Vinot-Deguingand

Vinot-Deguingand
Industry Manufacturing
Founded 1898 (as a bicycle manufacturer)
1901 (first automobile)
Defunct 1926
Headquarters Puteaux (1898-1926)
Nanterre (1919-1926
, France
Products Automobiles

Vinot-Deguingand was a French automobile producer.[1] [2][3]

History

In 1898 Lucien-Marie Vinot-Préfontaine (1858–1915) and Albert Deguingand (1872–1943) founded the business at Puteaux for the manufacture of bicycles. Motor car production began in 1901.

Sources vary about the format of the name - Vinot & Deguingand, Vinot-Deguingand[4][5] or, from 1907, Vinot.[1]

In 1906[2] or 1909[4] Vinot acquired Gladiator and until 1920 two virtually identical ranges were offered with the Vinot and the Gladiator names.[4]

The company also owned a London based subsidiary called "Vinot Cars Ltd" which often provided for Vinots to have their bodywork fitted by locally based English coach-builders.[5] The early cars sold in England were sold under the name "La Silencieuse".[4]

After the war manufacturing activity was transferred to newly acquired premises at Nanterre on the west of Paris. However, production ended in 1926 in response to a falling away in customer demand. The factory was sold to Donnet-Zédel. It was later sold to Henri Pigozzi and became the principal production location for Simca-Fiat (subsequently Simca)

Lucien-Marie Vinot-Préfontaine having died in 1915, Albert Deguingand in 1927 founded another auto-maker, named Société des Nouveaux Ateliers A. Deguingand, which would last till 1929 or 1930.

The cars

The first car had a twin-cylinder 1500cc engine and chain drive. In 1903 the twin cylinder model was designated as the manufacturer's "10CV" model, and was joined by a four cylinder 3300cc "H14CV" and a "F18CV". The 5800cc "30CV" followed in 1905, joined in 1906 by the manufacturer's first six-cylinder car.

The range for 1908 comprised a "10/14CV" and a "16/24CV". A "24CV" with a 4-litre engine was added in 1910. The range in 1914 involved cars with engine sizes of 1700cc, 2100cc, 2600cc and 4200cc.

Less than a year following the outbreak of peace, in October 1919 the manufacturer took a stand at the 15th Paris Motor Show and exhibited the 12CV Vinot-Deguignand Type BO, which sat on a 3,030 mm (119.3 in) wheelbase and was powered by a 4-cylinder engine of 2603cc.[5]

Sporting success

A team from Vinot & Deguingand took part in the inaugural 1923 Le Mans 24 Hour race. The brothers Léon and Lucien Molon came in at place 26 driving a 10HP Vinot & Deguingand.

Reading list

Sources and notes

  1. 1 2 Linz, Schrader: Die Internationale Automobil-Enzyklopädie.
  2. 1 2 Georgano: The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile.
  3. Georgano: Autos. Encyclopédie complète. 1885 à nos jours.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Georgano, Nick (1968). The Complete Encyclopaedia of Motorcars 1885-1968. London: George Rainbird Ltd for Ebury Press Limited. pp. 586–587.
  5. 1 2 3 "Automobilia". Toutes les voitures françaises 1920 (salon [Paris, Oct] 1919) (Paris: Histoire & collections). Nr. 31: Page 81. 2004.
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