| Summary: | Several recent urban policies plan to reduce the role of the automobile in French cities. While it may be varied, households’ appreciation of this “top-down” incentive is often poorly analysed, especially if it comes from working class households that are most likely to be weakened by the dropping out their car. Through this article, we will show that, beyond their absolute economic conditions, household relations with the car reflect a misery of position, which refers to the perception of their positioning in the social space and which is likely to change according to their trajectory, their socialization. The argumentation of the article is based on a biographical interview survey conducted in four French urban areas (Bordeaux, Dijon, Lyon and Paris) with people who have given up, by force or not, the use or possession of a motor vehicle for daily travel.
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