Still looking for any Clement Bayard owners/info

[DonLarson]

I'm still looking for anyone who has any information on the Clement Bayard. I have a 1912 M-4 'Torpedo' and would like to know if anyone else has any information on them - or, of anyone who owns ANY Clement Bayard! I think I'm only one in Florida - (they had to come up with an 'identifier' at DMV to get it registered!)- thanks again / Don

[Mike Bartlett]

If this is Don near Orlando I will email you in private.Someone told me there is a Clement Bayard near Orlando,In Bithlo,Fl.!

[48LCCOUPE]

I believe Bithlo only has destruction derby cars, figure 8 school bus racers and house trailers, or ATF's as we like to call them (Automatic Tornado Finders).

Got me a new house, a delux model, has chrome wheels!!!

[DonLarson]

That wasn't a Clement Bayard . . .It was that SAME '14 Model 'T' Depot Hack - that has been on four tours and has BROKEN DOWN on EVERY one!! - Someday it may make it thru a whole tour with everyone else!!

[1937hd45]

Don, this is a photo of a Bayard Clement (don't know why they reversed the names)that ran in the French G.P. June 2, 1907, drive by F.Shepard. The car looks like it may have a six cylinder engine. I'll post another post card photo of the team mate in a four cylinder car.

[1937hd45]

This is Alesy driven Clement the team mate to the other car I posted a photo of. This one looks like a better pick to me,quick detachable rims,more balanced overall look. The riding mechanic looks like he's awake, which would be a big plus back then.

[Leif Holmberg]

Just try searching for clement bayard on Google,AltaVista and so on.And you got a lot of sites.(I don`t think you can find any site like AACA in Europa.)

[Guest tonyga421]

Hello,

I understand this post is very old, however I live in the United Kingdom and have a 1914 Clement Bayard A2 for sale. It was the original car from the film 39 Steps and used to be entered into car rallies and events where it one many awards. I'm looking for someone in the world who would wish to buy it.

Its proving quite hard to sell due to the fact it is a 2 sea tier and a four cylinder.

please contact tonyga421@googlemail.com if you can offer any help or advice

[Guest Oracle]

Bit lazy so have not edited it but here;s some history!

CLÉMENT, GLADIATOR, CLEMENT-TALBOT

Gustave Adolphe Clément was born on 22 September 1855 at Pierrefonds, Oise. A passion for cycling resulted in him starting a small cycle business in 1876 aged 21, for the repair of cycles in Bordeaux. He then expanded into constructing cycles using English parts, in Lyon. After that, Clément moved to marge larger workshops in the 20th arrondisement in Paris, a small shop-workshop at 20 rue de Brunel, Paris with only 5 employees initially. He formed a cycling school at rue Brunel, but arguably he didn’t have the best of clients: it was probably a means of securing potential customers.

Adolphe Clément set up his small bicycle shop in 1878, and first exhibited his own cycyles at the 1878 Paris Exposition, and was soon a leading manufacturer. In 1880, the marque gaining rapid fame, nearly 140 workers were producing “Cycles A. Clément”, probably at much the same time as the running together of the buildings at numbers 18 and 20 rue Brunel. The fame brought the adoption of the marque by famous figures associated with cycling: Terront, De Civry and Laumaille, etc. By then, Clément had to guard against competitors. He aimed to sell in France his cycles at at least 100 gold Francs less than either British rivals, Rudge or Humber, which were being promoted by Harry Lawson!

He learned of the new Dunlop pneumatic tyre launched in 1889, and then left for London and found his man in Dublin: John Dunlop. After a trial ride of 60 miles or so, Clément was convinced that the revolutionary pneumatic tyre was perfect for his plans. He then agreed with the Dunlop company to acquire the French manufacturing rights in return for buying 50,000 Francs or £2,000 of British Dunlop shares [though the French say that the English took 2,000 Shares at £1 each in his French company so both may be right], which were later sold for 5 MILLION Francs! Clément said at the time that this was a large risk, but clearly he was right to have a go. In 1893, Adolphe Clément established a company to manufacture Dunlop bicycle tyres in a factory at Levallois-Perret, Seine.

In 1893, Clément was guided by his friends and associates, De Civry and his future son-in-law, Fernand Charron, a champion cyclist, to invest in the Gladiator cycle factory in St.-Pré-Saint Gervais, and consequently became not only an associate, but also a friend of Alphonse Darracq.

In 1894, Adolphe Clément converted his own cycle company into the LA SOCIÉTÉ ANONYME DES VÉLOCIPÈDES CLÉMENT founded with an enormous, for the time, capital of 4 million Francs. One of his most successful bicycle agents persuaded him to build yet another factory to make bicycle parts in Mézières near the Belgian frontier, in 1895 which had a long independent history subsequently. The factory supplied parts to Panhard & Levassor as well as to A. Clément et Cie. at the Levallois-Perret factory.

Between 1895 and 1896, the Gladiator factory produced some single-cylinder de Dion-Bouton engined tricycles, and then as a result of a project by the Engineer Michaux, two voiturettes with two-cylinder horizontal engines. Several prototypes then followed, amongst others using Aster engines [see below].

In October 1896, the team of Hooley, Rucker, Lawson and Du Cros, the then head of British Dunlop, visited Paris and offered a remarkable sum to acquire the rights to Clément, Darracq and the French branch of the Humber company [this would be the occasion when the Directors of The Daimler Motor Company Limited visited Clément, Darracq, Peugeot, then Daimler’s works at Canstatt], the rights to the Clément bicycle name and some of its operations, but not the Mézières factory, along with Darracq’s Grande-Rue, Pré-Saint-Gervais Gladiator factory and the French Humber bicycle company in Paris. The French say that the approach was made by the English to reach an alliance with competitors, with Alphonse Darracq introducing the English to Adolphe Clément. In reality, the idea was to acquire the rights to the best patents and then license them out to others and make real money! However, there was also a deal struck to acquire Clément’s interest in the French Dunlop tyre manufacturing facility. It is believed that the French Humber concern was another offshoot of the Lawson “empire”, and hence all three companies were acquired simultaneously.

These French companies were acquired, and vested in a new English company. On 8 October 1896, CLÉMENT GLADIATOR & HUMBER (FRANCE) LIMITED was incorporated, Company Number 49651, PRO Reference BT31-7049. This company was capitalised at £900,000 or 22.5 million Francs. The company promoter was Hooley, who had in the spring of 1896 reorganised the Dunlop tyre company which moved to Aston Cross, Birmingham: DUNLOP PNEUMATIC TYRES LIMITED with a capital of 1,000,000 £1 8% Cumulative Ordinary Shares, 1,000,000 5% Cumulative £1 Preference Shares, 2,000,000 £1 Deferred Shares, 10,000 4% Mortgage Debentures by 1907. In August 1896, Hooley and Harvey Du Cros launched the DUNLOP PNEUMATIC TYRE COMPANY (FRANCE) LIMITED to take over the French branch of Dunlop, owned by AdolpheClément. The new company was capitalised at £650,000 with a contract to supply all the Clément, Gladiator and Humber (France) Ltd cars.

Adolphe Clément used the sale proceeds to establish his own separate factory at 33, quai Michelet, Levallois-Perret, formed 1897 or 1898 to manufacture bicycles, motor-bicycles, and small cars. This was the aforesaid A. CLÉMENT ET CIE. It made tricycle frames for De Dion-Bouton in 1899, as well as quadricycles: The Autocar 1 July 1899 re the Paris salon who reported that they exhibited a number of De Dion tricycles and quadricyles.

CLÉMENT GLADIATOR & HUMBER (FRANCE) LIMITED was incorporated 8 October 1896 to acquire La Société des Velocipèdes Clément; La Societé Français des Cycles Gladiator, and the French business of Humber & Company Limited [actually in Paris].

Subscribers were:

DAVID McCAIG, Nottingham, Solicitors’ Clerk

JAMES HIGGINBOTHAM, Stroud Green, N. Gentleman

ERNEST ALBERT CLEMENT, Peckham, S.E., Gentleman

WALTER REES, Ryland Road, N.W., Clerk

JAMES HERBERT, Clapton, N.E., Lithographer

HERBERT MOBBS, Edmonton, Stationer

ERNEST PIERCY, Clapham, S.W.

Herbert, Mobbs and Piercy were all Subscribers to The Cycle Components Manufacturing Company Limited in 1894! In 1901, Harvey Du Cros, S.F. Edge and C.T.B. Sangster were all Directors!

At first, ALPHONSE DARRACQ and ADOLPHE CLÉMENT joined the new C.G.&H. company Board along with Harvey Du Cros and Hooley’s cronies, but Darracq soon left and formed his own company, A. Darracq et Cie., located in Suresnes, probably after finding out the real reason for the acquisition of the companies.

Other Directors must have been ERNEST TERAH HOOLEY, HARVEY DU CROS, Lawson?, Martin Rucker? and Robert Doncaster.

All held one share.

Registered Office was at 4 Regent Street, London. [or was it 14?]

NOTE JAMES HERBERT WAS POSSIBLY A BROTHER/FATHER/ SON OF NICHOLAS HERBERT, A SUBSCRIBER TO THE SPHINX LIMITED, HIS ADDRESS WAS THAT OF THE SPHINX JOURNAL LIMITED, AND HE WAS A SUBSCRIBER TO THE CYCLE COMPONENTS MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED AND ALSO THE ABOVE COMPANY. IS THIS THERE A CONNECTION WITH THE SPHINX MANUFACTURING COMPANY?

HERBERT MOBBS WITH HIS BROTHER NOEL FORMED THE PYTCHLEY AUTOCAR COMPANY IN 1903, COMPANY NUMBER 84633, DISSOLVED 1972 AND RECORDS DESTROYED, AND SUBSEQUENTLY NOEL MOBBS BECAME A DIRECTOR OF THE SLOUGH TRADING ESTATE. THE FAMILY THEN CARRIED ON THE CONNECTION WITH THE SLOUGH ESTATES TO THE PRESENT DAY.

There was an Agreement 24 November 1896 between ERNEST TERAH HOOLEY, the Vendor, of Risley Hall, and ROBERT DONCASTER, for the company, to purchase respective agreements. This was possibly the point when the patent rights to the De Dion-Bouton engines, etc. were granted to the company. If that is so, then this could explain how Adolphe Clément acquired rights to the De Dion-Bouton engines, built by Société des Moteurs Sphinx.

There were over 500 shareholders.

In 1898, The Autocar commented that a French “electric tricycle” was being “hawked around the financiers of London”, but it turned out that this was in fact the first Clément, fitted with a De Dion-Bouton engine, but with electric ignition. In 1899, Clement’s agent had an address in Holborn Viaduct, which seems to fit in with this story.

On 16 February 1901, the company resolved by Special Resolution to be wound up and reorganised, named as SOCIETÉ FRANÇAISE DES CYCLES CLÉMENT ET GLADIATOR LIMITED, and the Company was finally wound-up 16 April 1903.

However, in 1900-1901, the Levallois-Perret works was under the management of Jules Simonet, [who had gone to the A & M school in Angers], when 400 men made 2 million Francs’ worth of merchandise each year.

A.C stayed with C.G.& H. for some time. However, the company was way overcapitalised, and the company had to be reorganised in April 1901 under a new name with £600,000 of the old capital written off. This was SOCIETÉ FRANÇAISE DES CYCLES CLÉMENT ET GLADIATOR LIMITED, Company Number 69498, PRO BT31-16605. Production was concentrated at the old Gladiator works at Pré-Saint-Gervais, a member of the Du Cros family empire, though they also traded at Levallois-Perret until Adolphe resigned in 1903: see below.

In the U.K. registered slightly earlier in 1895/6 was GLADIATORS LIMITED, Company Number 43278, PRO Reference BT31/6110 of circa 1895/6, and later GLADIATORS LIMITED, Company Number 55530, PRO BT31/7768 of January 1898 which have nothing to do with motorcars or cycles, but rather Goldmines!

In 1896, CG&H started manufacturing bicycles, motorcycles from 1896, and also motorcars under the Clément and Gladiator names. These early cars were called Clément cars as well as Clément-Gladiators and Gladiators.

It would appear therefore that the Levallois-Perret and Pré-Saint-Gervais factories were also engine factories for the Sphinx Motors as installed in motor-cycles, tricycles and light voiturettes and quadricycles. In 1899, to confirm this supposition, Clément produced tricycles and a quad, as had Sphinx: see above. The Levallois-Perret factory dates back to 1878, followed by in 1898 a new workshop built with the money from the sale of the Clément cycle business.

A. Clément et Cie., Levallois-Perret, France, exhibited at the June 1899 Paris Show, with a number of De Dion tricycles and quadricyles. The address was in fact 33, quai Michelet, Levallois-Perret and also at 57 boulevard de la Saussaie, Neuilly-sur-Seine, but not the former Darracq “Gladiator” factory at Pré-Saint-Gervais which was on the other side of Paris.

The Autocar 8 July 1899 reporting on the Paris Salon also referred to the Gladiator Company’s Stand. They stated that the company had previously been exclusively selling motor cycles and voiturettes, but had now gone for heavier cars and were exhibiting a 12 h.p. four-seater car. However, their first car may have been a 4hp single-cylinder little voiturette equipped with a “Sphinx” engine?. The engine was a 2-cylinder horizontal type with three chains to provide two forward speeds and one reverse. On the same stand were various Aster-powered tricycles of 2 ¼ h.p.. Aster was an engine concern founded by Maurice Cheronnet and Alfred Monnat in Saint Denis, Paris in 1898 which sold proprietory engines to a number of concerns: by 1901 called LES ATELIERS DE CONSTRUCTION MÉCANIQUES L’ASTER, BOULEVARD CARNOT, SAINT DENIS, SEINE. A 1923 Advertisement suggested that Aster were first imported into the U.K. in 1899. The first Aster limited company was formed in 1904: ASTER LIMITED, Company Number 82337, BT31/10853, and then Aster cars were later sold in the U.K. by ASTER ENGINEERING COMPANY LIMITED, Company Number 86199, BT31/11274 of 1905, and exhibited at the November 1905 London Show. The 1904 Clyde used a 7 h.p. Aster engine with chain-drive, fitted with a Longuemare carburettor. The 1904 Croxted from F.W. Garner & Co. used a 10 h.p. 2-cylinder Aster engine, as did 1904 Clements. This raises the query as to whether the Du Cros family had an interest in the Aster company as well as Vinot? Certainly, Adolphe Clément did, as well as Panhard-Levassor. This explains the use of Aster engines in Clément cars. Further companies were ASTER ENGINEERING COMPANY (1913) LIMITED, Company Number 131318, BT31/13164, and then ASTER (1932) LIMITED, Company Number 271273, BT31/33396.

In 1900 the development of the automobile decided Clément to build a velodrome, but this idea flopped, and instead built on the same site in 1902 a large automotive factory, the third. In 1903, the three distinctive worksops comprised of the 1878-built premises of 10,000 square meters and employing 500 workers, reserved exclusively for the fabrication of cycles and petrol motor-bicycles, of which about 20,000 units were sold each year. The second, 198 workshops covered 15,000 square meters and employed 600 workers, and used 600 horses for the exclusive construction of motor cars [Clément and then Clément-Bayard], with foreign contracts representing a quarter of production. The third workshops were logically reserved for the Carrosserie Rothschild coachwork concern. The Parisian Rothschild concern was invested in by Adolphe Clément, with the consequence that the new Carrosseries Clément-Rothschild were located in the third building, covering 4,000 square meters and employing 2,000 workers. Exports accounted for a seventh of total production.

The first Gladiators were imported into the U.K. by Selwyn Francis Edge’s S.F. EDGE LIMITED, which changed its name to the MOTOR POWER COMPANY LIMITED, Company Number 65098, BT31-8855, founded 1900, at the same time as Edge and Jarrott founded the De Dion-Bouton British & Colonial Syndicate Limited, the first De Dion-Bouton importers, and the MPC was superseded by another MOTOR POWER COMPANY LIMITED Company Number 75446, BT31-10080 of October 1902. From 1899, Gladiators were powered by 2 ½ and 3 ½ h.p. Aster engines, followed in 1901 by a 6 ½ h.p. Aster-engined car. Edge apparently continued to support the Gladiator marque until he dropped it and Regent to concentrate on Napiers. However, The Autocar 17 October 1903 carried a front-page Advertisement for the £300 Gladiator being sold by S.F. Edge Limited, 14 New Burlington Street, London W., the address also of Electromobile Company Limited. There was then a third company, S.F. EDGE (1907) LIMITED, Company Number 94280, BT31/18163 of 1907 which later changed its name to S.F. EDGE LIMITED. This was some time after the Gladiator concession was dropped by Selwyn Edge, and taken up by a new firm, or partnership, Gladiator Motor Company owned by the Du Cros family: see below. It seems that the Pré-Saint-Gervais-built Gladiator cars and vans were imported until 1907 and then were they imported instead by the Vinot importers?

By 1900, two distinct cars bore the Clément name: a light rear-engined voiturrette powered by a 2¼ h.p. [2.5 CH] De Dion engine geared to the rear axle, and the other a Clément-Panhard with a rear 3½ h.p. rear-mounted single-cylinder inclined engine with hot tube ignition, designed by Commandant Krebs of Panhard-Levassor. Clément was also the Directeur-General/Chairman of Panhard. The Clément-Panhard had been designed for Panhard but never used by them, so was taken up by the associated company. This design was also made under licence by Stirlings of Edinburgh, which was probably J. & C. Stirling, The Hamilton Carriage Works, Hamilton, North Berwick which had built Daimler-engined cars before Daimler in Coventry had. The Scots cars were called Stirling-Panhards or Clément-Stirlings. The earliest English Stirling company recorded is STIRLING MOTORS (LONDON) LIMITED, of 1908, Company Number 96840, BT31/12287. Clément undertook a number of trips to the U.S., and it was suggested in The Autocar in June 1923 that the Clément-Panhard was copied, and built by Duryea in the U.S.

In 1900, Harvey Du Cros had to reorganize the French Dunlop concern, and he wrote-off over 5/6ths of the capital, creating a new company, SOCIÉTÉ FRANÇAISE DES PNEUMATIQUES DUNLOP LIMITED, Company Number 67554, PRO BT31-9122. Albert Clément sat on the board. Capital was now £100,000 consisting of £50,000 each of £1 Ordinary and £1 6% Preference Shares. Dunlop then acquired the Clipper Tyre Company, relaunching the company.

By the end of 1901, Clément started building cars front-engined light cars designed by Marius Barbarou with either 7 h.p. single-cylinder or 12 h.p. twin-cylinder engines. It was these early Clément cars from Levallois-Perret that were exported to England to be sold by the British Automobile Commercial Syndicate Limited. In 1902, the Clément company entered seven 20hp 4-cylinder cars in the Paris-Vienna race, one of which was driven by D.M. Weigel, Secretary of the British Automobile Commercial Syndicate. In 1901, Gladiators were available with a 12 h.p. vertical twin automatic inlet valve Aster engine. In 1902, the range ran from a 3 ½ h.p. quadricycle to two 4-cylinder engines, 2.1 litre and 2.7 litres. The engine supposedly being made by Gladiator, though this must have been the Neuilly-S-S factory which produced the “Sphinx” motors, or was it in fact Asters?

In 1903, Clément expanded his operations at Levallois-Perret, presumably with orders from England. To avoid a conflict of interest, he resigned from the Panhard-Levassor Board in January 1903. In October 1903, Clément resigned from the Societé Française des Cycles Clément et Gladiator Limited board, though the company continued to use the Clément name, building Clément and Gladiator cars at Pré-Saint-Gervais. The main difference between the cars was the former had shaft-drive, the latter chain-drive. However, the French say that the split came as a result of the British Automobile Commercial Syndicate Limited wanting exclusive rights to the sale of “Clément” cars.

SOCIÉTÉ FRANÇAISE DES CYCLES CLÉMENT ET GLADIATOR LIMITED, Company Number 69498, BT31/16605 was incorporated on 4 March 1901, with a registered office at 14 Regent Street, London S.W. The company was dissolved 1 August 1917.

The Company was formed to acquire and take over CLÉMENT GLADIATOR & HUMBER (FRANCE) LIMITED and to carry on the business of manufacturers and dealers of pneumatic and other tyres, and wheels of cycles, bicycles, velocipedes and carriages… To carry on the business of manufacturers etc. of tricycles, perambulators, bath chairs, motor or horseless carriages…To carry on the business of India Rubber manufacturers. On 5 May 1901, an Agreement was signed to acquire the previous company which was then liquidated.

The subscribers were:

MICHAEL EGAN, 57 Priory Road, Kew, London S.W. Gentleman

ARTHUR KENDALL, 9 Ellerken Gardens, Richmond, Surrey, Gentleman

WILLIAM STAFFORD, 46 Guilford Street, London W.C., Clerk

ARTHUR CUNNINGHAM, 4 St. James’ Gardens, Swansea, Secretary

THOMAS ANDREW HAMER, 6 Stapleton Hall Road, Crouch Hill, Clerk

CHRISTOPHER JAMES RICE, 13 Exeter Road, Croydon, Gentleman

ARTHUR EVELYN PENMAN, Chesham Road, Norbiton, Surrey, Secretary

Directors were:

HARVEY DU CROS, 14 Regent Street, Director

HONOURABLE DEREK KEPPEL, 75 Upper Berkeley Street, Military Officer

ADOLPHE CLÉMENT, 33 Quai Michelet, Levallois-Perret, France, Cycle Maker

However in the 1901 Census, an Adolphe Clement was living at 6 Weymouth Terrace, Willesden, Middlesex, Aged 34, with his wife, 35, and three children. This must be the son?

LOUIS ANCOC, 9 Rue du 4eme. Septembre, Paris, Jeweller

JEAN ANCOC, 14 Ovington Square, London S.W., Director

N.B. Louis Ancoc resigned at some stage but no date is known

The list of shareholders goes on for many pages, but the first are:

EARL OF ALBEMARLE, Quidenham, Attleborough, Peer 34 Ordinary Shares

LOUIS ANCOC, 85 Avenue Wagram, Paris, 2,000 Preference and 495 Ordinary Shares

JEAN ANCOC, 14 Ovington Square, London, 10,000 Preference and 2,478 Ordinary Shares

ANDRÉ ANCOC, 6 Rue de la Paix, Paris, 81 Ordinary Shares

ARTHUR THOMAS ASHWELL, St. Peter’s Gate, Nottingham. 1,428 Ordinary Shares

CHARLES ALDOUS, 73 Strand. London, 28 Ordinary Shares

MANLEY CORNELL ASHVIN, Union Street, ST. on Avon 5 Ordinary Shares

Mrs ANDREW ANDERSON, 117 Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh, 1 Ordinary Share

TOTAL CAPITAL ISSUED 98,616 PREFERENCE SHARES and 195,989 ORDINARY SHARES

HOWEVER, Capital authorised was £300,000 of 100,000 6% Preference Shares of £1 plus 200,000 Ordinary Shares of £1.

On 13 May 1902, Jean Ancoc retired, though Louis was still a Director

On 29 January 1903, the Directors were:

DU CROS [Harvey Du Cros Senior]

KEPPEL

CLÉMENT

FRANK GREGORY FENTON, 33 Quai Michelet, Levallois-Perret, co-opted and elected Managing Director…this was the Levallois-Perret factory address.

On 19 February 1903, SAMUEL GREER, Accountant, of Crofton House, Kew Road, London SW was allotted 82 Preference and 9 Ordinary Shares

On 26 October 1903, the Directors were the same, though query if CLÉMENT had resigned?

On 4 April 1905, the Directors were:

DU CROS

KEPPELL

FENTON

On 5 December 1905 the Directors were:

DU CROS

KEPPELL

FENTON

LUCIEN VINOT PREFONTAINE, Engineer, 35 Rue St. James, Neuilly-sur-Seine who was co-opted 26 November 1905

On 12 March 1906, the Directors were:

DU CROS

KEPPELL

FENTON

PREFONTAINE

ARTHUR McCORMACK, no address, “co-opted as a member”

CHARLES SANGSTER, Selly Oak, Birmingham, Works Manager

On 15 April 1907, the Directors were as before plus:

JEAN ANCOC again, 87 Avenue Wagram, Paris

FRANK CYRIL BAISLEY, Overhall Road, Dulwich, in place of McCORMACK

On 16 September 1915, Lucien Prefontaine died. The Directors were now:

HARVEY DU CROS

FENTON

SANGSTER

JEAN ANCOC

ARTHUR DU CROS

On 26 June 1916, ARTHUR DU CROS resigned as of 22 May 1916

Directors were then:

HARVEY DU CROS

FENTON

SANGSTER

JEAN ANCOC

On 30 November 1916 a Notice of Winding Up was served, and on 1 August 1917 the Company was finally wound-up.

Societé Française des Cycles Clément et Gladiator Limited, according to Motoring Illustrated of 17 August 1907 had a capital of 200,000 £1 shares and 100,000 6% cumulative preference shares.

Adolphe Clément lost the right to use the Clément name, and instead he started his own car operation based in Mézières, the vehicles being called CLÉMENT-BAYARDS after the Chevalier Bayard who had rescued the town in 1521. It was this new make that was imported by the British Automobile Commercial Syndicate Limited which then opened a factory in Ladbroke Grove, forming Clement-Talbot Limited with Weigel as its Secretary. The new French company was called SOCIÉTÉ ANONYME DES ETABLISSEMENTS CLÉMENT-BAYARD, at a new factory adjacent to the cycle parts factory at Mézières, though he also retained the Levallois-Perret factory as well which also produced cars and commercial vehicles. The former Gladiator Pré-Saint-Gervais factory continued separately for production of Gladiators and Cléments as CLEMENT & CO., evidently a subsidiary of Société Française des Cycles et Automobiles Clément et Gladiator Limited, which had been reorganised and recapitalised. However, in 1905 and 1906 brochures, there were allegedly two factories owned by CLÉMENT & CO: Grande-Rue, Pré-Saint-Gervais and Tulle (Corrèze), with Direction, Bureaux & Caisse in Paris at 38 Avenue de la Grande-Armée, with Concessionaires for Paris M. Prévost, 26 Avenue de la Grande-Armée and M. Dacier, 158 Rue Montmatre. They continued to manufacture “Clément” cycles, motor-cycles and cars, some of which were exported to the U.K. as detailed elsewhere. The Tulle factory has a very interesting history. The works were called “L’usine de la Marque”, and was a very old Mill built on the right hand bank of the River Corrèze in the Tulle region.The factory was used for the manufacture of “white arms”, as the “Sabre Factory” from at least 1856. From 1882, the sole proprietor was a Monsieur Sauvage d’Eyparsac, but he sold the premises to the CLÉMENT industrial company in 1893 for the manufacture of cycle components and then ultimately motor components for Clément-Bayard. However, it is known that the Moulin de la Marque was listed in the Clément & Co. brochure, and so there was clearly a connection between the Clément-Bayard and English companies.

However, Adolphe Clément had other interests: he was involved with aviation and dirigible airships, and he been involved with the construction of part of the Eiffel Tower: he made 450 tonnes of rivets and 750,000 boulons, CONSTRUCTION OF WHICH WAS IN LEVALLOIS, then floated down the Seine to the site.

French-built Levallois-Perret Clément cars [badged as “CLÉMENTS”], were first imported in 1901 by the aforesaid THE BRITISH AUTOMOBILE COMMERCIAL SYNDICATE LIMITED, Company Number 69503, PRO BT31-9358, Secretary D.M. Weigel, though this must have been a concessionaire only in view of the above companies.

This company was incorporated on 5 March 1901, with a registered office address at 25 Maxilla Gardens, North Kensington, London W. Mr B. Weigel, Diamond Merchant of this address was one of the subscribers.

The Directors were initially: THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY & EARL TALBOT,

DANIEL MICHAEL WEIGEL of 25 Maxilla Gardens, Gentleman,

and CAMILLE JOSEPH CHABERT, 6 Rue de Longchamp, Paris.

However, by Agreement dated 25 March 1901, the Earl of Shrewsbury agreed with the company whereby the Earl who carried on business at 159 Avenue Malakoft, Paris under the style of La Maison Talbot, manufacturing rubber tyres, could sell exclusively to the company. However, there was also a French associate, presumably of which M. Chabert was a Director, called LA SOCIETÉ COMMERCIALE D’AUTOMOBILES, of 77 bis, Avenue de la Grande Armée, Paris, dealers in motor cars, who were allotted 10,000 Shares in March 1901. The French concern seems to have been the French counterpart of the B.A.C.S.

The conflict between the B.A.C.S. and the Clément & Gladiator concerns resulted in Adolphe Clément resigning from the latter company, and the problems were resolved by Weigel, as Director of the B.AC.S. stipulating that the “Clément” name was to subsist in the Clément and Gladiator concern, that a new factory in Barlby Road, London was to use the “Talbot” name attached to the “Clément” one, and that for the avoidance of difficulties, Adolphe Clément would use the name “Bayard” after the Chevalier Bayard, whose statue was situated in his Mezieres factory.

In addition, it seems that the chain-driven Gladiators were also imported in addition to the shaft-driven cars by Selwyn Edge’s S.F. EDGE LIMITED. The B.A.C.S.as concessionaires were originally located in premises at 97 and 98 Long Acre, London W.C. in 1901, and then The Autocar 22 February 1902 announced that they were expanding to take over the adjoining premises at 1 Endell Street. The new premises comprised five floors, each floor of 5,000 square ft.: argued to be the biggest motor-car dealers in the world at that time. The Syndicate had ordered 70 Panhards and 170 De-Dion Boutons for 1902, the British rights to which were held by Lawson as mentioned repeatedly elsewhere. On the ground floor was the garage and showroom, on the first floor the offices, the second accessories sales and of Talbot tyres. In addition, MM. J. Rothschild et Fils, Paris coachmakers and the firm of M. Clément Rothschild, who were wholesale manufacturers of bodies only for the trade were also establishing themselves in the same building at 1 Endell Street, merged together under a new company, MM. J. Rothschild et Fils Limited. The Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot was chairman of the B.A.C.S. Limited and also J. Rothschild et Fils Limited. It was mentioned that a customer could buy everything from a complete car to the smallest accessory in the building.

In 1902, Lord Shrewsbury placed the tyres on the market manufactured by his Maison Talbot, which fitted standard Michelin rims. These tyres had been tried by Lord Shrewsbury and his son Lord Ingestre on a 12 h.p. Panhard for 10 months and on a De Dion, the two cars having been driven nearly 15,000 miles!

The Clément-Talbot crest logo [the “Talbot” name came form the backing of The Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot] was registered as a trademark on 10 December 1902: The Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot’s crest included a LION and this was used in the Company badge, often mistaken for a dog. This was subsequently changed by 15 July 1908 to Talbot-London, until 1937 when Sunbeam-Talbot badges were fitted instead. The reason for the changes was because from 1903 to 1946, French Clément-Talbot then from the end of 1904, all-British Talbot cars were built at Edinburgh Road, then renamed Barlby Road, Ladbroke Grove, London W.10. The first Factory Manager at Barlby Road was the one and only CHARLES RILEY GARRARD!. French parts were used in 1903, and then British in 1904. In October 1903, a new dedicated company was formed, CLEMENT-TALBOT LIMITED, Company Number 75092, which later, 1937 changed its name to Sunbeam Talbot Limited. After the British company was incorporated, cars were badged as “CLEMENT-TALBOTS”, with French-built cars from the Clément-Bayard factory at Mézières being imported as kits of parts for assembly until the first wholly-English car was produced at Barlby Road in August 1905. The factory had its own foundry, and the engines were actually produced on site and not bought-in. The British and French Clement-Talbot and Clement-Bayard cars looked similar on the outside, but in fact differed in engine capacities, wheelbases, etc. so that they WERE different, to differentiate the two marques. It has been suggested that Clément was a Director of Clement-Talbot Limited, certainly the Earl of Shrewsbury and Earl Talbot was.

In The Motor News of 19 March 1904, there was published an Advertisement inserted by E.H. Lancaster [EDWARD HENRY LANCASTER], Leicester Street, Leicester Square, London W.C. (Agent for Panhard et Levassor under licence of H. du Cros). “To prevent misunderstanding, 1904 Clement Cars will not be supplied to any Agent or Firm in the United Kingdom other than those authorised by E.H. Lancaster”. There were then listed four authorised Agents, two in Ireland, one in Brighton, and Dundas & Seton, 119 Pall Mall, W. Note that French-built Cléments were imported under completely separate arrangements from the British Clement-Talbot concern. These French-built cars were the Cléments built in the Gladiator factory in Pré-Saint-Gervais as Clément-Gladiators for French consumption and Cléments and Gladiators for British, imported by Clément Cars Limited and S.F. Edge Limited and then Gladiator Motor Company. The Automotor Journal of 28 May 1904 described in detail the 1904 CLEMENT cars sold by the British Agent E.H. Lancaster of 3 Leicester Street, Leicester Square, London W.C. These included the special 4-cylinder 10 h.p. chassis for Landaulettes or broughams, 2-cylinder 9-11 h.p., 4-cylinder 16-20 h.p. [all with Aster engines] and a 2-26 h.p. with side chains to the rear drive with a Vinot et Deguingand engine as described below under VINOT. The Autocar 28 May 1904 and subsequent issue described in detail the 1904 Clement petrol cars, manufactured by Clement and Co. “of Paris”. It was mentioned that there were three standard Clément models [at that time], a special 4-cylinder 10 h.p. chassis for Landaulette or brougham bodies, 2-cylinder 9-11 h.p. cars, a 4-cylinder of 16-20 h.p., and a 4-cylinder 20-26 h.p. engine. All chassis used live axles and ASTER engines, save for the 20-26 h.p. which used a VINOT ET DEGUINGAND engine and side chain drive.

There was then a duallity of “Clément” cars in the U.K., despite the best efforts of Weigel: apart from the Barlby Road “Clement-Talbots”, the French-built “Clément” cars built by the Clément et Gladiator concern in Pré-Saint Gervais were being imported as well. E.H. Lancaster was clearly connected with the Du Cros family, as mentioned above, being agents for Panhard-Levassor of which Harvey Du Cros Senior was the concessionaire.

In 1903, Adolphe Clément, started production of vehicles in the Levallois-Perret factory, using components as well it is believed from the Mézières cycle components factory. Levallois then followed by building Clément-Bayard commercial vehicles [e.g. 2 TONNE TRUCKS] as well as the cars which by 1905/6 were still on the face of it much the same models as the equivalent British-built Talbots, though with several differences to differentiate the cars. The cars and commercial vehicles were called Bayard-Clément and even Bayard cars as well as Clément-Bayards. These were fully imported from France by the BRITISH AUTOMOBILE COMMERCIAL SYNDICATE LIMITED though for the U.K. they called them “Talbots”: at the January 1905 London Show, they exhibited the 7-8 and 12-16 h.p. small cars, with a 2-cylinder water-cooled engine of 80 x 100 m.m. which compares with the information below on the Clement-Talbot cars. The B.A.C.S. were Agents for Spyker, Talbot and Zedel cars, Zedel being manufactured by LA FABRIQUE DE MOTEURS ZEDEL of Pontarlier, Doubs, France. In due course, the Council of State approved the change of name from Gustave Adolphe Clément to Clément-Bayard.

In 1904, Adolphe Clément, not content with his multifarious activiites in France and England, built a new automotive factory in Torino [Turin], Italy called the “DIATTO” marque, with the intention of developing the Italian market.

NOTE THAT BY 1905 THE CLÉMENT-BAYARD FACTORIES WERE PRODUCING COMPONENTS FOR CLÉMENT AND GLADIATOR CARS, AS WELL AS FOR THEIR OWN CARS AND COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, AND THE MÉZIÈRES FACTORY HAD ALSO PRODUCED COMPONENTS FOR PANHARD-LEVASSOR WHICH MAY HAVE CONTINUED. THERE WERE NO DOUBT OTHER COMPANIES THAT WERE SUPPLIED.

The Autocar 9 September 1905 listed the cars and competitors in the 1905 Tourist Trophy Race. F,R. Simms raced a Simms-Welbeck, Frederick Bennett a Cadillac, Harvey Du Cros Junior and E. de Wilton two 4-cylinder Swifts, Edward H. Lancaster a Clément 4-cylinder, ALFRED McCORMACK a 4-cylinder Gladiator, and A. Rawlinson on two 2-cylinder Darracqs, and Selwyn and Cecil Edge on 2 4-cylinder Napiers. The Clément and Gladiator had identically sized engines, of 90 x 130 m.m. This shows that McCormack was involved with the Gladiator importers, The Gladiator Company: see below.

After a period of Lancaster trading by himself, though probably in practice with the Du Cros family, a new company was incorporated on 15 November 1905, CLÉMENT MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED Company Number 86481, PRO BT31-17599, to be the concessionaire for the Clément cars which were being imported. The first registered office was at 3 Leicester Street, Leicester Square, London as before. The Directors were:

HARVEY DU CROS SENIOR, 14 Regent Street

HARVEY DU CROS JUNIOR, 127 Long Acre*

EDWARD HENRY LANCASTER, 3 Leicester Street, Motor Engineer

The notepaper carried a description that they were “EXCLUSIVE CONCESSIONAIRES FOR G.B. AND IRELAND OF SOCIÉTÉ FRANÇAISE DES CYCLES ET AUTOMOBILES CLÉMENT”.

* The Rates Records suggest that in 1906, 127-130 was Morgan House, Flats 1 & 2 with the Oriel Motor Company Limited underneath. DU CROS MERCEDES LIMITED was formed 1904, Company Number 82098, BT31-10823, by 1907 at 132/133 Long Acre, then 1908 at 134/135 Long Acre which was additional workshops in addition to the Ground Floor Showroom and Wokshop in the basement at 132/133. In other words, 132-135 were used as one unit by 1908. This was immediately before Bedford Motors Limited were to take on the lease in 1909 [see “BUICK” above].

Then, it appears that the Du Cros family enabled the Swift Cycle Company Limited to became financial investors, as on 28 February 1906, Lancaster resigned [later to become a Director of Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company (England) Limited in 1923], to be replaced by:

ALFRED McCORMACK, of 8 Long Acre, W.C., Motor Engineer [this was the Swift London office, later to be a Rootes Distributors Limited Agency office]

McCormack is referred to above, as an Engineer with Swift, but he resigned November 1906.

By 30 April 1907, the Directors were joined by George Du Cros, of 14 Regent Street, but he resigned October 1907, [to become a Director of the Panhard concessionaires, W. AND G. DU CROS LIMITED, at 14 Regent Street : Company Number 98829 BT31/35798 of 1908].

Also, Sir Courtald Thompson, who resigned July 1913, and

William Radford, also of Swifts, of Cheylesmere, Coventry, who again resigned July 1913.

Finally, Alexander John Hall MOSSES, of 3 Leicester Street, Motor Engineer in place of Radford in 1913.

In The Autocar, 14 March 1914, The Clement Motor Company Limited were still at 3 Leicester Street, Leicester Square, London W.C., with Repair Works at Mercer Street, Long Acre, London W.C.

The Company was wound up voluntarily 9 December 1914 with a final winding-up meeting 11 June 1917.

At the 1905 London Show, for 1906, the Clement-Talbot exhibits included a 20-24 h.p. engine with 100 x 120 m.m. bore and stroke [French type 40 engine], 12-16 h.p. Clément-Talbot [note spelling], the 1905-6 Type 4VB, 8-10 h.p. 2-cylinder Type 2VB. However, the 12-16 h.p. was available with alternative magneto high-tension or accumulator-fed ignition, switchable over by actuation of a draw-bar passing through the dashboard.This compares with the French equivalents. In the 1906 Paris Salon, Bayard-Clément Stand featured 24-30 h.p. 4-cylinder and 8-10 h.p. “Bayard” cars. These were apparently the Type 4X produced 1905-7 and 2VB S.W.B. or 2VT L.W.B. version, respectively. The 2VB was availalable in 1905-6 and the 2VT in 1906 only. In the 1905 Clément catalogue, the line-up was a 24CV 4-cylinder shaft-and-chain driven chassis, 11 CV 4-cylinder shaft-driven chassis, a 15 CV 4-cylinder shaft-driven chassis, and a 10 CV 2-cylinder chassis. Apart from the coil-and-accumulator 2-cylinder car, the others were dual coil & accumulator and magneto ignition. For 1906, the line-up was 10 CV 2-cylinder, 12 CV 2-cylinder, 14 CV 4-cylinder, 18 CV 4-cylinder, 24 CV 4-cylinder and 30 CV 4-cylinder cars.

The first all-British Clement-Talbot was the 1906 20 h.p., which was in fact designed by CHARLES RILEY GARRARD, and the engine design proved to be very efficient. However, although previous engines were bought-in, the 1906 Talbot used an engine actually produced at Barlby Road.

The BRITISH AUTOMOBILE COMMERCIAL SYNDICATE LIMITED continued to import “Talbot”-badged Clément-Bayard cars until 1908. The BACS was finally wound-up on 21 February 1910. There was then apparently a break in importation until the concession was taken up again by a new company, BAYARD CARS LIMITED which was registered in 1912, under Company Number 123355, [later changing its name to HARRINGTON (COACHBUILDERS) LIMITED, and being dissolved 31 December 1981]. In 1913 BAYARD CARS LIMITED were in High Street, Marylebone, London W., and then they by March 1914 they had moved to 155-157 Great Portland Street, London W. This was right next door to Willys-Overlands’ premises.

On the British side of the Channel, in 1908, all-British Clements were sold which were in fact built in the Swift factory in Coventry by the SWIFT MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED, which were virtually identical to Swifts but with longer wheelbases: Motoring Illustrated 17 August 1907 and The Automotor Journal 2 November 1907. The Swift Motor Company “layed down” extensive works at their Coventry factory to produce all-British cars, but it was decided not to put the cars on the market immediately but to wait for the November 1908 Olympia Show, for 1909. The original intention was to market the 10-12 h.p. Clément as a “Swift”, with the other cars being called “Cléments”, though there were also French-built cars imported in addition, until 1913. Motoring Illustrated stated that Mosses was the Manager of the London agency, but was to continue under the new regime: the London agency was renamed the “Clement All-British Motor Company”. For 1913, the French-built cars were dropped, and the all-British cars being the 12 h.p., 16-20 h.p., and 25-30 h.p. The last cars in 1914 were the 16-20 h.p. which did not correspond to any Swifts, though The Autocar March 14 1914 carried an advertisement for The Clement Motor Company Limited for the 12-14 h.p. Coupe, 2-seater or standard Torpedo with immediate delivery. However, this may not have been the Swift company’s Cheylesmore Works, but in fact the Quinton Works which up to 1900 had been used by Beestons. From around 1905, it appears that the Swift Cycle Company Limited occupied part of the premises as a branch factory. Then, in 1907 to 1919 or 1920, Swift Motor Company Limited were in occupation.

At probably the same time as The Clement Motor Company Limited was formed, a new firm was founded: THE GLADIATOR COMPANY of Long Acre, London W.C., and at the 1905 London Motor Show they exhibited a 14-18 h.p. car, with live axle and proellor shaft for the first time, as well as an 18-28 h.p. with chain-driven magneto and high-tension distributor. The quadrant and gear change were described as being exactly the same as that year’s Clements! At 134/135 Long Acre in 1908, the Rates Records show that GLADIATOR MOTOR COMPANY [a firm] were in occupation along with DU CROS-MÉRCÈDES LIMITED. It appears that this firm was the concessionaire for Gladiator cars produced by the Clément-Gladiator company. The Du Cros family were evidently involved with both marques. For 1908, it was announced that Austin were to manufacture certain Gladiator models. Herbert Austin had worked for Wolseley, and was connected with Charles Jarrott: in 1904 he asked Jarrott to race a new 96 h.p. Wolseley in the Isle of Man. The Austin Motor Company was founded in Longbridge, Birmingham on 14 December 1905, with the first car produced in April 1906. The Du Cros family had interests in Austin, Swift, Mércèdes and Cléments as well as Dunlop tyres and Napiers?

In 1909, Gladiator was sold to Vinot et Deguingand, and therefore the 1908 and 1909 Gladiators were apparently the only English ones, looking like Austins!

Thus, in 1909, a single-cylinder 7 h.p. Austin which was also available as a Swift, designed by Harold Radford, also of Swift, who designed the 1912 10 h.p. four which was produced until 1922. Thus, it was logical to produce Gladiators by Austin at Longbridge as Cléments were at Swift of Coventry, and the Gladiator Motor Company was the Du Cros family sales Concessionaire. Vinot et Deguingand took over Gladiator as just mentioned.

Adolphe Clément retired from his own company in 1914, and in 1921 he sold the Levallois-Perret factory to André Citröen for car manufacture. The Mézières factory was sold to Darracq? [see below]. The Tulle “Moulin de la Marque” was retained by the Clément concern and was increased in size gradually as more land was acquired to increase the number of buildings on the site. In 1914 the factories were very quickly converted to the manufacture of armaments as might be expected. A Parisian industrialist, Victor Continsouza from the “Etablissement Clément” was tasked with quickly installing new machines, staffed by male and female personnel for the production of necessary shells and other materiel. Post-War, the factory was sold to a new concern, Société des Etablissements Continsouza for the manufacture of those items required by the post-war period: including film and amateur cameras, and bicycle parts once again until 1925.

[Guest Oracle]

Bit lazy so have not edited it but here;s some history!

CLÉMENT, GLADIATOR, CLEMENT-TALBOT

Gustave Adolphe Clément was born on 22 September 1855 at Pierrefonds, Oise. A passion for cycling resulted in him starting a small cycle business in 1876 aged 21, for the repair of cycles in Bordeaux. He then expanded into constructing cycles using English parts, in Lyon. After that, Clément moved to marge larger workshops in the 20th arrondisement in Paris, a small shop-workshop at 20 rue de Brunel, Paris with only 5 employees initially. He formed a cycling school at rue Brunel, but arguably he didn’t have the best of clients: it was probably a means of securing potential customers.

Adolphe Clément set up his small bicycle shop in 1878, and first exhibited his own cycyles at the 1878 Paris Exposition, and was soon a leading manufacturer. In 1880, the marque gaining rapid fame, nearly 140 workers were producing “Cycles A. Clément”, probably at much the same time as the running together of the buildings at numbers 18 and 20 rue Brunel. The fame brought the adoption of the marque by famous figures associated with cycling: Terront, De Civry and Laumaille, etc. By then, Clément had to guard against competitors. He aimed to sell in France his cycles at at least 100 gold Francs less than either British rivals, Rudge or Humber, which were being promoted by Harry Lawson!

He learned of the new Dunlop pneumatic tyre launched in 1889, and then left for London and found his man in Dublin: John Dunlop. After a trial ride of 60 miles or so, Clément was convinced that the revolutionary pneumatic tyre was perfect for his plans. He then agreed with the Dunlop company to acquire the French manufacturing rights in return for buying 50,000 Francs or £2,000 of British Dunlop shares [though the French say that the English took 2,000 Shares at £1 each in his French company so both may be right], which were later sold for 5 MILLION Francs! Clément said at the time that this was a large risk, but clearly he was right to have a go. In 1893, Adolphe Clément established a company to manufacture Dunlop bicycle tyres in a factory at Levallois-Perret, Seine.

In 1893, Clément was guided by his friends and associates, De Civry and his future son-in-law, Fernand Charron, a champion cyclist, to invest in the Gladiator cycle factory in St.-Pré-Saint Gervais, and consequently became not only an associate, but also a friend of Alphonse Darracq.

In 1894, Adolphe Clément converted his own cycle company into the LA SOCIÉTÉ ANONYME DES VÉLOCIPÈDES CLÉMENT founded with an enormous, for the time, capital of 4 million Francs. One of his most successful bicycle agents persuaded him to build yet another factory to make bicycle parts in Mézières near the Belgian frontier, in 1895 which had a long independent history subsequently. The factory supplied parts to Panhard & Levassor as well as to A. Clément et Cie. at the Levallois-Perret factory.

Between 1895 and 1896, the Gladiator factory produced some single-cylinder de Dion-Bouton engined tricycles, and then as a result of a project by the Engineer Michaux, two voiturettes with two-cylinder horizontal engines. Several prototypes then followed, amongst others using Aster engines [see below].

In October 1896, the team of Hooley, Rucker, Lawson and Du Cros, the then head of British Dunlop, visited Paris and offered a remarkable sum to acquire the rights to Clément, Darracq and the French branch of the Humber company [this would be the occasion when the Directors of The Daimler Motor Company Limited visited Clément, Darracq, Peugeot, then Daimler’s works at Canstatt], the rights to the Clément bicycle name and some of its operations, but not the Mézières factory, along with Darracq’s Grande-Rue, Pré-Saint-Gervais Gladiator factory and the French Humber bicycle company in Paris. The French say that the approach was made by the English to reach an alliance with competitors, with Alphonse Darracq introducing the English to Adolphe Clément. In reality, the idea was to acquire the rights to the best patents and then license them out to others and make real money! However, there was also a deal struck to acquire Clément’s interest in the French Dunlop tyre manufacturing facility. It is believed that the French Humber concern was another offshoot of the Lawson “empire”, and hence all three companies were acquired simultaneously.

These French companies were acquired, and vested in a new English company. On 8 October 1896, CLÉMENT GLADIATOR & HUMBER (FRANCE) LIMITED was incorporated, Company Number 49651, PRO Reference BT31-7049. This company was capitalised at £900,000 or 22.5 million Francs. The company promoter was Hooley, who had in the spring of 1896 reorganised the Dunlop tyre company which moved to Aston Cross, Birmingham: DUNLOP PNEUMATIC TYRES LIMITED with a capital of 1,000,000 £1 8% Cumulative Ordinary Shares, 1,000,000 5% Cumulative £1 Preference Shares, 2,000,000 £1 Deferred Shares, 10,000 4% Mortgage Debentures by 1907. In August 1896, Hooley and Harvey Du Cros launched the DUNLOP PNEUMATIC TYRE COMPANY (FRANCE) LIMITED to take over the French branch of Dunlop, owned by AdolpheClément. The new company was capitalised at £650,000 with a contract to supply all the Clément, Gladiator and Humber (France) Ltd cars.

Adolphe Clément used the sale proceeds to establish his own separate factory at 33, quai Michelet, Levallois-Perret, formed 1897 or 1898 to manufacture bicycles, motor-bicycles, and small cars. This was the aforesaid A. CLÉMENT ET CIE. It made tricycle frames for De Dion-Bouton in 1899, as well as quadricycles: The Autocar 1 July 1899 re the Paris salon who reported that they exhibited a number of De Dion tricycles and quadricyles.

CLÉMENT GLADIATOR & HUMBER (FRANCE) LIMITED was incorporated 8 October 1896 to acquire La Société des Velocipèdes Clément; La Societé Français des Cycles Gladiator, and the French business of Humber & Company Limited [actually in Paris].

Subscribers were:

DAVID McCAIG, Nottingham, Solicitors’ Clerk

JAMES HIGGINBOTHAM, Stroud Green, N. Gentleman

ERNEST ALBERT CLEMENT, Peckham, S.E., Gentleman

WALTER REES, Ryland Road, N.W., Clerk

JAMES HERBERT, Clapton, N.E., Lithographer

HERBERT MOBBS, Edmonton, Stationer

ERNEST PIERCY, Clapham, S.W.

Herbert, Mobbs and Piercy were all Subscribers to The Cycle Components Manufacturing Company Limited in 1894! In 1901, Harvey Du Cros, S.F. Edge and C.T.B. Sangster were all Directors!

At first, ALPHONSE DARRACQ and ADOLPHE CLÉMENT joined the new C.G.&H. company Board along with Harvey Du Cros and Hooley’s cronies, but Darracq soon left and formed his own company, A. Darracq et Cie., located in Suresnes, probably after finding out the real reason for the acquisition of the companies.

Other Directors must have been ERNEST TERAH HOOLEY, HARVEY DU CROS, Lawson?, Martin Rucker? and Robert Doncaster.

All held one share.

Registered Office was at 4 Regent Street, London. [or was it 14?]

NOTE JAMES HERBERT WAS POSSIBLY A BROTHER/FATHER/ SON OF NICHOLAS HERBERT, A SUBSCRIBER TO THE SPHINX LIMITED, HIS ADDRESS WAS THAT OF THE SPHINX JOURNAL LIMITED, AND HE WAS A SUBSCRIBER TO THE CYCLE COMPONENTS MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED AND ALSO THE ABOVE COMPANY. IS THIS THERE A CONNECTION WITH THE SPHINX MANUFACTURING COMPANY?

HERBERT MOBBS WITH HIS BROTHER NOEL FORMED THE PYTCHLEY AUTOCAR COMPANY IN 1903, COMPANY NUMBER 84633, DISSOLVED 1972 AND RECORDS DESTROYED, AND SUBSEQUENTLY NOEL MOBBS BECAME A DIRECTOR OF THE SLOUGH TRADING ESTATE. THE FAMILY THEN CARRIED ON THE CONNECTION WITH THE SLOUGH ESTATES TO THE PRESENT DAY.

There was an Agreement 24 November 1896 between ERNEST TERAH HOOLEY, the Vendor, of Risley Hall, and ROBERT DONCASTER, for the company, to purchase respective agreements. This was possibly the point when the patent rights to the De Dion-Bouton engines, etc. were granted to the company. If that is so, then this could explain how Adolphe Clément acquired rights to the De Dion-Bouton engines, built by Société des Moteurs Sphinx.

There were over 500 shareholders.

In 1898, The Autocar commented that a French “electric tricycle” was being “hawked around the financiers of London”, but it turned out that this was in fact the first Clément, fitted with a De Dion-Bouton engine, but with electric ignition. In 1899, Clement’s agent had an address in Holborn Viaduct, which seems to fit in with this story.

On 16 February 1901, the company resolved by Special Resolution to be wound up and reorganised, named as SOCIETÉ FRANÇAISE DES CYCLES CLÉMENT ET GLADIATOR LIMITED, and the Company was finally wound-up 16 April 1903.

However, in 1900-1901, the Levallois-Perret works was under the management of Jules Simonet, [who had gone to the A & M school in Angers], when 400 men made 2 million Francs’ worth of merchandise each year.

A.C stayed with C.G.& H. for some time. However, the company was way overcapitalised, and the company had to be reorganised in April 1901 under a new name with £600,000 of the old capital written off. This was SOCIETÉ FRANÇAISE DES CYCLES CLÉMENT ET GLADIATOR LIMITED, Company Number 69498, PRO BT31-16605. Production was concentrated at the old Gladiator works at Pré-Saint-Gervais, a member of the Du Cros family empire, though they also traded at Levallois-Perret until Adolphe resigned in 1903: see below.

In the U.K. registered slightly earlier in 1895/6 was GLADIATORS LIMITED, Company Number 43278, PRO Reference BT31/6110 of circa 1895/6, and later GLADIATORS LIMITED, Company Number 55530, PRO BT31/7768 of January 1898 which have nothing to do with motorcars or cycles, but rather Goldmines!

In 1896, CG&H started manufacturing bicycles, motorcycles from 1896, and also motorcars under the Clément and Gladiator names. These early cars were called Clément cars as well as Clément-Gladiators and Gladiators.

It would appear therefore that the Levallois-Perret and Pré-Saint-Gervais factories were also engine factories for the Sphinx Motors as installed in motor-cycles, tricycles and light voiturettes and quadricycles. In 1899, to confirm this supposition, Clément produced tricycles and a quad, as had Sphinx: see above. The Levallois-Perret factory dates back to 1878, followed by in 1898 a new workshop built with the money from the sale of the Clément cycle business.

A. Clément et Cie., Levallois-Perret, France, exhibited at the June 1899 Paris Show, with a number of De Dion tricycles and quadricyles. The address was in fact 33, quai Michelet, Levallois-Perret and also at 57 boulevard de la Saussaie, Neuilly-sur-Seine, but not the former Darracq “Gladiator” factory at Pré-Saint-Gervais which was on the other side of Paris.

The Autocar 8 July 1899 reporting on the Paris Salon also referred to the Gladiator Company’s Stand. They stated that the company had previously been exclusively selling motor cycles and voiturettes, but had now gone for heavier cars and were exhibiting a 12 h.p. four-seater car. However, their first car may have been a 4hp single-cylinder little voiturette equipped with a “Sphinx” engine?. The engine was a 2-cylinder horizontal type with three chains to provide two forward speeds and one reverse. On the same stand were various Aster-powered tricycles of 2 ¼ h.p.. Aster was an engine concern founded by Maurice Cheronnet and Alfred Monnat in Saint Denis, Paris in 1898 which sold proprietory engines to a number of concerns: by 1901 called LES ATELIERS DE CONSTRUCTION MÉCANIQUES L’ASTER, BOULEVARD CARNOT, SAINT DENIS, SEINE. A 1923 Advertisement suggested that Aster were first imported into the U.K. in 1899. The first Aster limited company was formed in 1904: ASTER LIMITED, Company Number 82337, BT31/10853, and then Aster cars were later sold in the U.K. by ASTER ENGINEERING COMPANY LIMITED, Company Number 86199, BT31/11274 of 1905, and exhibited at the November 1905 London Show. The 1904 Clyde used a 7 h.p. Aster engine with chain-drive, fitted with a Longuemare carburettor. The 1904 Croxted from F.W. Garner & Co. used a 10 h.p. 2-cylinder Aster engine, as did 1904 Clements. This raises the query as to whether the Du Cros family had an interest in the Aster company as well as Vinot? Certainly, Adolphe Clément did, as well as Panhard-Levassor. This explains the use of Aster engines in Clément cars. Further companies were ASTER ENGINEERING COMPANY (1913) LIMITED, Company Number 131318, BT31/13164, and then ASTER (1932) LIMITED, Company Number 271273, BT31/33396.

In 1900 the development of the automobile decided Clément to build a velodrome, but this idea flopped, and instead built on the same site in 1902 a large automotive factory, the third. In 1903, the three distinctive worksops comprised of the 1878-built premises of 10,000 square meters and employing 500 workers, reserved exclusively for the fabrication of cycles and petrol motor-bicycles, of which about 20,000 units were sold each year. The second, 198 workshops covered 15,000 square meters and employed 600 workers, and used 600 horses for the exclusive construction of motor cars [Clément and then Clément-Bayard], with foreign contracts representing a quarter of production. The third workshops were logically reserved for the Carrosserie Rothschild coachwork concern. The Parisian Rothschild concern was invested in by Adolphe Clément, with the consequence that the new Carrosseries Clément-Rothschild were located in the third building, covering 4,000 square meters and employing 2,000 workers. Exports accounted for a seventh of total production.

The first Gladiators were imported into the U.K. by Selwyn Francis Edge’s S.F. EDGE LIMITED, which changed its name to the MOTOR POWER COMPANY LIMITED, Company Number 65098, BT31-8855, founded 1900, at the same time as Edge and Jarrott founded the De Dion-Bouton British & Colonial Syndicate Limited, the first De Dion-Bouton importers, and the MPC was superseded by another MOTOR POWER COMPANY LIMITED Company Number 75446, BT31-10080 of October 1902. From 1899, Gladiators were powered by 2 ½ and 3 ½ h.p. Aster engines, followed in 1901 by a 6 ½ h.p. Aster-engined car. Edge apparently continued to support the Gladiator marque until he dropped it and Regent to concentrate on Napiers. However, The Autocar 17 October 1903 carried a front-page Advertisement for the £300 Gladiator being sold by S.F. Edge Limited, 14 New Burlington Street, London W., the address also of Electromobile Company Limited. There was then a third company, S.F. EDGE (1907) LIMITED, Company Number 94280, BT31/18163 of 1907 which later changed its name to S.F. EDGE LIMITED. This was some time after the Gladiator concession was dropped by Selwyn Edge, and taken up by a new firm, or partnership, Gladiator Motor Company owned by the Du Cros family: see below. It seems that the Pré-Saint-Gervais-built Gladiator cars and vans were imported until 1907 and then were they imported instead by the Vinot importers?

By 1900, two distinct cars bore the Clément name: a light rear-engined voiturrette powered by a 2¼ h.p. [2.5 CH] De Dion engine geared to the rear axle, and the other a Clément-Panhard with a rear 3½ h.p. rear-mounted single-cylinder inclined engine with hot tube ignition, designed by Commandant Krebs of Panhard-Levassor. Clément was also the Directeur-General/Chairman of Panhard. The Clément-Panhard had been designed for Panhard but never used by them, so was taken up by the associated company. This design was also made under licence by Stirlings of Edinburgh, which was probably J. & C. Stirling, The Hamilton Carriage Works, Hamilton, North Berwick which had built Daimler-engined cars before Daimler in Coventry had. The Scots cars were called Stirling-Panhards or Clément-Stirlings. The earliest English Stirling company recorded is STIRLING MOTORS (LONDON) LIMITED, of 1908, Company Number 96840, BT31/12287. Clément undertook a number of trips to the U.S., and it was suggested in The Autocar in June 1923 that the Clément-Panhard was copied, and built by Duryea in the U.S.

In 1900, Harvey Du Cros had to reorganize the French Dunlop concern, and he wrote-off over 5/6ths of the capital, creating a new company, SOCIÉTÉ FRANÇAISE DES PNEUMATIQUES DUNLOP LIMITED, Company Number 67554, PRO BT31-9122. Albert Clément sat on the board. Capital was now £100,000 consisting of £50,000 each of £1 Ordinary and £1 6% Preference Shares. Dunlop then acquired the Clipper Tyre Company, relaunching the company.

By the end of 1901, Clément started building cars front-engined light cars designed by Marius Barbarou with either 7 h.p. single-cylinder or 12 h.p. twin-cylinder engines. It was these early Clément cars from Levallois-Perret that were exported to England to be sold by the British Automobile Commercial Syndicate Limited. In 1902, the Clément company entered seven 20hp 4-cylinder cars in the Paris-Vienna race, one of which was driven by D.M. Weigel, Secretary of the British Automobile Commercial Syndicate. In 1901, Gladiators were available with a 12 h.p. vertical twin automatic inlet valve Aster engine. In 1902, the range ran from a 3 ½ h.p. quadricycle to two 4-cylinder engines, 2.1 litre and 2.7 litres. The engine supposedly being made by Gladiator, though this must have been the Neuilly-S-S factory which produced the “Sphinx” motors, or was it in fact Asters?

In 1903, Clément expanded his operations at Levallois-Perret, presumably with orders from England. To avoid a conflict of interest, he resigned from the Panhard-Levassor Board in January 1903. In October 1903, Clément resigned from the Societé Française des Cycles Clément et Gladiator Limited board, though the company continued to use the Clément name, building Clément and Gladiator cars at Pré-Saint-Gervais. The main difference between the cars was the former had shaft-drive, the latter chain-drive. However, the French say that the split came as a result of the British Automobile Commercial Syndicate Limited wanting exclusive rights to the sale of “Clément” cars.

SOCIÉTÉ FRANÇAISE DES CYCLES CLÉMENT ET GLADIATOR LIMITED, Company Number 69498, BT31/16605 was incorporated on 4 March 1901, with a registered office at 14 Regent Street, London S.W. The company was dissolved 1 August 1917.

The Company was formed to acquire and take over CLÉMENT GLADIATOR & HUMBER (FRANCE) LIMITED and to carry on the business of manufacturers and dealers of pneumatic and other tyres, and wheels of cycles, bicycles, velocipedes and carriages… To carry on the business of manufacturers etc. of tricycles, perambulators, bath chairs, motor or horseless carriages…To carry on the business of India Rubber manufacturers. On 5 May 1901, an Agreement was signed to acquire the previous company which was then liquidated.

The subscribers were:

MICHAEL EGAN, 57 Priory Road, Kew, London S.W. Gentleman

ARTHUR KENDALL, 9 Ellerken Gardens, Richmond, Surrey, Gentleman

WILLIAM STAFFORD, 46 Guilford Street, London W.C., Clerk

ARTHUR CUNNINGHAM, 4 St. James’ Gardens, Swansea, Secretary

THOMAS ANDREW HAMER, 6 Stapleton Hall Road, Crouch Hill, Clerk

CHRISTOPHER JAMES RICE, 13 Exeter Road, Croydon, Gentleman

ARTHUR EVELYN PENMAN, Chesham Road, Norbiton, Surrey, Secretary

Directors were:

HARVEY DU CROS, 14 Regent Street, Director

HONOURABLE DEREK KEPPEL, 75 Upper Berkeley Street, Military Officer

ADOLPHE CLÉMENT, 33 Quai Michelet, Levallois-Perret, France, Cycle Maker

However in the 1901 Census, an Adolphe Clement was living at 6 Weymouth Terrace, Willesden, Middlesex, Aged 34, with his wife, 35, and three children. This must be the son?

LOUIS ANCOC, 9 Rue du 4eme. Septembre, Paris, Jeweller

JEAN ANCOC, 14 Ovington Square, London S.W., Director

N.B. Louis Ancoc resigned at some stage but no date is known

The list of shareholders goes on for many pages, but the first are:

EARL OF ALBEMARLE, Quidenham, Attleborough, Peer 34 Ordinary Shares

LOUIS ANCOC, 85 Avenue Wagram, Paris, 2,000 Preference and 495 Ordinary Shares

JEAN ANCOC, 14 Ovington Square, London, 10,000 Preference and 2,478 Ordinary Shares

ANDRÉ ANCOC, 6 Rue de la Paix, Paris, 81 Ordinary Shares

ARTHUR THOMAS ASHWELL, St. Peter’s Gate, Nottingham. 1,428 Ordinary Shares

CHARLES ALDOUS, 73 Strand. London, 28 Ordinary Shares

MANLEY CORNELL ASHVIN, Union Street, ST. on Avon 5 Ordinary Shares

Mrs ANDREW ANDERSON, 117 Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh, 1 Ordinary Share

TOTAL CAPITAL ISSUED 98,616 PREFERENCE SHARES and 195,989 ORDINARY SHARES

HOWEVER, Capital authorised was £300,000 of 100,000 6% Preference Shares of £1 plus 200,000 Ordinary Shares of £1.

On 13 May 1902, Jean Ancoc retired, though Louis was still a Director

On 29 January 1903, the Directors were:

DU CROS [Harvey Du Cros Senior]

KEPPEL

CLÉMENT

FRANK GREGORY FENTON, 33 Quai Michelet, Levallois-Perret, co-opted and elected Managing Director…this was the Levallois-Perret factory address.

On 19 February 1903, SAMUEL GREER, Accountant, of Crofton House, Kew Road, London SW was allotted 82 Preference and 9 Ordinary Shares

On 26 October 1903, the Directors were the same, though query if CLÉMENT had resigned?

On 4 April 1905, the Directors were:

DU CROS

KEPPELL

FENTON

On 5 December 1905 the Directors were:

DU CROS

KEPPELL

FENTON

LUCIEN VINOT PREFONTAINE, Engineer, 35 Rue St. James, Neuilly-sur-Seine who was co-opted 26 November 1905

On 12 March 1906, the Directors were:

DU CROS

KEPPELL

FENTON

PREFONTAINE

ARTHUR McCORMACK, no address, “co-opted as a member”

CHARLES SANGSTER, Selly Oak, Birmingham, Works Manager

On 15 April 1907, the Directors were as before plus:

JEAN ANCOC again, 87 Avenue Wagram, Paris

FRANK CYRIL BAISLEY, Overhall Road, Dulwich, in place of McCORMACK

On 16 September 1915, Lucien Prefontaine died. The Directors were now:

HARVEY DU CROS

FENTON

SANGSTER

JEAN ANCOC

ARTHUR DU CROS

On 26 June 1916, ARTHUR DU CROS resigned as of 22 May 1916

Directors were then:

HARVEY DU CROS

FENTON

SANGSTER

JEAN ANCOC

On 30 November 1916 a Notice of Winding Up was served, and on 1 August 1917 the Company was finally wound-up.

Societé Française des Cycles Clément et Gladiator Limited, according to Motoring Illustrated of 17 August 1907 had a capital of 200,000 £1 shares and 100,000 6% cumulative preference shares.

Adolphe Clément lost the right to use the Clément name, and instead he started his own car operation based in Mézières, the vehicles being called CLÉMENT-BAYARDS after the Chevalier Bayard who had rescued the town in 1521. It was this new make that was imported by the British Automobile Commercial Syndicate Limited which then opened a factory in Ladbroke Grove, forming Clement-Talbot Limited with Weigel as its Secretary. The new French company was called SOCIÉTÉ ANONYME DES ETABLISSEMENTS CLÉMENT-BAYARD, at a new factory adjacent to the cycle parts factory at Mézières, though he also retained the Levallois-Perret factory as well which also produced cars and commercial vehicles. The former Gladiator Pré-Saint-Gervais factory continued separately for production of Gladiators and Cléments as CLEMENT & CO., evidently a subsidiary of Société Française des Cycles et Automobiles Clément et Gladiator Limited, which had been reorganised and recapitalised. However, in 1905 and 1906 brochures, there were allegedly two factories owned by CLÉMENT & CO: Grande-Rue, Pré-Saint-Gervais and Tulle (Corrèze), with Direction, Bureaux & Caisse in Paris at 38 Avenue de la Grande-Armée, with Concessionaires for Paris M. Prévost, 26 Avenue de la Grande-Armée and M. Dacier, 158 Rue Montmatre. They continued to manufacture “Clément” cycles, motor-cycles and cars, some of which were exported to the U.K. as detailed elsewhere. The Tulle factory has a very interesting history. The works were called “L’usine de la Marque”, and was a very old Mill built on the right hand bank of the River Corrèze in the Tulle region.The factory was used for the manufacture of “white arms”, as the “Sabre Factory” from at least 1856. From 1882, the sole proprietor was a Monsieur Sauvage d’Eyparsac, but he sold the premises to the CLÉMENT industrial company in 1893 for the manufacture of cycle components and then ultimately motor components for Clément-Bayard. However, it is known that the Moulin de la Marque was listed in the Clément & Co. brochure, and so there was clearly a connection between the Clément-Bayard and English companies.

However, Adolphe Clément had other interests: he was involved with aviation and dirigible airships, and he been involved with the construction of part of the Eiffel Tower: he made 450 tonnes of rivets and 750,000 boulons, CONSTRUCTION OF WHICH WAS IN LEVALLOIS, then floated down the Seine to the site.

French-built Levallois-Perret Clément cars [badged as “CLÉMENTS”], were first imported in 1901 by the aforesaid THE BRITISH AUTOMOBILE COMMERCIAL SYNDICATE LIMITED, Company Number 69503, PRO BT31-9358, Secretary D.M. Weigel, though this must have been a concessionaire only in view of the above companies.

This company was incorporated on 5 March 1901, with a registered office address at 25 Maxilla Gardens, North Kensington, London W. Mr B. Weigel, Diamond Merchant of this address was one of the subscribers.

The Directors were initially: THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY & EARL TALBOT,

DANIEL MICHAEL WEIGEL of 25 Maxilla Gardens, Gentleman,

and CAMILLE JOSEPH CHABERT, 6 Rue de Longchamp, Paris.

However, by Agreement dated 25 March 1901, the Earl of Shrewsbury agreed with the company whereby the Earl who carried on business at 159 Avenue Malakoft, Paris under the style of La Maison Talbot, manufacturing rubber tyres, could sell exclusively to the company. However, there was also a French associate, presumably of which M. Chabert was a Director, called LA SOCIETÉ COMMERCIALE D’AUTOMOBILES, of 77 bis, Avenue de la Grande Armée, Paris, dealers in motor cars, who were allotted 10,000 Shares in March 1901. The French concern seems to have been the French counterpart of the B.A.C.S.

The conflict between the B.A.C.S. and the Clément & Gladiator concerns resulted in Adolphe Clément resigning from the latter company, and the problems were resolved by Weigel, as Director of the B.AC.S. stipulating that the “Clément” name was to subsist in the Clément and Gladiator concern, that a new factory in Barlby Road, London was to use the “Talbot” name attached to the “Clément” one, and that for the avoidance of difficulties, Adolphe Clément would use the name “Bayard” after the Chevalier Bayard, whose statue was situated in his Mezieres factory.

In addition, it seems that the chain-driven Gladiators were also imported in addition to the shaft-driven cars by Selwyn Edge’s S.F. EDGE LIMITED. The B.A.C.S.as concessionaires were originally located in premises at 97 and 98 Long Acre, London W.C. in 1901, and then The Autocar 22 February 1902 announced that they were expanding to take over the adjoining premises at 1 Endell Street. The new premises comprised five floors, each floor of 5,000 square ft.: argued to be the biggest motor-car dealers in the world at that time. The Syndicate had ordered 70 Panhards and 170 De-Dion Boutons for 1902, the British rights to which were held by Lawson as mentioned repeatedly elsewhere. On the ground floor was the garage and showroom, on the first floor the offices, the second accessories sales and of Talbot tyres. In addition, MM. J. Rothschild et Fils, Paris coachmakers and the firm of M. Clément Rothschild, who were wholesale manufacturers of bodies only for the trade were also establishing themselves in the same building at 1 Endell Street, merged together under a new company, MM. J. Rothschild et Fils Limited. The Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot was chairman of the B.A.C.S. Limited and also J. Rothschild et Fils Limited. It was mentioned that a customer could buy everything from a complete car to the smallest accessory in the building.

In 1902, Lord Shrewsbury placed the tyres on the market manufactured by his Maison Talbot, which fitted standard Michelin rims. These tyres had been tried by Lord Shrewsbury and his son Lord Ingestre on a 12 h.p. Panhard for 10 months and on a De Dion, the two cars having been driven nearly 15,000 miles!

The Clément-Talbot crest logo [the “Talbot” name came form the backing of The Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot] was registered as a trademark on 10 December 1902: The Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot’s crest included a LION and this was used in the Company badge, often mistaken for a dog. This was subsequently changed by 15 July 1908 to Talbot-London, until 1937 when Sunbeam-Talbot badges were fitted instead. The reason for the changes was because from 1903 to 1946, French Clément-Talbot then from the end of 1904, all-British Talbot cars were built at Edinburgh Road, then renamed Barlby Road, Ladbroke Grove, London W.10. The first Factory Manager at Barlby Road was the one and only CHARLES RILEY GARRARD!. French parts were used in 1903, and then British in 1904. In October 1903, a new dedicated company was formed, CLEMENT-TALBOT LIMITED, Company Number 75092, which later, 1937 changed its name to Sunbeam Talbot Limited. After the British company was incorporated, cars were badged as “CLEMENT-TALBOTS”, with French-built cars from the Clément-Bayard factory at Mézières being imported as kits of parts for assembly until the first wholly-English car was produced at Barlby Road in August 1905. The factory had its own foundry, and the engines were actually produced on site and not bought-in. The British and French Clement-Talbot and Clement-Bayard cars looked similar on the outside, but in fact differed in engine capacities, wheelbases, etc. so that they WERE different, to differentiate the two marques. It has been suggested that Clément was a Director of Clement-Talbot Limited, certainly the Earl of Shrewsbury and Earl Talbot was.

In The Motor News of 19 March 1904, there was published an Advertisement inserted by E.H. Lancaster [EDWARD HENRY LANCASTER], Leicester Street, Leicester Square, London W.C. (Agent for Panhard et Levassor under licence of H. du Cros). “To prevent misunderstanding, 1904 Clement Cars will not be supplied to any Agent or Firm in the United Kingdom other than those authorised by E.H. Lancaster”. There were then listed four authorised Agents, two in Ireland, one in Brighton, and Dundas & Seton, 119 Pall Mall, W. Note that French-built Cléments were imported under completely separate arrangements from the British Clement-Talbot concern. These French-built cars were the Cléments built in the Gladiator factory in Pré-Saint-Gervais as Clément-Gladiators for French consumption and Cléments and Gladiators for British, imported by Clément Cars Limited and S.F. Edge Limited and then Gladiator Motor Company. The Automotor Journal of 28 May 1904 described in detail the 1904 CLEMENT cars sold by the British Agent E.H. Lancaster of 3 Leicester Street, Leicester Square, London W.C. These included the special 4-cylinder 10 h.p. chassis for Landaulettes or broughams, 2-cylinder 9-11 h.p., 4-cylinder 16-20 h.p. [all with Aster engines] and a 2-26 h.p. with side chains to the rear drive with a Vinot et Deguingand engine as described below under VINOT. The Autocar 28 May 1904 and subsequent issue described in detail the 1904 Clement petrol cars, manufactured by Clement and Co. “of Paris”. It was mentioned that there were three standard Clément models [at that time], a special 4-cylinder 10 h.p. chassis for Landaulette or brougham bodies, 2-cylinder 9-11 h.p. cars, a 4-cylinder of 16-20 h.p., and a 4-cylinder 20-26 h.p. engine. All chassis used live axles and ASTER engines, save for the 20-26 h.p. which used a VINOT ET DEGUINGAND engine and side chain drive.

There was then a duallity of “Clément” cars in the U.K., despite the best efforts of Weigel: apart from the Barlby Road “Clement-Talbots”, the French-built “Clément” cars built by the Clément et Gladiator concern in Pré-Saint Gervais were being imported as well. E.H. Lancaster was clearly connected with the Du Cros family, as mentioned above, being agents for Panhard-Levassor of which Harvey Du Cros Senior was the concessionaire.

In 1903, Adolphe Clément, started production of vehicles in the Levallois-Perret factory, using components as well it is believed from the Mézières cycle components factory. Levallois then followed by building Clément-Bayard commercial vehicles [e.g. 2 TONNE TRUCKS] as well as the cars which by 1905/6 were still on the face of it much the same models as the equivalent British-built Talbots, though with several differences to differentiate the cars. The cars and commercial vehicles were called Bayard-Clément and even Bayard cars as well as Clément-Bayards. These were fully imported from France by the BRITISH AUTOMOBILE COMMERCIAL SYNDICATE LIMITED though for the U.K. they called them “Talbots”: at the January 1905 London Show, they exhibited the 7-8 and 12-16 h.p. small cars, with a 2-cylinder water-cooled engine of 80 x 100 m.m. which compares with the information below on the Clement-Talbot cars. The B.A.C.S. were Agents for Spyker, Talbot and Zedel cars, Zedel being manufactured by LA FABRIQUE DE MOTEURS ZEDEL of Pontarlier, Doubs, France. In due course, the Council of State approved the change of name from Gustave Adolphe Clément to Clément-Bayard.

In 1904, Adolphe Clément, not content with his multifarious activiites in France and England, built a new automotive factory in Torino [Turin], Italy called the “DIATTO” marque, with the intention of developing the Italian market.

NOTE THAT BY 1905 THE CLÉMENT-BAYARD FACTORIES WERE PRODUCING COMPONENTS FOR CLÉMENT AND GLADIATOR CARS, AS WELL AS FOR THEIR OWN CARS AND COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, AND THE MÉZIÈRES FACTORY HAD ALSO PRODUCED COMPONENTS FOR PANHARD-LEVASSOR WHICH MAY HAVE CONTINUED. THERE WERE NO DOUBT OTHER COMPANIES THAT WERE SUPPLIED.

The Autocar 9 September 1905 listed the cars and competitors in the 1905 Tourist Trophy Race. F,R. Simms raced a Simms-Welbeck, Frederick Bennett a Cadillac, Harvey Du Cros Junior and E. de Wilton two 4-cylinder Swifts, Edward H. Lancaster a Clément 4-cylinder, ALFRED McCORMACK a 4-cylinder Gladiator, and A. Rawlinson on two 2-cylinder Darracqs, and Selwyn and Cecil Edge on 2 4-cylinder Napiers. The Clément and Gladiator had identically sized engines, of 90 x 130 m.m. This shows that McCormack was involved with the Gladiator importers, The Gladiator Company: see below.

After a period of Lancaster trading by himself, though probably in practice with the Du Cros family, a new company was incorporated on 15 November 1905, CLÉMENT MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED Company Number 86481, PRO BT31-17599, to be the concessionaire for the Clément cars which were being imported. The first registered office was at 3 Leicester Street, Leicester Square, London as before. The Directors were:

HARVEY DU CROS SENIOR, 14 Regent Street

HARVEY DU CROS JUNIOR, 127 Long Acre*

EDWARD HENRY LANCASTER, 3 Leicester Street, Motor Engineer

The notepaper carried a description that they were “EXCLUSIVE CONCESSIONAIRES FOR G.B. AND IRELAND OF SOCIÉTÉ FRANÇAISE DES CYCLES ET AUTOMOBILES CLÉMENT”.

* The Rates Records suggest that in 1906, 127-130 was Morgan House, Flats 1 & 2 with the Oriel Motor Company Limited underneath. DU CROS MERCEDES LIMITED was formed 1904, Company Number 82098, BT31-10823, by 1907 at 132/133 Long Acre, then 1908 at 134/135 Long Acre which was additional workshops in addition to the Ground Floor Showroom and Wokshop in the basement at 132/133. In other words, 132-135 were used as one unit by 1908. This was immediately before Bedford Motors Limited were to take on the lease in 1909 [see “BUICK” above].

Then, it appears that the Du Cros family enabled the Swift Cycle Company Limited to became financial investors, as on 28 February 1906, Lancaster resigned [later to become a Director of Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company (England) Limited in 1923], to be replaced by:

ALFRED McCORMACK, of 8 Long Acre, W.C., Motor Engineer [this was the Swift London office, later to be a Rootes Distributors Limited Agency office]

McCormack is referred to above, as an Engineer with Swift, but he resigned November 1906.

By 30 April 1907, the Directors were joined by George Du Cros, of 14 Regent Street, but he resigned October 1907, [to become a Director of the Panhard concessionaires, W. AND G. DU CROS LIMITED, at 14 Regent Street : Company Number 98829 BT31/35798 of 1908].

Also, Sir Courtald Thompson, who resigned July 1913, and

William Radford, also of Swifts, of Cheylesmere, Coventry, who again resigned July 1913.

Finally, Alexander John Hall MOSSES, of 3 Leicester Street, Motor Engineer in place of Radford in 1913.

In The Autocar, 14 March 1914, The Clement Motor Company Limited were still at 3 Leicester Street, Leicester Square, London W.C., with Repair Works at Mercer Street, Long Acre, London W.C.

The Company was wound up voluntarily 9 December 1914 with a final winding-up meeting 11 June 1917.

At the 1905 London Show, for 1906, the Clement-Talbot exhibits included a 20-24 h.p. engine with 100 x 120 m.m. bore and stroke [French type 40 engine], 12-16 h.p. Clément-Talbot [note spelling], the 1905-6 Type 4VB, 8-10 h.p. 2-cylinder Type 2VB. However, the 12-16 h.p. was available with alternative magneto high-tension or accumulator-fed ignition, switchable over by actuation of a draw-bar passing through the dashboard.This compares with the French equivalents. In the 1906 Paris Salon, Bayard-Clément Stand featured 24-30 h.p. 4-cylinder and 8-10 h.p. “Bayard” cars. These were apparently the Type 4X produced 1905-7 and 2VB S.W.B. or 2VT L.W.B. version, respectively. The 2VB was availalable in 1905-6 and the 2VT in 1906 only. In the 1905 Clément catalogue, the line-up was a 24CV 4-cylinder shaft-and-chain driven chassis, 11 CV 4-cylinder shaft-driven chassis, a 15 CV 4-cylinder shaft-driven chassis, and a 10 CV 2-cylinder chassis. Apart from the coil-and-accumulator 2-cylinder car, the others were dual coil & accumulator and magneto ignition. For 1906, the line-up was 10 CV 2-cylinder, 12 CV 2-cylinder, 14 CV 4-cylinder, 18 CV 4-cylinder, 24 CV 4-cylinder and 30 CV 4-cylinder cars.

The first all-British Clement-Talbot was the 1906 20 h.p., which was in fact designed by CHARLES RILEY GARRARD, and the engine design proved to be very efficient. However, although previous engines were bought-in, the 1906 Talbot used an engine actually produced at Barlby Road.

The BRITISH AUTOMOBILE COMMERCIAL SYNDICATE LIMITED continued to import “Talbot”-badged Clément-Bayard cars until 1908. The BACS was finally wound-up on 21 February 1910. There was then apparently a break in importation until the concession was taken up again by a new company, BAYARD CARS LIMITED which was registered in 1912, under Company Number 123355, [later changing its name to HARRINGTON (COACHBUILDERS) LIMITED, and being dissolved 31 December 1981]. In 1913 BAYARD CARS LIMITED were in High Street, Marylebone, London W., and then they by March 1914 they had moved to 155-157 Great Portland Street, London W. This was right next door to Willys-Overlands’ premises.

On the British side of the Channel, in 1908, all-British Clements were sold which were in fact built in the Swift factory in Coventry by the SWIFT MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED, which were virtually identical to Swifts but with longer wheelbases: Motoring Illustrated 17 August 1907 and The Automotor Journal 2 November 1907. The Swift Motor Company “layed down” extensive works at their Coventry factory to produce all-British cars, but it was decided not to put the cars on the market immediately but to wait for the November 1908 Olympia Show, for 1909. The original intention was to market the 10-12 h.p. Clément as a “Swift”, with the other cars being called “Cléments”, though there were also French-built cars imported in addition, until 1913. Motoring Illustrated stated that Mosses was the Manager of the London agency, but was to continue under the new regime: the London agency was renamed the “Clement All-British Motor Company”. For 1913, the French-built cars were dropped, and the all-British cars being the 12 h.p., 16-20 h.p., and 25-30 h.p. The last cars in 1914 were the 16-20 h.p. which did not correspond to any Swifts, though The Autocar March 14 1914 carried an advertisement for The Clement Motor Company Limited for the 12-14 h.p. Coupe, 2-seater or standard Torpedo with immediate delivery. However, this may not have been the Swift company’s Cheylesmore Works, but in fact the Quinton Works which up to 1900 had been used by Beestons. From around 1905, it appears that the Swift Cycle Company Limited occupied part of the premises as a branch factory. Then, in 1907 to 1919 or 1920, Swift Motor Company Limited were in occupation.

At probably the same time as The Clement Motor Company Limited was formed, a new firm was founded: THE GLADIATOR COMPANY of Long Acre, London W.C., and at the 1905 London Motor Show they exhibited a 14-18 h.p. car, with live axle and proellor shaft for the first time, as well as an 18-28 h.p. with chain-driven magneto and high-tension distributor. The quadrant and gear change were described as being exactly the same as that year’s Clements! At 134/135 Long Acre in 1908, the Rates Records show that GLADIATOR MOTOR COMPANY [a firm] were in occupation along with DU CROS-MÉRCÈDES LIMITED. It appears that this firm was the concessionaire for Gladiator cars produced by the Clément-Gladiator company. The Du Cros family were evidently involved with both marques. For 1908, it was announced that Austin were to manufacture certain Gladiator models. Herbert Austin had worked for Wolseley, and was connected with Charles Jarrott: in 1904 he asked Jarrott to race a new 96 h.p. Wolseley in the Isle of Man. The Austin Motor Company was founded in Longbridge, Birmingham on 14 December 1905, with the first car produced in April 1906. The Du Cros family had interests in Austin, Swift, Mércèdes and Cléments as well as Dunlop tyres and Napiers?

In 1909, Gladiator was sold to Vinot et Deguingand, and therefore the 1908 and 1909 Gladiators were apparently the only English ones, looking like Austins!

Thus, in 1909, a single-cylinder 7 h.p. Austin which was also available as a Swift, designed by Harold Radford, also of Swift, who designed the 1912 10 h.p. four which was produced until 1922. Thus, it was logical to produce Gladiators by Austin at Longbridge as Cléments were at Swift of Coventry, and the Gladiator Motor Company was the Du Cros family sales Concessionaire. Vinot et Deguingand took over Gladiator as just mentioned.

Adolphe Clément retired from his own company in 1914, and in 1921 he sold the Levallois-Perret factory to André Citröen for car manufacture. The Mézières factory was sold to Darracq? [see below]. The Tulle “Moulin de la Marque” was retained by the Clément concern and was increased in size gradually as more land was acquired to increase the number of buildings on the site. In 1914 the factories were very quickly converted to the manufacture of armaments as might be expected. A Parisian industrialist, Victor Continsouza from the “Etablissement Clément” was tasked with quickly installing new machines, staffed by male and female personnel for the production of necessary shells and other materiel. Post-War, the factory was sold to a new concern, Société des Etablissements Continsouza for the manufacture of those items required by the post-war period: including film and amateur cameras, and bicycle parts once again until 1925.

[Guest billmine]

I'm still looking for anyone who has any information on the Clement Bayard. I have a 1912 M-4 'Torpedo' and would like to know if anyone else has any information on them - or, of anyone who owns ANY Clement Bayard! I think I'm only one in Florida - (they had to come up with an 'identifier' at DMV to get it registered!)- thanks again / Don

Hi I looked at interest at your article - I too am seeking info - not on a Clement Bayard but a Diatto A Clement engine looks like a stationary engine - if you put Motore Torino DNF 30 Diatto A Clement up on gthis site you will see my engine.I have tried 7 Forums now and have had a reply from Museum in Turin without any positive information. Diatto and A Clement were amalgated for the years 1905 and 1909 only.

Thanks

Bill

[Guest Peadar Ward]

I recently purchased a Clément-Bayard AC4A 10 HP tourer its 1911 or 1912

I am interested in contacting anyone with information on the engine, in particular the engine capacity . my contact details are peadar.ward@gmail.com 

[8E45E]

On ‎04‎/‎01‎/‎2004 at 11:55 PM, 1937hd45 said:

Don, this is a photo of a Bayard Clement (don't know why they reversed the names)that ran in the French G.P. June 2, 1907, drive by F.Shepard.

Must have been a French commentator who reversed it.  The French reverse everything!  According to them, we live in 'Etats Unis'

 

Craig

[Ozstatman]

Haven't been there or seen it but McFeeters Motor Museum in country NSW, Australia has a 1909 Clement Bayard. Hope to get there next year.

 

http://motormuseum.com.au/gallery.htm

[Guest Peadar Ward]

1911 AC 4A  10HP Clement Bayard

Any technical information available on this car would be very welcome.