CarsIn this section you will find adverts for cars from many of the major manufacturers of the period. Most are of French origin but there are examples from the USA and other European countries. They are arranged in alphabetic order so please scroll down to see the full selection.
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VoituresDans cette section, vous trouverez des publicités pour les voitures de la plupart des grands constructeurs de l'époque. La plupart sont d'origine française, mais il ya des exemples des Etats-Unis et d'autres pays européens. Ils sont classés par ordre alphabétique donc s'il vous plaît faites défiler vers le bas pour voir la sélection complète.
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Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A., sometimes colloquially referred to as simply Alfa, is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili) on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars. The company was owned by Italian state holding company Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale between 1932 and 1986, when it became a part of the Fiat Group, and since February 2007 a part of Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A.
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Amilcar
AmilcarThe Amilcar was a French automobile manufactured from 1921 to 1940.
The first offering was a small cyclecar; designed by Jules Salomon and Edmond Moyet, it bore a striking resemblance to the pre-war Le Zèbre. Next was the 903cc CC, which was available in two further versions; the CS was a sport version, while the C4 was a family car. The side-valve engine had splash lubrication, and came with a three-speed gearbox. The most famous model of all was the CGS "Grand Sport" of 1924; this featured a 1074 cc sv engine and four-wheel brakes. This in turn evolved into the more sporty CGSS "Grand Sport Surbaissé". These models were built under license in Germany (as the Pluto) and in Austria (as the Grofri) and in Italy (as Amilcar Italiana). The marque entered automobile racing in the mid-1920s with a batch of supercharged dohc 1100 cc six-cylinder cars that used a roller bearing crankshaft in the full racing version; these vehicles were also available with plain bearings, driven by famous pilote André Morel. The company also offered a light touring car; called the "M-Type", it featured a sv 1200 cc engine and was launched in 1928. It was followed by the M2, M3, and M4 versions. 1928 also saw the manufacture of a straight eight, which was built with an ohc 2-liter engine. This, the C8, proved unreliable, and soon disappeared. In the late 1930s Amilcar introduced two new models; one was the 14cv, which used a four-cylinder Delahaye engine. In 1937 the company merged with Hotchkiss. The next model was the front-wheel-drive Amilcar Compound, quite advanced in design for its era, featuring a monocoque frame made of a light alloy and independent suspension all around. For an engine it had an ohv four-cylinder of 1185 cc. Production of the Amilcar was not resumed after World War II. Links |
Automobiles Ballot
Automobiles BallotBallot was a French automobile manufacturer that made cars between 1910 and 1932.
The Ballot brothers, Edouard and Maurice, founded their company in 1905. Before World War I they manufactured automobile and marine engines, and from 1910 on cars. The company was re-founded as Etablissements Ballot SA in 1910. Edouard Ballot was well known as a designer of reliable engines. He helped Ettore Bugatti in developing his first engines. After World War I, the company entered motor racing. A Ballot with a straight-eight-cylinder 4.9-litre car competed in the 1921 French Grand Prix. As well as racing engines, the company made a range of road engines which were fitted to their own production cars. The first road car was a 2-litre tourer called Ballot 2 LS. In 1923 Ballot 2 LT and a sport version, Ballot 2 LTS followed. From 1927, eight-cylinder engines were used. In 1931 the company was taken over by Hispano-Suiza. Swift decline followed: the last model was practically a Hispano-Suiza, and only the chassis was provided by Ballot. Ballot closed down in 1932. Links |
Automobiles La Buire
Automobiles La BuireLa Société des automobiles de la Buire was created in Lyon on May 6, 1905. It was a subsidiary of the Société Nouvelle des Établissements de l'Horme et de la Buire. On September 28 1909, the company was liquidated. A new Society of Automotive Buire was created under the parent company of Société Horme et Buire. The business ceased trading in 1930.
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Benz
Mercedes BenzMercedes-Benz is a multinational division of the German manufacturer Daimler AG, and the brand is used for luxury automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The name first appeared in 1926 under Daimler-Benz but traces its origins to Daimler's 1901 Mercedes and to Karl Benz's 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen, widely regarded as the first automobile.
Mercedes-Benz traces its origins to Karl Benz's creation of the first petrol-powered car, the Benz Patent Motorwagen, patented in January 1886[1] and Gottlieb Daimler and engineer Wilhelm Maybach's conversion of a stagecoach by the addition a nana a petrol engine later that year. The Mercedes automobile was first marketed in 1901 by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft. The first Mercedes-Benz brand name vehicles were produced in 1926, following the merger of Karl Benz's and Gottlieb Daimler's companies into the Daimler-Benz company. Mercedes-Benz has introduced many technological and safety innovations that later became common in other vehicles. Mercedes-Benz is one of the most well-known and established automotive brands in the world, and is also the world's oldest automotive brand still in existence today. For information relating to the famous three-pointed star, see under the title Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft including the merger into Daimler-Benz. Links |
Berliet
BerlietBerliet was a French manufacturer of automobiles, buses, trucks and other utility vehicles, based in Vénissieux, outside of Lyon, France. Founded in 1899, and apart from a five-year period from 1944 to 1949 when it was put into 'administration sequestre' it was in private ownership until 1967 when it then became part of Citroën, and subsequently acquired by Renault in 1974 and merged with Saviem into a new Renault Trucks company in 1978, and the Berliet marque was phased out by 1980.
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Brasier
BrasierBrasier was the successor of the early French Richard-Brasier automobile maker that had been in business since 1902. The name of the make was simplified to Brasier when Georges Richard left in 1905 to found Unic. Before World War I, several twin, four and six-cylinder models were offered. Production was resumed in 1919 with a 3404 cc model, and from 1920 to 1926, a 2120 cc model was produced. The cars made after 1926 are known under the name of Chaigneau-Brasier. The later company closed down in 1930.
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Chenard-Walcker
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Chenard-WalckerChenard-Walcker, also known as Chenard & Walcker and Chenard et Walcker was a French automobile manufacturer, from 1900 to 1946. The factory was at first in Asnières-sur-Seine moving to Gennevilliers in 1906.
Ernest Chenard (1861–1922) was a railway engineer and maker of bicycles with a factory in Asnières-sur-Seine. He joined with mining engineer Henri Walcker (1877–1912) in 1898 to make motor tricycles. They formally founded Chenard, Walcker et Compagnie in 1900 with Chenard in charge of design and Walcker sales and finance. In the same year made their first four-wheel car. In 1925 Chenard et Walcker was the fourth largest car maker in France. They went into partnership with Delahaye in 1927 sharing designs and components, an arrangement that lasted until 1931. Unic were also offered a place in the new consortium but declined the offer. The company had never had sufficient capital to modernise and the cars remained largely hand built leaving them unable to compete on price. As a result they went bankrupt in 1936 and were taken over by body maker Chausson. Links |
Chrysler
ChryslerThe company was founded by Walter Chrysler (1875–1940) on June 6, 1925, when the Maxwell Motor Company (est. 1904) was re-organized into the Chrysler Corporation.
Following the introduction of the Chrysler, the Maxwell was dropped after its 1925 model year run, although in truth the new line of lower-priced 4-cylinder Chryslers which were then introduced for the 1926 model year were basically Maxwells which had been re-engineered and rebranded. It was during this time period of the early 1920s that Walter Chrysler assumed the presidency of Maxwell, with the company then ultimately incorporated under the Chrysler name. Links |
Cisitalia
Cisitalia
Cisitalia was an Italian sports and racing car constructor. The name "Cisitalia" derives from "Compagnia Industriale Sportiva Italia", a business conglomerate founded in Turin in 1946 and controlled by the wealthy industrialist and sportsman Piero Dusio. Dusio participated in a single World Championship Grand Prix, driving a Cisitalia D46.
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Citroën
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CitroënCitroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.
Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën (1878–1935), Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that complements the motor car. Within eight years Citroën had become Europe's largest car manufacturer and the 4th largest in the world. The Eiffel Tower served as a billboard for Citroën from 1925 to 1934. Citroën earned a reputation for innovation and revolutionary engineering, which is reflected in the company's slogan "Créative Technologie". Its history of innovation began with its founding, when André-Gustave Citroën introduced the first industrial mass production of vehicles outside the United States, a technique he developed while mass-producing armaments for the French military in World War I. In 1924, Citroën produced Europe’s first all-steel-bodied car, the B-10. In 1934, Citroën secured its reputation for innovation with its Traction Avant, not only the world's first mass-produced front-wheel drive car, but also one of the first cars to feature a monocoque-type body. In 1954 Citroën produced the world's first hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension system, then in 1955 the revolutionary Citroën DS, the first European production car with disc brakes. In 1967, Citroën introduced the first swiveling headlights in several models, allowing for greater visibility on winding roads. The brand celebrated its 90th Anniversary in 2009. Links |
Cottin & Desgouttes
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Cottin & DesgouttesCottin & Desgouttes was a French automobile manufacturer from the beginning of the 20th century.
In 1904, Pierre Desgoutte started manufacturing automobiles under the name “Desgouttes & Cie”, in Lyon, France. The first model was the type A, powered by a 9.5-liter, 45 hp, six-cylinder engine. Only two cars of this type were built. In December 1905, a chassis with a four-cylinder, 24/40 hp engine was presented at the Salon de Paris. It exhibited many innovative features and enjoyed a huge success. At the beginning of 1906, Pierre Desgoutte was joined by a wealthy industrial partner, Cyrille Cottin. They decided to call the new company “Automobiles Cottin & Desgouttes”, Pierre Desgoutte acting as Technical Director, whereas Cyrille Cottin would manage Sales. The company progressively specialized in luxury and sports models. Between 1906 and 1914, most of the production was devoted to four-cylinder models. En 1907, the company produced a 2.5 liter, 12 hp model that was so well accepted by the public that is was produced without any major changes for more than four years. Over the next years, growth was regular and the factories thrived. In 1913, Cottin & Desgouttes could be proud of producing close to 450 cars with a total staff of 300, which was very high at the time, since the usual rule was one car per year per employee. Well known for the very high quality of their production, Cottin & Desgouttes was also famous for the interest they demonstrated in “high-tech” solutions: they were among the first to use a single-block engine, direct drive transmission and universal joint-based transmission. Links |
Daimler
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DaimlerThe Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft of Cannstatt, Germany.
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De Dion-Bouton
De Dion-BoutonDe Dion-Bouton was a French automobile manufacturer and railcar manufacturer operating from 1883 to 1932. The company was founded by the Marquis Jules-Albert de Dion, Georges Bouton, and Bouton's brother-in-law Charles Trépardoux.
The company was formed after de Dion in 1881 saw a toy locomotive in a store window and asked the toymakers to build another. Engineers Bouton and Trépardoux had been making a starvation living on scientific toys at a shop in the Passage de Léon, close to the "rue de la Chapelle" in Paris. Trépardoux had long dreamed of building a steam car, but neither could afford it. De Dion, already inspired by steam (though in the form of rail locomotives) and with plenty of money, agreed, and De Dion, Bouton et Trépardoux was formed in Paris in 1883. This became the De Dion-Bouton automobile company, the world's largest automobile manufacturer for a time, becoming well known for their quality, reliability, and durability. Links |
Delage
DelageDelage was a French luxury automobile and racecar company founded in 1905 by Louis Delage in Levallois-Perret near Paris; it was acquired by Delahaye in 1935 and ceased operation in 1953.
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Delahaye
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DelahayeDelahaye automobile manufacturing company was started by Emile Delahaye in 1894, in Tours, France. His first cars were belt-driven, with single- or twin-cylinder engines. In 1900, Delahaye retired in 1901, leaving Desmarais and Morane in control; Weiffenbach took over from them in 1906.
Delahaye pioneered the V6 engine in 1911, with a 30° 3.2-litre twin-cam, in the Type 44; the model was not a success and production stopped in 1914. At the Paris factory, Delahaye continued to manufacture cars and trucks. By the end of World War I, their major income was from their truck business. After the war, Delahaye switched to assembly line production, following the example of Ford, hampered by the "extensive and not particularly standardised range". In 1934, Delahaye set eighteen class records at Montlhéry, in a specially-prepared, stripped and streamlined 18 Sport. They also introduced the 134N, a 12cv car with a 2.15-litre four-cylinder engine, and the 18cv Type 138, powered by a 3.2-litre six — both engines derived from their successful truck engines. In 1935, success in the Alpine Trial led to the introduction of the sporting Type 135 "Coupe des Alpes". By the end of 1935, Delahaye had won eighteen minor French sports car events and a number of hill-climbs, and came fifth at Le Mans. Racing success brought success to their car business as well, enough for Delahaye to buy Delage in 1935, and keep Delages successfully in production for a period, while the truck business also continued to thrive. Some of the great coachbuilders who provided bodies for Delahayes include Figoni et Falaschi, Chapron, and Letourneur et Marchand. In 1954, Delahaye was taken over by Hotchkiss, who shut down car production and, after producing trucks with the Hotchkiss-Delahaye nameplate. The combined firm was eventually taken over itself by Brandt, and in 1956, the Delahaye name disappeared. Links |
Delaugère Clayette & Cie
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Delaugère Clayette & CieDelaugère & Clayette was a French manufacturer of carriages , steam boilers, automobiles, commercial vehicles, motorized three- and four-wheel vehicles and bodies. The vehicle production ended in 1926.
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Doriot Flandrin Parant
Doriot Flandrin ParantDoriot, Flandrin & Parant was a French car maker based in Courbevoie, Seine between 1906 and 1926. Auguste Doriot and Ludovic Flandrin had both worked for Peugeot and then Clément-Bayard before setting up their own car making company in 1906.
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Ford
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FordFord Motor Company (also known as simply Ford) is an American multinational automaker headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobiles and commercial vehicles under the Ford brand and luxury cars under the Lincoln brand. In the past it has also produced heavy trucks, tractors and automotive components. Ford owns small stakes in Mazda of Japan and Aston Martin of the United Kingdom. It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is controlled by the Ford family, although they have minority ownership.
Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines; by 1914 these methods were known around the world as Fordism. Ford's former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover, acquired in 1989 and 2000 respectively, were sold to Tata Motors in March 2008. Ford owned the Swedish automaker Volvo from 1999 to 2010. In 2011, Ford discontinued the Mercury brand, under which it had marketed entry-level luxury cars in the United States since 1938. Ford is the second-largest U.S.-based automaker and the fifth-largest in the world based on 2010 vehicle sales. At the end of 2010, Ford was the fifth largest automaker in Europe.[5] Ford is the eighth-ranked overall American-based company in the 2010 Fortune 500 list, based on global revenues in 2009 of $118.3 billion. In 2008, Ford produced 5.532 million automobiles and employed about 213,000 employees at around 90 plants and facilities worldwide. Links |
General Motors
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General MotorsThe company was founded on September 16, 1908, in Flint, Michigan, as a holding company for Buick, then controlled by William C. Durant. At the turn of the 20th century there were fewer than 8,000 automobiles in America and Durant had become a leading manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles in Flint, MI, before making his foray into the automotive industry. GM's co-founder was Charles Stewart Mott, whose carriage company was merged into Buick prior to GM's creation. It acquired Oldsmobile later that year. In 1909, Durant brought in Cadillac, Elmore, Oakland and several others. Also in 1909, GM acquired the Reliance Motor Truck Company of Owosso, Michigan, and the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company of Pontiac, Michigan, the predecessors of GMC Truck. Durant lost control of GM in 1910 to a bankers' trust, because of the large amount of debt taken on in its acquisitions coupled with a collapse in new vehicle sales.
The next year, Durant started the Chevrolet Motor Car Company and through this he secretly purchased a controlling interest in GM. Durant took back control of the company after one of the most dramatic proxy wars in American business history. Durant then reorganized General Motors Company into General Motors Corporation in 1916. Shortly after, he again lost control, this time for good, after the new vehicle market collapsed. Alfred P. Sloan was picked to take charge of the corporation and led it to its post-war global dominance. This unprecedented growth of GM would last into the early 1980s when it employed 349,000 workers and operated 150 assembly plants. Links |
George Irat
Graham-Paige
Hispano Suiza
Hispano SuizaHispano-Suiza (literally: "Spanish-Swiss") was a Spanish automotive and engineering firm, best known for its luxury cars and aviation engines in the pre-World War II period of the twentieth century. In 1923 its French subsidiary became a semi-autonomous partnership with the parent company. In 1968, the French arm was taken over by the aerospace company Snecma, now a part of the French SAFRAN Group. The Spanish parent sold all its automotive assets to Enasa in 1946.
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Hotchkiss
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HotchkissHotchkiss cars were made between 1903 and 1955 by the French company Hotchkiss et Cie in Saint-Denis, Paris. The badge for the marque showed a pair of crossed cannons, evoking the company's history as an arms manufacturer.
The company's first entry into car making came from orders for engine components such as crankshafts which were supplied to Panhard et Levassor, De Dion-Bouton and other pioneering companies and in 1903 they went on to make complete engines. Encouraged by two major car distributors, Mann and Overton of London and Fournier of Paris, Hotchkiss decided to start making their own range of cars and purchased a Mercedes Simplex for inspiration and Georges Terasse, previously of Mors, was taken on as designer. The first Hotchkiss car, a 17 CV four-cylinder model, appeared in 1903. The engine of the 20 CV type C was heavily based on the Mercedes Simplex except that wherever possible it used ball bearings rather than plain ones (including the crankshaft) and except the Hotchkiss drive. Six-cylinder models, the types L and O followed in 1907. The ball bearing engines lasted until the 30CV type X of 1910. In that same year Hotchkiss moved into a smaller car market with the 2212cc type Z. With the outbreak of World War I, the factory turned to war production and a subsidiary plant was opened in Coventry , England. Car production resumed in France 1919 with the pre war types AD, AD6, AF and AG.After an attempt to enter the luxury market with the AK, which did not get beyond the prototype stage, the company decided on a one model policy and introduced the Coventry designed AM in 1923. Later that year the Coventry plant was sold to Morris. Henry Mann Ainsworth (1884–1971) and A.H. Wilde who had run it, moved to Paris to become general manager and chief engineer of the car division respectively. In 1926 construction of the new factory in the Boulevard Ornano was completed and Hotchkiss bought a steel pressing company allowing in-house manufacture of bodies. The one model policy lasted until 1929 when the six-cylinder AM73 and AM80 models were announced. "73" and "80" stood for the bore of the engines used, a naming theme picked up again later in 1936 after a brief hiatus. The AM models were replaced by a new range in 1933 with a new naming system. The 411 was an 11CV model with four-cylinder engine, the 413 a 13CV four and the 615, 617 and 620 were similar six-cylinder types. The 1936 686, which replaced the 620, was available as the high-performance Grand Sport and 1937 Paris-Nice with twin carburettors and these allowed Hotchkiss to win the Monte Carlo Rally in 1932, 1933, 1934, 1939, 1949 and 1950. The new naming scheme introduced in 1936 consisted of the number of cylinders, followed by the bore of the engine (in millimetres). Links |
Hurtu
HurtuHurtu was a pioneering French car made by Diligeon et Cie based in Albert, Somme from 1896 to 1930. The company was founded in 1880 as Hurtu, Hautin et Diligeon as a maker of sewing machines but soon added machine tools and bicycles to their range. In 1895 E. Diligeon bought out his partners and renamed the company Diligeon et Cie but continued to use the Hurtu name on his products. They made their first car in 1896, a licence built version of the Leon Bollée tricar. They ended up making more of these then Leon Bollée themselves. Four wheel vehicles followed in 1897 with a close copy of the German Benz, a version of which was also made in England by Belsize Motors in Manchester. In 1899 the company was re-organised and renamed as the Compagnie des Auto et Cycles Hurtu. In 1900 the Benz type car was replaced by a new model powered by a De Dion-Bouton 3.5 hp single-cylinder engine with shaft drive and 2- or 4-seat open coachwork.
1907 models started to feature a dashboard radiator as used by Renault, and this style continued in use until 1920. From 1913 production seems to have been around 600 cars comprising 4-cylinder models of 1692cc and 2120cc capacity with the gearbox and engine constructed in-unit. After World War I car production re-commenced and from 1920 a conventional front-radiator 2358cc four-cylinder model appeared with front wheel brakes being fitted from 1922. A smaller 1328cc joined the range in 1925. These continued until 1930 when the company stopped car production but continued as machinery manufacturers. Links |
Isotta Fraschini
Isotta Fraschini
The firm was named for its founders, Cesare Isotta and Vincenzo Fraschini, as Società Milanese Automobili Isotta, Fraschini & C., on 27 January 1900. The motto was, "Import, sell, repair cars". Prior to establishing their own company in 1904, Isotta and Fraschini assembled Renaults.
The first automobile bearing this marque featured a four-cylinder engine with an output of 24 hp. The car, driven by Vincenzo Fraschini, appeared in several races. In 1905, Isotta Fraschini gained notoriety in the Coppa Florio, where they entered aTipo D with an enormous 17.2-litre (1,050 cu in) 100 horsepower (75 kW) engine. For a short time in 1907, Isotta Fraschini merged with French automobile company Lorraine-Dietrich. The firm started out making race cars using this same 100 horsepower (75 kW) engine, establishing the company's reputation and gave its name considerable cachet. It was also one of the first cars with four-wheel brakes, following their invention by Arrol-Johnston of Scotland in 1909. They were also among the early pioneers of OHC, with an engine designed by Giustino Cattaneo. Isotta Fraschini introduced their Tipo 8, the first production automobile to be powered by a straight-eight engine, at the Paris Salon in 1919 and began delivering them to customers in 1920. Seriously affected by the economic crisis of the 1930s and by the disruptions of World War II, Isotta Fraschini stopped making cars after the war (1949). Only five of the last model, the Monterosa, were produced. Links |
Mathis
MathisMathis was a firm in Alsace that produced cars between 1910 and 1950, founded by Émile Mathis (1880–1956) born Strasbourg (then in Germany), died Geneva.
The first "true" Mathis model (8/20 PS) was put on the market in 1910, however the first real success came just before World War I with two smaller models: Babylette had a 1.1 L engine and Baby had a 1.3 L engine. There was also a Mathis-Knight model. During World War I, Mathis was sent by the German government (Alsace was then part of Germany) to Switzerland to buy tyres and after one of these trips he went to France and remained there. After the war Alsace became part of France and he was able to return to his factory. After the war, the firm's production increased quickly and soon became No.4 in France making more than 20,000 cars in 1927. Mathis attempted to compete with Citroën. The SB model of 1921 was followed by a six-cylinder model (1188 cc) in 1923 and an eight-cylinder in 1925. From 1927, Mathis followed a one-model policy. MY has side-valve four-cylinder engine (1.2 L). Not surprisingly, the next year saw the Emysix, with a 2288 cc six-cylinder. In 1930 there was an unsuccessful attempt to co-operate with William Crapo Durant (the founder of General Motors in 1908). Their ambitious plan was to make 100,000 cars in Durant's Lansing, Michigan plant. However, Durant ran out of money before production could begin so Mathis stayed in France. The American company was Matam, Mathis-America. A short-lived model named FOH in 1931 had a 3 Litre straight-eight-cylinder engine. More modern and successful was the 1445 cc Emyquatre in 1933, which possessed a synchromesh gearbox, hydraulic brakes and independent front suspension. Emyhuit (obviously, an 8-cylinder) came too late to prevent Mathis from a fast decline. The Mathis factories were closed. Links |
Mors
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MorsThe Mors automobile factory was an early French car manufacturer. It was one of the first to take part in automobile racing, beginning in 1897, due to the belief of the company founder, Émile Mors, in racing's technical and promotional benefits. By the turn of the century, automobile racing had become largely a contest between Mors and Panhard.
Mors was one of the first automobiles to use the V engine configuration. The Mors 60 horsepower Grand Prix car was powered by a 10 liter V4 side valve engine, with magneto ignition, which could reach 950 rpm. The car had a steel chassis and a four-speed transmission which drove the rear wheels via chain drive, and rear-wheel brakes. In 1902, Mors added hydraulic dampers (shock absorbers) to their cars, which represented a great leap forward given the quality of the roads and racetracks at the time. With this car, Henri Fournier was able to win the highly significant Paris-Berlin race, with the drive chain breaking immediately afterwards. Mors ended racing in 1908. Plans to return to auto racing were cancelled due to World War I. André Citroën became chairman of Mors in 1908 and restored the company's viability. In 1925, Citroën bought Mors outright and closed it down, using its factory for the production of his Citroën automobiles. The company produced a number of models which were sold widely in Europe and in the U.S.A. In 1905 these ranged from 2.3 litres to the 8.1 litre 40/52h.p. and by 1914 Minerva-built Knight sleeve-valve engines replaced side-valve units in the larger cars. Post-1918 only sleeve-valve engines were used. Citroën's chevron gears were used for the bevel drive rear axles from 1914 and a unique feature was the Mors patented clutch, which had a contracting band system which replaced the cone clutch used until 1903. The marque was resurrected briefly when a few small electric cars were made during World War II by a subsidiary electrical company of Émile Mors. Links |
Oakland
OaklandThe Oakland was a brand of automobile manufactured between 1907–1909 by the Oakland Motor Car Company of Pontiac, Michigan and between 1909 and 1931 by the Oakland Motors Division of General Motors Corporation. Oakland's principal founder was Edward M. Murphy, who sold half the company to GM in January 1909; when Murphy died in the summer of 1909, GM acquired the remaining rights to Oakland.
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Overland
OverlandThe Overland Automobile "runabout" was founded by Claude Cox, a graduate of Rose Polytechnic Institute, while he was employed by Standard Wheel Company of Terre Haute, Indiana, USA, in 1903. In 1905, Standard Wheel allowed Cox to relocate the Overland Automobile Company to Indianapolis, Indiana, and he got a partner. In 1908, Overland Motors was purchased by John North Willys. In 1912, it was renamed Willys-Overland.
One of the more unusual uses of an Overland was in 1911 when Milton Reeves used a 1910 model to create his eight wheel Reeves Octo-Auto. Overlands continued to be produced until 1926 when the marque was succeeded by the Willys Whippet. Links |
Packard
PackardPackard was an American luxury automobile marque built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899, and the last in 1958.
From the beginning, through and beyond the 1930s, Packard-built vehicles that were perceived as highly competitive among high-priced luxury American automobiles. The company was commonly referred to as being one of the "Three P's" of American motordom royalty, along with Pierce-Arrow of Buffalo, New York and Peerless of Cleveland, Ohio. For most of its history, Packard was guided by its President and General Manager Alvan Macauley who also served as President of the National Automobile Manufacturers Association. Inducted into the Automobile Hall of Fame, Macauley made Packard the number one designer and producer of luxury automobiles in the United States. The marque was also highly competitive abroad, with markets in sixty-one countries. Links |
Panhard & Levassor
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Panhard & LevassorPanhard was originally called Panhard et Levassor, and was established as a car manufacturing concern by René Panhard and Émile Levassor in 1887.
Their first car (based on a Daimler engine licence) was offered in 1890. Levassor obtained his licence from a friend who already had one, Sarazin. Upon Sarazin's death in 1887, Sarazin's widow married Levassor, and the deal was cemented. Daimler and Levassor became fast friends, and shared improvements with one another. These first vehicles set many modern standards, but each was a one-off design. They used a clutch pedal to operate a chain-driven gearbox. The vehicle also featured a front-mounted radiator. An 1895 Panhard is credited with the first modern transmission. For the 1894 Paris–Rouen Rally, Alfred Vacheron equipped his 4 horsepower (3.0 kW; 4.1 PS) with a steering wheel, believed to be one of the earliest employments of the principle. In 1891, the company built their first all-Levassor design, a "state of the art" model: the Systeme Panhard consisted of four wheels, a front-mounted engine with rear wheel drive, and a crude sliding-gear transmission, sold at 3500 francs. (It would remain the standard until Cadillac introduced synchromesh in 1928.) This was to become the standard layout for automobiles for most of the next century. The same year, Panhard shared their Daimler engine license with bicycle maker Armand Peugeot, who formed his own car company. In 1895, 1,205 cc (74 cu in) Panhards finished first and second in the Paris–Bordeaux–Paris race, one piloted solo by Levassor, for 48¾hr. Arthur Krebs succeeded Levassor as General Manager in 1897, and held the job until 1916. He turned the Panhard-Levassor Company into one of the largest and profitable manufacturer of automobiles before World War I. Panhards won numerous races from 1895 to 1903. Panhard developed the Panhard rod, which became used in many other types of automobiles as well. From 1925 the motors used Knight sleeve valves. That year a 4.8 litre (292ci) model set the world record for the fastest hour run, an average of 185.51 km/h (115.26 mph). Panhard also produced railbuses, including some for the metre gauge Chemin de Fer du Finistère. Links |
Peugeot
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PeugeotPeugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.
The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion trademark. The company produced its first automobile in 1891. Due to family discord, Armand Peugeot in 1896 founded the Société des Automobiles Peugeot. The Peugeot company and family is originally from Sochaux, France. Peugeot retains a large manufacturing plant and Peugeot Museum there. It also sponsors the Sochaux football club, founded in 1928 by a member of the Peugeot family. Links |
Renault
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RenaultRenault S.A. is a French vehicle manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past, trucks, tractors, tanks, buses/coaches and autorail vehicles.
Headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, Renault owns the Romanian manufacturer Automobile Dacia and the Korean Renault Samsung Motors. Renault also owns subsidiaries RCI Banque (providing automotive financing) and Motrio (automotive parts). The Renault corporation was founded in 1899 as Société Renault Frères by Louis Renault and his brothers Marcel and Fernand. The Renault reputation for innovation was fostered from very early on. At the time, cars were very much luxury items, and the price of the smallest Renaults available being 3000 francs reflected this; an amount it would take ten years for the average worker at the time to earn. Renault produced a range of cars from small to very large. For example in 1928, when Renault produced 45,809 cars, the range of seven models started with a 6cv, a 10cv, the Monasix, 15cv, the Vivasix, the 18/22cv and the 40cv. There was a range of factory bodies, of up to eight styles, and the larger chassis were available to coachbuilders. The number of a model produced varied with size. The smaller were the most popular with the least produced being the 18/24cv. The most expensive factory body style in each range was the closed car. Roadsters and tourers (torpedoes) were the cheapest. The whole range was conservatively engineered and built. The newly introduced 1927 Vivasix, model PG1, was sold as the "executive sports" model. Lighter weight factory steel bodies powered by a 3180 cc six-cylinder motor provided a formula that went through to the Second World War. The "de Grand Luxe Renaults", that is any with over 12-foot (3.7 m) wheelbase, were produced in very small numbers in two major types – six- and eight-cylinder. The 1927 six-cylinder Grand Renault models NM, PI and PZ introduced the new three spring rear suspension that considerably aided road holding that was needed as with some body styles over 90 mph (140 km/h) was possible. The 8-cylinder Reinastella was introduced in 1929. This model led on to a range culminating in the 1939 Suprastella. Coachbuilders included Kellner, Labourdette, J.Rothschild et Fils and Renault bodies. Closed car Renault bodies were often trimmed and interior wood work completed by Rothschild. Renault also introduced in 1928 an upgraded specification to the larger cars designated "Stella". The Vivastella's and Grand Renaults had upgraded interior fittings and had a small star fitted above the front hood Renault diamond. This proved to be a winning marketing differentiator and in the 1930s all cars changed to the Stella suffix from the previous two alpha character model identifiers. The Grand Renaults were built using a considerable amount of aluminium. Engines, brakes, transmissions, floor and running boards and all external body panels were aluminium. Of the few that were built, many went to scrap to aid the war effort. Links |
Rochet-Schneider
Rochet-SchneiderRochet-Schneider was a French company that produced automobiles during the early 20th century. The Rochet-Schneider sales slogan was "strength, simplicity and silence".
Like other motorcars of the so-called "brass era", the cars made by Rochet-Schneider were largely intended for wealthy hobbyists and made use of brass fittings, pattern leather, hand-crafted wood and other expensive components.Edouard Rochet and his father were bicycle manufacturers before entering motorcar production. In 1894 they were joined by Théophile Schneider, a relative of the eponymous armaments family. Between 1895 and 1901, the company built approximately 240 single cylinder "Benz-type" cars. At the 1901 Paris Salon, the company introduced a range of two and four-cylinder cars. Around 1903, these were redesigned along similar lines to Mercedes. By this time, Rochet-Schneider had become one of the most respected car manufacturers in France. In 1904 the company was sold for 4.5 million francs and a London-based company called "Rochet-Schneider Ltd." was formed. Production averaged less than 250 cars year and by late 1907 the company was in liquidation. Théophile Schneider bought the company bearing his name and a subsidiary called "Carburateurs Zenith" was formed. Schneider produced a range of high quality cars and commercial years for several years. Following World War I, the company offered 12, 18 and 30 hp cars. By 1923 the whole range was fitted with overhead valve engines of entirely new design and a variety of coachwork styles. From the mid-1920s onwards the company concentrated on commercial vehicles. Rochet-Schneider was bought by Berliet, a company known for the manufacture of locomotives and commercial vehicles, following the World War II. Links |
Lucien Rosengart
Lucien RosengartThe early Rosengart cars were licensed copies of the British Austin 7. This model, the LR2, was dressed up in various ways using various styling techniques and remained in production for quite some time - surviving as the vastly facelifted LR4 and Vivor long after the British car had been consigned to history.
In the early 1930s Rosengart teamed up with the German manufacturer Adler, offering license built copies of the Adler Trumpf and Trumpf Junior, small front-drive cars that bolstered its range. It also added a conventional rear-driven car along the lines of a stretched and widened Austin. The development of front-wheel drive models led to the elegant Supertraction model in 1937 - which competed with larger cars like the Peugeot 402 and the Berliet Dauphine for the first time in Rosengart's short history. In 1936 Rosengart himself was in financial difficulties so he transferred the company to a new organisation, Societé Industrielle de l'Ouest Parisien (SIOP). Links |
Rovin
RovinRovin was a French auto-maker active from 1946 until 1959, although after 1953 production slowed to a trickle. The firm was established, initially as a motor-cycle business, in 1921 by the racing driver and motorcycle constructor, Raoul Pegulu, Marquis of Rovin (1896 - 1949). The car was developed by Raoul but in 1946 production became the responsibility of his brother, Robert who continued to run the business after Raoul's death.
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S.C.A.R. (Rayet-Liénart)
SCAR (Rayet-Liénart)SCAR was a company founded by two Parisian mechanics Rayet and Liénart, specializing in repair and auto trading who decided to expand into the automotive manufacturing. To this end, they founded SCAR. With their experience of repairing and trading they choose, unusually for the time, to settle outside the capital, in Reims.
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Sima-Standard
Sima-StandardThe company was based in Courbevoie and began in 1929 as the successor company of Sima-Violet with the production of automobiles. The brand name was Sima-Standard . It was designed by Émile Dombret who previously worked for Motobloc.
The first model was the 5 CV with an engine size of 860 cc. There was a choice between roadster, convertible and two-and four-door sedans . In 1932 they added a larger model to the range; a four-cylinder engine with 68 mm bore, 90 mm stroke and 1306 cc engine to power the vehicle. Production ended in 1932. Links |
Sizaire Fréres et Naudin
Sizaire Fréres et NaudinSizaire Frères et Naudin was a French automobile manufacturer founded in Paris in 1905.
Sizaire-Naudin was founded by Maurice (1877–1970) and Georges Sizaire (1880–1924) and Louis Naudin (1876–1913) in around 1900. The company was registered in 1903. The partners had experimented with a car in 1902 or 1903 but it was not until 1905 that the first ones were offered for sale and shown at the Paris Salon in that year. The first cars were basic single cylinder vehicles with independent front suspension by sliding pillars and a transverse leaf spring, identical to earlier Decauvilles. A unique gearbox used an integral 3-speed differential - 3 straight cut pinions brought to bear in turn on a single large straight-cut crown wheel. Orders were good and the company received backing to move to larger premises from bicycle importers Hammond et Monnier who soon afterwards sold the firm to the Duc d'Uzes and from 1907 the family crest appeared on the radiator surround. They enjoyed great success in early voiturette races with rules which limited cylinder bore but did not specify stroke length. This success lasted from 1906 to 1909, with some presence in racing until 1911. By 1911 the single-cylinder format was outmoded, and an attempt to fit a four-cylinder 1847 cc Ballot engines did not result in significantly increased sales. After World War I production restarted with a new company, Société des Nouveaux Établissements Sizaire et Naudin, making Ballot-engined cars based on prewar designs. In spite of an attempt to re-enter racing at the International Voiturette Cup of 1921 the directors called in the liquidators later in the year. Links |
Sonauto
Studebaker
Talbot
TalbotTalbot was an automobile marque that existed from 1903 to 1992, with a hiatus from 1960 to 1978, under a number of different owners, latterly under Peugeot. Talbot participated in rallying, winning the 1981 World Rally Championship constructors' title, and in Formula One.
During World War I, the firm manufactured ambulances. French and British operations continued in separate, parallel production and marketing processes until 1919, when British-owned but Paris-based Darracq took over the company; Darracq-made Talbots were marketed as Talbot-Darracqs. The following year, Darracq was reorganised as part of the Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq (STD) conglomerate. In 1916, Swiss native Georges Roesch became chief engineer, and in the 1920s, Talbot built a number of successful models, including the 14/45 hp, or Talbot 105, which was first built in 1926. In the 1930s, Roesch-designed Talbots enjoyed success in racing with the Fox & Nicholl team, their drivers including the Hon. Brian Lewis, Johnny Hindmarsh, and John Cobb (better known for his land speed record attempts). They were also highly successful in the Alpine Trial. Links |
Turicum
TuricumA short-lived, Swiss manufacturer of vehicles. They manufactured for only a few years immediately prior to World War I.
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Turcat Méry
Turcat MéryTurcat-Méry was a French motor manufacturer from 1899 until 1928. It is now celebrated as the marque that won the inaugural Monte Carlo Rally, but in its prime it was also known for Grand Prix racing and for producing The Car of the Connoisseur. Prior to World War I it was closely associated with the Lorraine-Dietrich company.
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Unic
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UnicUnic was a French car manufacturer firm founded by Georges Richard in 1906 after having left Richard-Brasier. Société anonyme des automobiles UNIC was established in Puteaux with two-cylinder and four-cylinder models. The 1943 cc 12 CV (9 kW) four-cylinder model (used mainly as a taxi) was extremely successful and survived in production for nearly 20 years. (The engine was enlarged later to 2120 cc.) During World War I, taxis made by the company participated in Marne operation. After World War I, a new four-cylinder (1847 cc) was offered, along with the taxis.
Truck production started in that era. During the 1920s, a 1997cc sports model was marketed and in some models sleeve valve engines were used. Georges Richard died in 1922. In the 1930s, there were two eight-cylinder models. Passenger car production ceased in 1938, and from then on Unic concentrated in the truck business, being one of the leading French makes. In 1966 it was taken over by Italian Fiat and eventually merged into Iveco in 1975. Links |