(ACCES PAGE PRÉCÉDENTE : Constr. Autos de A à D)

 

ELDIN ET LAGIER - Bellecour Auto-Garage, Messrs. Eldin & Lagier Engineers - Aphonse ELDIN and his partner Mr. LAGIER were agents for several major brands; they built several cars under their names: 20 HP 4 cylinder and 2 cylinder. Very few copies were made. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

EYNARD - A steam tricycle was built in 1880 by Paul Léon EYNARD in his workshops on rue de LA VILLETTE. About ten years later, he created a 4-cylinder engine, which he wanted to run with acetylene, but which exploded during tests. Around 1892, he manufactured an oil estate car with a single-cylinder engine. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

ELECTROMOBILE - Around 1925 Mr. Antoine VIALLE, from BARRON-VIALLE, created two accumulator buses for urban transport. He took out patents, created a company "L'Electromobile", but the business was unsuccessful, the markets he had expected having been taken away by a competing firm. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

FLYING STAR - FLYING STAR Automobile, 133 Marseille street - We have found nothing about this mysterious firm except a photo from 1906 or 1907 which shows a 10/12 HP 4 cylinder with this single mention: Offices, 106 République avenue in PARIS, and Factory floor in LYON, at the address given above. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

FOURNIER - The engineer FOURNIER, 1 St-Isidore way in Montchat district, is said to have manufacture a few steam cars around the turn of the century. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

FOURNIER MARCADIER - This brand is the youngest of all those created in LYON. Two car body designer: André MARCADIER and Marcel FOURNIER began their manufacture careers with karts. About two years ago, they began a series of small, low-slung sports boats, with a polyester body and mechanical elements borrowed from the R. 8. Since then, they have produced several racing single-seaters. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

GIVAUDAN - Givaudan and Co, 40 Sainte-Geneviève street - A few oil tricycles were built by this firm at the beginning of the century. At the 1903 show, she presented carts. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

GORET - An inventor Mr. GORET, living in Bellefontaine no-through road, had built a few oil-powered cars at the beginning of our century. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

INTER - National Aeronautical Manufacture Company of the North, Filature street, Villeurbanne - Around a hundred streamlined moped-car with 3 wheels and 2 tandem seats were built in 1953-54-55 by the S.N.C.A.N. on behalf of a PARIS sales organization. The engine was a 125 cc single-cylinder, placed at the rear. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

JEAN GRAS - Jean GRAS Automobile, 16 Louis street and Antoinette street Lyon Montchat district - Jean GRAS took over from Philos in 1924. This firm built touring cars, very classic in their design. Around 1925 the business was transferred to ISSY-LES-MOLL LINEAUX. The cars made in LYON were 4 cylinders of 8 and 10 HP. (according to Lucien Loreille)

JOANNY FAURE - J. FAURE Establishments, 17 Combe-Blanche way Lyon Monplaisir district - In 1908-1909 the mechanic J. FAURE manufactured 2 single-cylinder front-wheel drive cars which he named "Mouette". (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

KLAUSS - T. Klauss, engineer-manufacturer, 29 Grand-Camp avenue. - Mr. Klauss exhibited at the Flapp Gallery in Paris in June 1895, an oil tricycle with friction gear change, capable of traveling at 30 km/h. Quite simple in its design, this machine worked without water, without a carburetor and without a chain. We find several Klauss tricycles registered in the events run at the end of the last century. Around 1899 this manufacturer settled in Boulogne-sur-Seine. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

LA BUIRE - New Company of the Horme and the Buire Establishments, Buire work site, Part-Dieu boulevard. - In 1905 the Buire Automobile Incorporated Company was founded, Buire square, which in 1909 became the Buire Automobile New Company. In March 1921 it was transferred to 274 Grande-Rue in Monplalsir district, currently 60 Rockefeller avenue. The Buire work site had been building railway equipment since the middle of the last century. Around 1890 they manufactured Serpollet steam tricycles. This production is carried out under the direction of François PILAIN, head of studies at Serpollet, Cloys street in Paris. Mr. Pilain left the Buire work site in 1894 to create his own business. The Buire then built steam trucks and buses designed by Mr. Scotte, a hatmaker from Epernay. In 1904 the work site released their first cars under their brand; these are oil-powered. The firm, still very young in this industry, did not hesitate to enter its cars in races and immediately experienced resounding victories. In 1905, for example, his Buires won records and first prizes at Ventoux, Salon, Aix-les-Bains, Montreux-les Avens, and the A.U. hill climb. Forézien, etc... The names of the Buire drivers: Mottard, Lacharnay, Dumaine, Svorden, etc... are found in the best places in the prize lists of numerous events before 1914. A very beautiful and very rare 6-cylinder from 1907 was preserved by Mr. Malartre and is exhibited at the Rochetaillée Museum. In 1913 a factory was started in St. Petersburg to build Buire for the Russian market, but it could not be completed due to the war. After the hostilities and until 1928, the Monplaisir factory built robust and neat touring and sports cars with 4-cylinder engines of 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 HP. They had a solid reputation as "climbers" undoubtedly due to the brilliant victories of Porporato at Limonest, Planfoy, La Faucille, Laffrey etc... The company's slogan: "Beautiful mechanics, line, comfort" wasn't overrated. The firm also manufactured vans and light trucks. These were built under license in Spain. The Buires have brought honor to Lyon’s industry. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

LAURENT ET TOUJET - Around 1900, two Lyon builders Messrs. Laurent and Toujet have created 3 or 4 carts with a central pivot front engine. They named them “Quo Vadis” undoubtedly because of the novel by H. Scienkiewicz, very popular at that time. The engines were supplied by Aster. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

LARA ET BIBAL - 7 Président Carnot street. - In the last years of the last century, Mr. Lara made a car according to the Bens system. In the period 1900-1903 he manufactured with Mr. Bibal some 5 HP tubular chassis carts which were among the first to have the steering placed on the left. Lara and Bibal made their own engines. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

LUC COURT - Luc Court Automobile, 88-92 Robert street. - Mr. Luc Court, E.C.L. engineer had been manufacturing electrical equipment since 1892 and in 1898 he began manufacturing automobiles. After a few attempts with electric cars, he quickly moved towards oil-powered vehicles and from 1899 he built carts with 2 horizontal cylinder engines placed at the front which caused great interest at the time for the simplicity of their organs. From the start, these cars distinguished themselves in various events including the A.C. hill climb. Forézien won in June 1904. One of these cars specially designed by Mr. Luc Court, for hill climbs is exhibited at the Rochetaillée museum; it dates from 1901-1902 and already has the gear control placed under the steering wheel. Many touring models with 2, 4 and 6 cylinder engines were manufactured until the Great War. They were equipped with the “Minimax” carburetor patented in 1902 by Mr. Court. It was the first to have a special carburetor jet for starting and idling, and two other carburetor jets which were activated by vacuum depending on the power developed. In 1907 the firm acquired the Lacoin patent for the removable chassis, and numerous models were thus built. This system made it possible, with the same front, to have several bodies and to change them according to the seasons or the use of the vehicle. More than a thousand light trucks weighing 1500 kg were delivered to the army during the 1914-1918 war. They were of legendary robustness. Several of them, still in service 20 years after being bought from the domain, were requisitioned in September 1939. After the armistice, manufacturing resumed with 4-cylinder cars of 12 and 20 hp. Touring cars were built regularly until 1933; a few copies were still made on request until 1936. The manufacture of gasoline trucks was stopped in 1941 and that of diesel trucks in 1952. Luc Court was a major supplier of the P.T.T. who appreciated its strong and fast vans. Painted brown with black wings, they were part of our streets scenery for many years. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

LUNANT - LUNANT Cycle and Automobile Manufacture Company, 48 Saxe avenue. - J. Lunant was above all a manufacturer of bicycles, he would have made his first cars a little before 1900, and would have built them until 1910. He made a few electric cars, but mainly oil cars, single cylinders 8 HP and 4 cylinders 14-20 HP. From the beginning these cars had the camshaft in the front, some models had the gearbox in the rear axle. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

LYONA - Lyona Factory, Mechanical manufacture and foundries, Abondance street and Garibaldi street. - “We learn of the next appearance of the Lyona grand touring car built in our city” we read in an issue of La Vie Lyonnaise at the beginning of 1920. At the Lyon's Fair which took place this year from March 1 to 15, this new firm presented, at the automobile hall, a bare 8/10 HP chassis without original solution, without front brake, with Sankey wheels. The flat radiator resembled the one that appeared a few years later on the Fiat 509. It does not seem that this attempt was followed up, because we have not found any other mentions relating to this Lyona car. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

 

MARMONIER - Marmonier Son Establishments, Villeurbanne avenue. - Founded in Lyon in 1855, this firm manufactured agricultural equipment and presses. In 1885 it built a steam car with an instantaneous generator that it had imagined and patented three years earlier. (according to Lucien Loreille) > More information

 

MARSONETTO - Marsonetto body shop, 203 Garibaldi street. - It may seem curious to some readers to see a car body designer appear in a list of automobile manufacturers, but Mr. Marsonetto having built several interesting models, we must mention them. In 1958, while numerous tests were being carried out everywhere with plastic bodies, he created a shaped, low-profile coupé made of fiberglass and synthetic resin. This car, equipped with a Dyna-Panhard engine, was named "Luciole". At the end of 1965 this car body designer produced a prototype of a front-wheel drive sports car with a steel tube chassis with a wheelbase of 2.35 m. Named “Mars 1” by its manufacturer, this car had 4 disc brakes and an R 8 engine. The car body was a 4-seater coupé in polyester with attractive lines. Its speed was 155 km/h. Derived from this "Mars 1" prototype, Mr. Marsonetto now builds convertibles and coupés with motor-gear-transaxle assembly borrowed from the R-16 which are capable of exceeding 190 km/h. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

MAXIMAG - Motosacoche-France SA., 63 Trarieux street. - The Geneva firm Motosacoche, well known for its motorcycles, set up a factory in Lyon which produced 7 and 8 HP 4-cylinder 1100 cc bodied in touring, baker pick-up and grand sport. While some parts were machined in Lyon, the majority of them came from Switzerland. On the other hand, all the car bodies were entrusted to local manufacturers or craftsmen. Production was quite low and the firm's activity, which began around 1923, stopped around 1927. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

MIEUSSET - Mieusset Establishments Incorporated Company, 152-154 Heyrieux road until 1900, then 17 Gazomètre street - In 1867, just one hundred years ago, Mr. Claude Mieusset created a workshop to build steam, horse-drawn fire pumps. In 1895 with his son Vincent he built an oil-powered car capable of transporting four people. Shortly after, he specialized in this new industry and built touring models of all powers up until the war. In the period 1900-1905 he built several racing cars. During hostilities, factories supplied ammunition to the army. After the armistice, they specialized in the manufacture of special vehicles; fire trucks of all types, sprinklers, etc. They deliver their vehicles to many municipalities, not only in France, but in South America. Production ceased in 1925. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

MILLE - A Lyon resident, Joseph Mille, filed a patent in 1896 for a mechanical horse. It was a horse built life-size and inside which he had placed an engine. Under the belly, between the legs, a wheel provided propulsion. It could pull a trailer or a cart. The goal sought by Mr. Mille was not to frighten the real horses who often ran away at the sight (and sound) of the first automobiles. In 1898, he made his invention and crossed with it in our city. He abandoned the shape of the horse initially planned for that of a swan. This curious machine is also described in old works, under the name of "Lyon's Swan". (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

NEW-MAP - New-Map Lyon's Motorcycle Factory, 124 Lacassagne avenue. - In 1938, this motorcycle factory put on the market a tiny two-seater car created by a Lyon resident, Mr. Curnier. It was a very elegant roadster with a front reminiscent of the Matford V8-62. The engine, placed at the rear, was a 125 cc air-cooled single-cylinder engine. This dwarf was called "Baby New-Map", but after the war, it took the name Rolux, and in the early fifties its manufacture was taken over by a factory in Clermont-Ferrand. More than 1,000 copies were built. New-Map also manufactured the "Solyto", a tiny 3-wheel van with a payload of 100 kg. New-Map disappeared 8 years ago, but in 1965 there was an attempt to relaunch the manufacture of "Solyto" in a new factory in Chassieu. It does not appear that this project was followed up. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

O.R.l.A.L. - Industrial and Automotive Representative Office of Lyon, 11, Plat street. - This sales agency was created after the Great War, by Messrs. Joseph Voland and Lacroix-Laval. It represented general supplies and accessories for automobiles, several brands of motorcycles, as well as R. H. (René Holbet) and Pierron cars, both from Paris. Soon after, it manufactured its own motorcycles which it sold under its brand and which used a MAG engine, manufactured in Switzerland by Motosacoche. In 1923, under license from Sénéchal, it built 4-wheel cyclecars which it sold under the O.R.I.A.L brand. The engine was a 900 cc 4-cylinder. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

PHEBUS - Phébus Cyclecars, 12 Parc avenue. - This firm built cyclecars in the period 1921-1924. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

PHILOS - Philos Automobile, Messrs. Bernard, Courtot and Martin, manufacturers, 16, Louis street and 17 Antoinette street, Lyon Montchat district. - This firm began in 1912. Its first model was an 8 HP 4-cylinder 60x100 Ballot engine. It was bodied as a 2-seater torpedo sold for less than 5,000 francs with all the accessories. This price was very low for the time; it very quickly ensured a good start for the brand. After the war, manufacturing resumed with 8-10 HP models with 4-cylinder 65x120 engines delivered in 4-seater torpedoes and vans. In July 1920, the firm took the name "New Incorporated Company of Philos Etablissements". At this time several car bodies were manufactured: torpedo, sedan, coupé and a delightful little town car used at the time as a taxi. One of these still exists in Isère. The 1923 and 1924 programs included two 4-cylinders; a 6 hp 62x91 and a 10 hp 70x105; the engines supplied by Ballet and Altos were suspended from the chassis at three points. Manufacturing stopped in 1924 and the business was taken over by Jean Gras automobiles. (according to Lucien Loreille) > More information

 

PILAIN - Pilain Automobiles Company, 27 Montplaisir way at Grange-Flouge district, Lyon. - François Pilain started in the automobile industry as a designer at Serpollet. He then worked at the Buire work site. In 1893 he created his own firm: “François Pilain and Co Automobile Car”. 60 Monplaisir great street and Saint Fulbert way. He built a 4-seater model with a rear engine with 2 horizontal cylinders 90 x 150. In 1898 he left his business to launch the automobile department at the Vermorel factory floor in Villefranche. He returned to Lyon in 1902 and created the Pilain Automobiles Company (S.A.P.) with workshops and offices, 51, l'Abondance street. This workshop quickly proved too small and he built a large factory in Grange Rouge way in Monplaisir district. A fairly wide range of models ranging from 12 to 40 HP was manufacture until the war. These cars were often at the forefront of technology. In 1912 a 10 HP Pilain broke several records in its category on the autodrome of Brooklands. During the war the Pilain factory was requisitioned by Hotchkiss of Saint-Denis who manufactured military equipment there. After the armistice the Pilain patents were sold to the S.L.I.M. François Pilain left the SAP in 1909 to found a prototype workshop at 12 Monvert street in Vinatier, where in 1913 he created a front-wheel drive with brakes on all 4 wheels. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

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