Sizaire-Naudin
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Sizaire Frères et Naudin was a French automobile manufacturer based in Paris between 1905 and 1921.
Sizaire-Naudin was founded by Maurice (1877–1970) and Georges Sizaire (1880–1924) and Louis Naudin (1876–1913) in around 1900. The company was registered in 1903. The partners had experimented with a car in 1902 or 1903 but it was not until 1905 that the first ones were offered for sale and shown at the Paris Salon in that year.
The first cars were basic single cylinder vehicles with independent front suspension by sliding pillars and a transverse leaf spring, identical to earlier Decauvilles. A unique gearbox used an integral 3-speed differential - 3 straight cut pinions brought to bear in turn on a single large straight-cut crown wheel.
Orders were good and the company received backing to move to larger premises from bicycle importers Hammond et Monnier who soon afterwards sold the firm to the Duc d'Uzes and from 1907 the family crest appeared on the radiator surround.
They enjoyed great success[1][2] in early voiturette races with rules which limited cylinder bore but did not specify stroke length.[3] This success lasted from 1906 to 1909,[2] with some presence in racing until 1911.[4]
By 1911 the single-cylinder format was outmoded, and an attempt to fit a four-cylinder 1847 cc Ballot engines did not result in significantly increased sales.
After World War I production restarted with a new company, Société des Nouveaux Établissements Sizaire et Naudin, making Ballot-engined cars based on prewar designs. In spite of an attempt to re-enter racing at the International Voiturette Cup of 1921 the directors called in the liquidators later in the year.
The Sizaire brothers left the company in 1912 and founded Sizaire-Berwick.[5]
[edit] References
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- ^ McComb, F. Wilson (1974). Veteran Cars. Hamlyn. pp. 66–67. ISBN 0-600-39130-2. "the most successsful French make between 1906 and 1909"
- ^ a b Scott-Moncrieff, D. (1961) [1955]. Veteran and Edwardian Motor Cars. Batsford. p. 81.
- ^ Scott-Moncrieff 1961, p. 84
- ^ Scott-Moncrieff 1961, p. 106
- ^ Scott-Moncrieff 1961, p. 120
