FOURNIER-MARCADIER cars have become worldwide appreciated by enlightened amateurs and they have gained recognition in numerous classic car events and races.