1910 Unic C1

Unic , Paris-Rambouillet 2018

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Unic, Puteaux, France.  Unic was an automobile manufacturer founded by Richard Brasier in 1905,  with funding from Baron Henri de Rothschild.  Originally the company made just light cars and taxis.  In the end taxis were perhaps what they became most famous for and they were commonplace in Paris, London and Monaco.  They then went on to make light vans and other utility vehicles and from 1922 trucks.  Cars were made until just before WWII.  In the nineteen fifties the truck business was integrated into Simca.

Early model numbers were a letter followed by a number.  The vehicle pictured above appears to be  a C1 four cylinder two seater from about 1910.

The name Unic comes from the French word "unique" and refers to the common interchangeable parts used in various models.   Unic cars were amongst the first sold on credit.

1949 Hotchkiss 864 Artois S49

1949 Hotchkiss 864 Artois S49, Tour Auto 2017

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Hotchkiss et cie, Saint Denis, Paris, France.  Hotchkiss was  originally an arms and munitions manufacturer founded by an American ordnance engineer called Benjamin Hotchkiss. After he died, the company produced car parts, car engines and then eventually whole cars.  The 864 Artois was based on a pre-war model and was sold in the late forties and early fifties.  It was a 4 door sedan with  a 2.3 litres 4 cylinder front mounted engine and rear wheel drive.  Top speed was around 75 mph.  As a sporting marque Hotchkiss won the Monte Carlo Rally a number of times in the early thirties. They also raced at Brooklands and Montlhery.  After the war they again competed in the Monte Carlo (winning in 1949 and 1950) and the Tour de France Automobile.  Eventually the marque was swallowed up by Delahaye.   In 2017 Maxime Lepissier and Bruno de la Villesbrunne drove this car in the regularity section of the Tour Auto Optic 2000.

1925 Bentley 3 Litre Speed Model Works Le Mans car.

1925 Bentley 3 litre Speed model, Le Mans Classic 2016.

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Bentley, Cricklewood, England.  The 3 litre Bentley was one of the original models and this particular car was one of the first works cars to compete in the Le Mans 24 hours in 1925.  A non-works 3 litre car had won in 1924 but in 1925 the works cars failed to finish.In 1927 a works 3 litre won the race.  The Bentley 3 litre engine had 4 in line cylinders.

At the 2016 Le Mans Classic the driver put the top up during the Le Mans start and raced as it would have raced in period.

1925 Bentley 3 litre Speed 4 Cyl

1925 Bentley 3 litre Speed 4 Cyl, Petersen Auto Museum LA, Breakfast Club Cruise-In, January 2016

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Bentley, Cricklewood, England.  This 1925 Bentley has the famous 3 litre 4 cylinder engine that started to make Bentley a success.  This is a short chassis speed model with a Taylor Sports model. The owner told me that this was the original registration number and that it had been a Pebble Beach Concours class winner. It certainly has immaculate bodywork, obviously restored but very nice and good to see it being driven around.  This has the red Bentley badge that identifies it as a Red label Speed Model 513 car.

1948 Lambert 6CV 1100cc

1948 Lambert 6CV 1100cc à Linas-Montlhery en 2002.

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Automobile Lambert, Reims, France. Founded by Germain Lambert they built cars from  1926 to 1953.  These cars are now very rare.  This 1948 three seater was powered by a 1,100cc 4 cylinder Ruby motor.  A rather  beautiful car somewhat reminiscent of a Bugatti but with a smaller motor. Other Lamberts achieved some success in motor races in the early fifties including a fourth place and second in the 1100cc class in the 24 hour Bol d'Or at St Germain-en-Laye in 1951.  Unlike Le Mans only one driver was allowed to drive each car for the whole 24 hours!   Félix Lecerf did this for Lambert.

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