History of French Automobiles
by: Jason Perry
The First Car Ever Made
• Several Italians recorded designs for wind driven
vehicles. The first was Guido da Vigevano in 1335. It
was a windmill type drive to gears and thus to wheels.
Later Leonardo da Vinci designed a clockwork driven
tricycle with tiller steering and a differential mechanism
between the rear wheels.
(William W. Bottorff, ‘2007’)
Nicolas Cugnot
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The very first self-powered road vehicles were powered by
steam engines and by that definition Nicolas Joseph Cugnot
of France built the first automobile in 1769 - recognized by the
British Royal Automobile Club and the Automobile Club de
France as being the first. So why do so many history books
say that the automobile was invented by either Gottlieb
Daimler or Karl Benz? It is because both Daimler and Benz
invented highly successful and practical gasoline-powered
vehicles that ushered in the age of modern automobiles.
Daimler and Benz invented cars that looked and worked like
the cars we use today. However, it is unfair to say that either
man invented "the" automobile.
(William W. Bottorff, ‘2007’)
Automobile Evolution Timeline
• 1680 - Dutch physicist, Christian Huygens
designed (but never built) an internal
combustion engine that was to be fueled with
gunpowder.
• 1862 - Alphonse Beau de Rochas, a French civil
engineer, patented but did not build a four-stroke
engine (French patent #52,593, January 16,
1862).
Automobile Evolution Timeline
• 1883 - French engineer, Edouard DelamareDebouteville, built a single-cylinder four-stroke engine
that ran on stove gas. It is not certain if he did indeed
build a car, however, Delamare-Debouteville's designs
were very advanced for the time - ahead of both Daimler
and Benz in some ways at least on paper.
• 1885 - Gottlieb Daimler invented what is often
recognized as the prototype of the modern gas engine with a vertical cylinder, and with gasoline injected
through a carburetor (patented in 1887). Daimler first
built a two-wheeled vehicle the "Reitwagen" (Riding
Carriage) with this engine and a year later built the
world's first four-wheeled motor vehicle.
• 1886 - On January 29, Karl Benz received the first patent
(DRP No. 37435) for a gas-fueled car.
• 1890 - Wilhelm Maybach built the first four-cylinder, fourstroke engine.
The Duryea Brothers
• Running by February, 1893 and ready for road trials by
September, 1893 the car built by Charles and Frank
Duryea, brothers, was the first gasoline powered car
in America. The first run on public roads was made on
September 21, 1893 in Springfield, MA. They had
purchased a used horse drawn buggy for $70 and
installed a 4 HP, single cylinder gasoline engine.
(William W. Bottorff, ‘2007)
First Gas-Powered Car in America
The First Automobile Race
• The first closed circuit automobile race held at
Narragansett Park, Rhode Island, in September 1896. All
four cars to the left are Duryeas, on the right is a Morris
& Salom Electrobat. Thirteen Duryeas of the same
design were produced in 1896.
(William W.Bottorff, ‘2007’)
The First Successful Car
• In this engraving Ransom Eli Olds is at the tiller
of his first petrol powered car. Riding beside him
is Frank G. Clark, who built the body and in the
back are their wives. This car was running by
1896 but production of the Olds Motor Vehicle
Company of Detroit did not begin until 1899.
After an early failure with luxury vehicles they
established the first really successful
production with the classic Curved Dash
Oldsmobile.(William W. Bottorff, ‘2007’)
The First successful Production Car
• The Curved Dash Oldsmobile had a single
cylinder engine, tiller steering and chain drive. It
sold for $650. In 1901 600 were sold and the
next years were 1902 - 2,500, 1903 - 4,000,
1904 - 5,000. In August 1904 Ransom Olds left
the company to form Reo (for Ransom Eli Olds).
Ransom E. Olds was the first mass producer
of gasoline powered automobiles in the
United States, even though Duryea was the first
auto manufacturer with their 13 cars.
(William W. Bottorff, ‘2007’)
Curved Dash Oldsmobile
My ‘1901’Curved Dash
Oldsmobile
Peugeot
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Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën.
Peugeot's roots go back to bicycle manufacturing at the end of the 19th
century. Its headquarters are in Paris, Avenue de la Grande Armée.
Although the Peugeot factory had been in the manufacturing business for
some time, their entry into the world of wheeled vehicles was by means of
the bicycle. Armand Peugeot (1849-1915) (educated at the Ecole
Centrale Paris) introduced the Peugeot "Le Grand Bi" penny-farthing in
1882 and a range of bicycles. Peugeot bicycles have been built until very
recently, although the car company and bike company parted ways in
1926.
Peugeot
• Early History
• 1890 Armand Peugeot quickly abandons steam for petrol and
produces the first Peugeot petrol-powered four-wheel car, the Type
2, fitted with a Daimler engine, at the Valentigney factory.
1892 Peugeot produces 29 cars and is the first company to fit rubber
tires to a petrol-engine four-wheel car. Peugeot's Type 4 is a unique
model, ordered by the Bey of Tunis
Citroën Traction Avant
- Released in 1934,
the 'traction avant', as
the name suggests,
was a front wheel
drive car - the first
mass-produced in the
world. It was also
stylish, elegant, and
sexy.
Citroen Vans
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Honorable mentions - the Citroën
vans
As well as producing a great series of
classic cars Citroën also managed to
produce a couple of 'classic' vans.
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photo copyright
The van shown, the Citroen HY, was
much loved by French tradesmen for
many years and is still an occasional
sight on the roads. It's much smaller
brother, the Citroën Acadiane, was the
forerunner of the 'small transit van' and
is still regularly seen transporting
hunters and their dogs around the
countryside on a Sunday morning.
Citroën SM
• Perhaps the last
Citroen to be
considered a classic
car, the SM (as you
might guess
approximately from
the photo) was
introduced in 1974.
Citroën DS
• Introduced in 1955 the Citroen
DS had a couple of radical
features, including being the
first car to have disc brakes,
and the curious self-leveling
suspension that Citroën used
for many years (I'm sure my
grandfather would go for a
drive in his Citroen just for the
pleasure of starting the car and
feeling it rise elegantly to
position). Again super-stylish
for its time, the DS
subsequently came in various
versions including estate and
convertibles.
Peugeot
Peugeot
Renault
Louis Renault was born in February 1877, in the heart
of the Parisian bourgeoisie. He was the youngest of five
children (two sisters and two brothers). His father made
his fortune in the trade of fabrics and buttons and his
mother was the daughter of wealthy merchants. He had
an early passion for mechanics and new techniques. The
Renaults had a second home in Billancourt, near Paris.
This what where he used the tool shed as his first
workshop. There, he tinkered with an old Panhard
engine until the age of 14.
Renault Samsung QMX
• The Renault-Samsung QMX was just introduced at the Seoul Auto
Show. It's a small SUV, powered by a Renault 1.7 turbo-diesel
engine putting out 177 hp. Not sure if that's a misprint, as it seems to
be a lot for such a small (turbo-diesel) engine.
Renault Twingo Compact
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Paris Auto Show: Renault Twingo Concept
The Twingo is the smallest car Renault makes,
and after several days spent driving around
France, I feel confident in calling it the frumpiest
of the French cars. But it's certainly economical in
a country where fueling up a normal-size compact
car (say, a Ford Focus rental car) costs 50-60
bucks a pop. Help could be on the way in the next
redesign, though, because this concept car looks
much sharper and more youthful than the current
production Twingo. And with a turbocharged, 1.2liter four-cylinder engine good for 100 hp, this
Twingo would likely scoot around nicely for a car
in the featherweight class.
Inside, of course, all the features that
20somethings supposedly want are in attendance
-- in addition to a USB port, specific-branded
ports for iPods and Nokia phones are included.
And it goes without saying that there's internet
access and an on-command interior light show.
Electronic gimmicks aside, this would definitely be
a good styling direction for Renault to take with
the Twingo. It would be also be a good direction
for good buddy Nissan to take with its U.S.-bound
subcompacts.
Ettore Bugatti during his time as
designer at de Dietrich, about
1902
Bugatti’s History
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Education
Ettore attended finishing school and went on to Milan's Academy of Art. He
then began an apprenticeship at the Prinetti & Stucci bicycle factory.
Technology
The automobile had just been invented and young Bugatti was bewitched
with its mechanics and technology. At the tender age of 17 years, he
installed a motor on a tricycle. After that, he installed twin DeDeon engines
on another tricycle. In 1897, he raced his first vehicle, a bicycle.
First Bugatti Automobile
By 1901, Bugatti had created his first automobile with the help of the
Gulinelli brothers. He introduced it in Milan at the International Exhibition.
The French Automobile Club presented him with the T2 prize for the
vehicle's construction.
The Mathias Contract
Ettore Bugatti spent a great deal of time developing and building racecars.
This made the de Dietrich Company unhappy. They felt his time would be
better spent developing a series production. Since Bugatti wasn't obliged to
accommodate de Dietrich, his contract was terminated. At this time Bugatti
sought employment at Emi Mathias. He designed a new automobile and
installed a 4-cylinder engine. Within two years, problems cropped up
between Bugatti and Emil Mathias. Again, the contract was terminated.
The first Bugatti made in ‘1901’
Original Bugatti’s
The Fastest Car in the World
• Bugatti has won more races than any
other car company ever has, arguably
making Bugatti the most successful car
company ever. Not in terms of production
volume or number of sales but as far as
race winnings, and performance aspects
they are number one, including being the
first to surpass the 0-60 record made by
the Maclaren F1.
Bugatti Grand Prix
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1931 Bugatti Type 51 Grand Prix
$700,000-$900,000; Christie's
•
Based loosely on the Type 35B of the mid-1920s, the
Type 51 Bugatti was yet another engineering
triumph, a twin-camshaft supercharged car made 70
years ago. Today supercharging is making a
comeback, but dual cams still aren't found on a lot of
cars.
Compared to cars of its day, it was an embarrassing
powerhouse: Type 51s won Grand Prix races in
Tunis, Monaco, Morocco, Geneva, France--in other
words, these cars dominated until the mid-1930s.
It's possible this car won the 1931 Belgian Grand
Prix, although little else about its racing history is
clearly documented. What is known, besides the fact
that it is exceedingly rare, is that it is one of few Type
51s with its original coachwork, instrumentation and
other interior touches. Although it was restored more
than once, it appears that only cautious work was
done, with an effort to preserve the history rather
than gloss over it.
Early Bugatti
Bugatti
Bugatti
Bugatti
Bugatti
‘1939’ bugatti
This particular vehicle was a gift from Bugatti to the Prince of
Persia on his wedding day.
Ralph Lauren’s Atlantic
• Bugatti wins Louis
Vuitton
• In September 1999,
Ralph Lauren´s
T57SC Atlantic won
best of show at the
Louis Vinton Classic
at the Rockefeller
Center, New York.
Atlantic Interior
Bugatti Atlantic
The new Bugatti Vayron
Bugatti Veyron
•
Among the many options a Veyron
buyer can order, are two one-carat
diamonds, cut with 16 sunray
facets (16 being the number of
cylinders the engine features).
The two diamonds reside,
respectively, on the speedometer
needle, and at the center of
something Bugatti calls the "power
meter." The latter shows how
much of the motor's available
mustard is being put to the
pavement. We happen to think
this gauge will only be a source of
frustration for any Veyron owner
(even if he gets the diamonds),
since using all 986 horses even
once will prove a challenge unless
you also happen to own a private
racetrack.
Bugatti Interior
Bugatti Interior
Special gauge tells how much
power is left
Hydraulic spoiler that pops up
for added traction
Bugatti ‘Pur Sang’
In ‘2007’ a race was proposed
against the Bugatti and a jet.
Bugatti Concept
Bugatti Furniture
• Exceptional result for Carlo
• Bugatti furniture
• At a Christie's auction of works from the collection
of the late New York dealer Allan Stone (New York,
Rockefeller Center, 2007), big prices for the
unusual resulted: a desk from about 1900 by
furniture designer Carlo Bugatti made 10 times its
estimate, fetching $1.56 million! This must be a
record for any Carlo Bugatti furniture, and is in line
with increasing prices for "products" from the other
members of the Bugatti family, with a Rembrandt
Bugatti sculpture "Lionne d'Afrique,” from circa
1910, realizing $1,832,000 at a Christie's auction in
June this year.
Bugatti Cologne
Bugatti Aircrafts
Ettore Bugatti’s race plane
At the EAA Air Venture Museum in Oshkosh, WI resides the only
example of a race plane designed by Ettore Bugatti.
Flight Simulator Game Option
Bibliography
• 1.) William W. Bottorff, 2007:
http://www.ausbcomp.com/~bbott/cars/car
hist.htm (The first car.com)
• 2.)Prewarcars.com
• 3.) thomas.forsman@swipnet.se