Villard (automobile/cyclecar)

Société des Automobiles Villard
Founded 1925
Defunct 1935
Headquarters Janville, France
Products Automobiles
Cyclecars

Villard was a French automobile manufacturer between 1925 and 1935.[1]

Beginnings

The first 4HP Villard was constructed in 1923.[2] It appeared to be a late-comer to the Cyclecar boom that had followed the First World War.[1] It had only three wheels, with the single wheel, at the front, providing both the traction and the steering.[2] The wheelbase was of 1,850 mm (72.8 in) and the two-stroke engine of 345cc.[2]

Launch

The car made its public debut in October 1924 at the 19th Paris Motor Show, priced by the manufacturer at 4,950 francs.[2] In 1925 the Société des Automobiles Villard was registered.

Middle period

Four years later the vehicle on the show stand at Paris was again a three wheel cycle car with a 1,850 mm (72.8 in) wheelbase and a single cylinder two-stroke engine, but the engine capacity was now given as 350cc.[3] Many of these little three-wheeler cyclecars used bodies adapted for use as small delivery vans.[1]

Later years

In 1927 a small number of four wheeled cars were produced: these used a chain drive to deliver power to the front wheels. Now a 500cc V4-cylinder was also available.

Reading list

Sources and notes

  1. 1 2 3 Georgano, Nick (1968). The Complete Encyclopaedia of Motorcars 1885-1968. London: George Rainbird Ltd for Ebury Press Limited. p. 586.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Automobilia". Toutes les voitures françaises 1925 (salon [Oct] 1924). Paris: Histoire & collections. Nr. 72s: Page 80. 2005.
  3. ↑ "Automobilia". Toutes les voitures françaises 1929 (salon [Oct] 1928). Paris: Histoire & collections. Nr. 84s: Page 81. 2006.
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