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REINHARD - Reinhard Engine Manufacture Company, Limited, 101 Pins way, Lyon Montchat district - This firm manufactured between 1911 and 1914 around twenty cars, the first with chains, the others with gimbal. They were equipped with a valveless engine with rotary distributors that the engineer Valentin Rheinhard had patented in 1910.

(according to Lucien Loreille)

 

RENARD - L. Renard Establishments, 11 Jean-Jaurès avenue, Lyon - This company built a few electric cars at the beginning of the occupation. The first, released at the end of 1940, had 3 wheels, those of 1941 had four. Known as Electro-Renard, they reached 45 km/h with a 2-seater car body and had a range of action about 50 km.  (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

ROCHET FRERES - 7 Part-Dieu street and 40 Sainte-Geneviève street, Lyon - The Rochet brothers were the oldest velocipede manufacturers in Lyon. Around 1897-98 they started building carts with four seats facing each other. The engine was a 3 HP De Dion-Bouton vertical single-cylinder with water cooling; it was placed at the front under the bench seat. In working order this vehicle weighed less than 200 kg. It should be noted that the address of this business is that of Givaudan. Mr. Edouard Rochet, founder of Rochet-Schneider, was the son of this manufacturer.  (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

ROCHET-SCHNEIDER - Rochet-Schneider Lyon Establishments, 4 Saint-Pothin square until 1899, then 202 Paul-Bert street until 1901, then 57 Feuillat way, Lyon - This firm was founded in 1889 by Mr. Edouard Rochet, son of a mechanic and cycle builder, and by Mr. Théodore Schneider, a sawmill manufacturer. They began by manufacturing pedal bicycles and tricycles. In 1894, Mr. Rochet designed his first car. It had belt drives and the engine placed at the rear was a horizontal single-cylinder inspired by the contemporary Benz. In 1896, a car of this type accomplished the ascent of the Galibier for the first time. This car, piously preserved by Rochet-Schneider, is now exhibited at the Rochetaillée Museum. Also in 1896, Messrs. D. and G. Zafiropulo achieved another extraordinary feat in a similar car: reaching Constantinople. It was the first car to cross Romania and Turkey. In 1897 a Rochet-Schneider took part in the Paris-Marseille race, but it retired at Anse following an accident, the cars quickly found commercial success and nearly 400 copies were manufactured until 1900. The majority of this production was absorbed by the USA where a survivor dating from 1897 is preserved at the Antique Auto Museum in Brookline, Massachusetts. The manufacture of cycles carried out in parallel until then was abandoned in 1899 and the firm then devoted itself entirely to automobiles. In 1900 it released 2-cylinders, in 1901 4-cylinders, the year in which it applied electric ignition. In 1903 a 2-cylinder in-line was manufactured for the first Limonest hill climb. Shortly before the Great War, President Poincaré used a large Rochet-Schneider torpedo for his official trips. During the hostilities, the Feuillet way flor factory supplied the army with trucks, ambulances and general staff cars. The construction of touring cars resumed after the armistice and lasted until 1933. The last model was a 26 hp 6-cylinder, a luxurious high-class road car, the last copie of which was purchased by the Bey of Tunis. The company then devoted itself exclusively to trucks and manufactured robust heavy goods vehicles with Oberhansli-licensed diesel engines. From 1934 to 1939, the production rate was around 30 to 35 chassis per month; half of them were delivered to the army. From 1935, the firm became interested in national fuels by manufacturing trucks running on wood (Gazauto system) and city gas. The vehicles manufactured for civilian needs during the occupation were equipped with Facel-licensed gas generator. At that time, Rochet-Schneider supplied the Trans-Saharan General Company with trucks running on peanut oil produced in quantity and at low prices in the colonies. After 1950, the firm ceased all manufacture to devote itself to general mechanics, before being absorbed in December 1959 by Berliet. Between 1900 and 1914 Rochet-Schneider automobiles were manufactured under license by Martini in Switzerland. Florentia in Italy, Locomotrice in Belgium and Sampson (later Moyea) in Pittsfield, Mass, USA.  (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

S.L.l.M. - Lyon Company of Automotive Mechanical Industry SLIM - Pilain, 5 Vallon way, Lyon Saint-Clair - In August 1919, the Pilain Automobiles Company sold its industrial and commercial assets to the S.L.I.M. headed by the engineer Adenot, who transferred the factory flor to Saint-Clair. A factory was later created at 60 to 64 rue Germain in Villeurbanne. While the manufacture of the cars was being prepared, the Saint-Clair factory flor manufactured compressors and radial drills. The S.L.I.M. presented its first model at the March 1920 Fair. It was a 4-seater torpedo with a windbreak radiator. The flat radiator model appeared in 1921. Its engine was a 4-cylinder with 16 valves delivered in three power ratings: 12, 15 and 18-40 HP. The latter had brakes controlled by compressed air. The gearbox was integral with the rear axle. The S.L.I.M.s were capable of excellent performance. The company's drivers: Lacharnay, Merlani and Malardier took all the top places at Limonest, the Alpilles, La Faucille, Cluse, Val Suzon, Mont-Ventoux, Laffrey, etc. Construction ceased in 1925. The Rochetaillée Museum had to give a special place to this Lyon car with such a laudatory track record: a car museum in Lyon could not be conceived without a S.L.I.M.! After years of patient research, Mr. Malartre has just acquired a 1923 model. This one has just entered its final retirement and will soon be presented to visitors.  (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

SPIDOS - Cyclecars Spidos, A. Vassiaux, manufecturer, flor factory : 125 Nationale road, Bron; bureaux : 12  Felix-Faure avenue, Lyon - The small Spidos brand achieved great sporting success in the period 1921-1923. Its carts were equipped with a 4-cylinder 55x95 Ruby engine with side valves. Vassiaux, their manufacturer, won among other events the Miribel hill climb organized in September 1922 by the Motocycle-Club of Lyon. The most common customer model was a torpedo with 2 staggered seats, catalog 8400 francs in 1922. After 1923 Vassiaux gave up manufacture and raced for the Italian brand Chiribiri.  (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

S.T.A.L. - Lyon Automobile Transformation Company, 28 Franklin-Roosevelt avenue, Bron; et 13 Grillet street, Lyon 7e - In 1948 this company began by transforming the Renault 4 HP by reducing the cylinder capacity below 750 cm3, to allow them to race in this category (the factory 4 HP competed in 1100 cm3). The transformations did not only concern the mechanics (engine, brakes, suspension) but also the car body (notched wings, doors and hoods in light alloy). Subsequently, S.T.A.L. produced 2-seater 2-door coupés and a low-slung barchetta with Renault mechanics. More than 50 S.T.A.L. were delivered and some won great victories: Mont Ventoux, Charbonnières, etc.  (according to Lucien Loreille) > More information

 

S.T.E.L.A. - Light and Agricultural Electric Traction Service, Forges and Workshops of Lyon (F.A.L.); factory flor : 15 to 19, Jean-Bourgeay street, Villeurbanne; headquarters : 8 to 12 St-Antoine quay. - From the beginning of the occupation, the F.A.L. began manufacturing electric vehicles. The range included touring cars, vans, trucks and light 12-seater coaches. The cars came in two versions: the first with its angular "knife-cut" lines had headlights behind the grille like the 402 and the accumulators were placed on the running boards. Still delivered in light gray, it came in 2-seater, 4-seater and 500 kg vans. The second version was an elegant, streamlined 4-door, 5-seater sedan, the "FlCA" type. It was painted black, weighed 2000 kg, including 1000 accumulators; these were placed in the rear trunk. Several were used in Lyon as taxis during the dark years. In Vichy, Admiral Darlan had 2 for his personal service. The production of S.T.E.L.A. cars ceased in 1944, that of industrial vehicles lasted until 1948. In 1953 the F.A.L. produced 2 prototypes of electric taxis on the Ford Vedette chassis. The rather elegant car body was manufactured at Delhorme on the Vienne road and was reminiscent of that of the S.T.E.L.A "RCA". (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

TESTE & MORET - 20 Claire street, Lyon Vaise district - In a needleworks founded by his father in 1843, Mr. Auguste Teste began in 1897, with his partner Jules Moret, to manufacture automobiles. They were manufactured in workshops located at 28-30 St-Cyr street and this department employed around 300 workers. With the exception of the engines purchased from De Dion-Bouton, all the parts were made by Teste & Moret including the chassis tubes called "Mouches". These cars were designed by an English engineer Thomas C. Pullinger, who joined the factory in 1896. Mr. Pullinger had replaced the finned cylinder head of the de Dion-Bouton engine with a water cylinder head of his own invention. At the automobile exhibition held in Lyon in December 1899, a Teste & Moret was a great success as a curiosity. It looked like a sleigh and the painter Théodore Lévigne had painted angels and landscapes on its car body: this unique piece was delivered to the Shah of Persia. In 1901 a 14 hp racing car was made in the Vaisois workshops. Between 1897 and 1903 the firm manufactured around 400 cars; of these, nearly 300 were delivered to doctors; a dozen light delivery vans were ordered by the clothing stores "A la Grande Maison" on République square. A Teste & Moret was discovered in the southwest 6 or 7 years ago and another is in the Rochetaillée collection. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

VAGNON-CANET - 36 Sainte-Hélène street and 5 Fleurieu street, Lyon - This house was reported to us several years ago by the American historian Walter S. Jaro, but so far we have not been able to find any information. According to him, Messrs. Vagnon and Canet began manufacturing cars and motorcycles around 1899-1900, and continued until around 1903. They also made a few trucks. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

VAILLANT - 52 Franklin street, Lyon - This 2.35 m wheelbase cyclecar was manufactured in the years 1922-1923. It had 2 seats and its engine was a 5 hp Chapuis-Dornier 55-85. It was offered at 7,800 francs. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

VARGOZ - In 1922, the engineer Vargoz from Lyon manufactured a motor vehicle capable of driving on roads and sailing on water. The 4 wheels were driven and steered and equipped with paddles for propulsion in water. The first tests took place on the Rhone near the Morand bridge where the amphibian traveled at a speed of 12 km/h. Then Mr. Vargoz went down the river to Vienne. He also carried out tests in Jonage. The engine was a 14 hp borrowed from a Ford. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

VIRATELLE - Viratelle Automobile and Motorcycles Incorporated Company, 7 to 11 Jean Bourgey street, Lyon / Villeurbanne - This firm is especially known for its motorcycles which had the particularity of being water-cooled. In 1921 it started studying a cart and manufactured a few until around 1923. Unlike the firm's motorcycles, from which they borrowed various parts, the engine was air-cooled! A tiny cyclecar was entered in the Bol d'Or in June 1927. (according to Lucien Loreille)

 

VIROT - Master craftsman Virot, head of the mechanical workshops at the Ecole Centrale Lyonnaise, built a steam car in 1872. A second copie of this machine was manufactured in 1884 in the workshops of the E.C.L. Each student had his own personal piece. It had 3 wheels, weighed 400 kg and could reach 35 km/h. Pulling a horse-drawn cart in which 9 people had taken place, Mr. Virot one day made the trip from Lyon to Villefranche in an hour and three-quarters. (according to Lucien Loreille)