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Famous French Racer
This page lists brands for which we currently have only an historical precis. There is also a page on really obscure French brands.
For a more complete listing visit the French Index.
Lacroix & Delaville
The firm was established by Joseph Lacroix and financier De Laville in Agen in 1896 and produced tricycles until 1914*. Commonly known as "La Nef", it was powered by a De Dion-Bouton engine and proved popular with those who travelled frequently, doctors in particular. It is believed that over 200 of these were built before the first war, using more powerful engines as they became available, some of them water-cooled.
All had wooden chassis, and few have survived.
N.B. Sources vary on production dates.
Sources: louwmanmuseum.nl, et al.
La Cyclette. - 51x45 mm., two-stroke, embodying a countershaft and clutch.
La Cyclette. - La Cyclette unit. Gentleman's model: ordinary cycle frame with spring forks, final drive by belt. Lady's model : frame designed to take unit. A third model more on motor cycle lines with curved top tube, extra tank rail.
La Fauvette
Came tenth in Chateau-Thierry race of 1904, ridden by Panzani.
Bourdache p 434
Laforge & Palmentier
35 avenue e Wagram, Paris
In 1903 the factory in Alfortville built a 2 h.p. motorcycle with pedals attached to the frame by studs connecting housing and cylinders.
Bourdache p146
La Foudre
Manufactured 1902 to c.1905.
Paul Valter had previously traded under the Valter marque. In 1902 he and his de facto Caroline Meyer formed a new firm which traded as La Foudre. Their first machines had a Valter 1½ h.p. engine.
Translating as "Lightning", the 1903 model pictured runs a 2½ h.p. Buchet single of 250cc (67 x 70 mm).
A similar machine competed in the 1902 Château-Thierry, Rodolfo Muller rode the Tour de France on a La Foudre Buchet, and another competed against over sixty other machines in the Championnat du Monde des Motocyclettes of 1904 which was won by the four cylinder Adolphe Clément.
The La Foudre (termed Valter in the caption) was ridden by Jeanne-Aline Herveux who later achieved fame as an aviator. She appears with Madame Clouet in a photograph by Jules Beau, and it appears that they were friends.
From 1909 the Valter company exported motor vehicles to England.
Sources: Bourdache p209, lestricars.es.tl
La Guerrière
1901~1903
39 rue Pierre Joigneaux, Asnières (seine)
Jean Jaujard, manufacturer of motorcycles with a 278cc 2 ¼hp engine of his own construction. He also built tricycles and quadricycles.
Jaujard held a patent for a motorcycle rear suspension system.
Bourdache p436, lestricars.es.tl.
La Lorraine
Built motorcycles between 1922 and 1925 using 98cc to 248cc engines of their own construction.
Source: Wikipedia NL
La Louve
42 rue du Louvre, Paris
A.Louveau built motorcycles with 2½ and 3hp engines in 1904
Bourdache p438
La Miotte
43, Rue de Danjoutin Belfort. Advertised mopeds powered by La Poulaine in the 1950s. The firm is believed to have also built bicycles.
There is very little information available.
Source: guy.meiller.free.fr
La Parfaite
1900
82 rue d'Hauteville, Paris ( 1907)
Built by Durey, this was a motorized bicycle named La Parfaite with the engine above the pedals in 1900.
Bourdache pp 69, 84, 86, 98, 109, 440
La Perle
Maurice Guyot of 21 Rue Clément Forissier in St Etienne built mopeds from 1948 to 1957 using Vap and Itom engines.
Guyot had long been a cycle manufacturer and constructed Hosanna (1927) and Corail (1930) bicycles.
N.B. The name La Perle was also used by Bailleul in 1905, and by a Belgian company in 1956.
Sources: Motos dans la Loire, tontonvelo.com
La Préféré
1 et 3 Bld de Ménilmontant, Paris
1912-1914
Graf Matthäus Thunn[1] successor to E.Decosse - built motorcycles using many parts from his own catalogue, powered by 3½ h.p. Anzani engines, and available with sidecars from SIA (Austral). He rode a sole version in the 1912 Paris-Tours event. The 1913 model was a rebadged Lurquin-Coudert machine, and for 1914 they offered three L&C models - a 3½ h.p. single and V-twins of 5 and 7 h.p.
He was also the main agent in France for Phaenomobil from 1911, and drove one of those in the 1912 Tour de France.
In March of 1915 the French government seized possession of all properties belonging to German and Austro-Hungarian businesses. Thunn was Austrian, so he lost everything.
In 1922 Thunn emigrated to Austria, taking up business there as a Phaenomen dealer, and in 1925 he established the MT marque.
Notes. 1. Also spelled Thun, Count Matthäus von Thun und Hohenstein was from a very wealthy family. He preferred the Italian form of this first name, Matteo. See thunweb.com
Sources: Bourdache p438, lestricars.es.tl.
Labinal
Engines manufactured in the 1920s by Les Établissements Labinal, 28 rue Arago, Saint-Ouen (Seine-Saint-Denis)
The firm built the Micromoteur 63cc bicycle auxilliary engine (similar to the Cyclotracteur), the Microrameur boat engine and others.
Sources: OTTW, Cyclememory.org
Lacombe
Manufactured by Ets Lacombe, 5 rue Sébastien Gryphe, Lyon, Rhône
1948 - 1954
The tiny scooter first appeared at the 1948 Salon with a model name of FL22. Powered by a 49cc P.P. Roussey two-stroke, in 1949 it was also know as the Comindus.
Source: Amis Terriens, Tous les scooters du monde
Lafour & Nougier
Manufactured in Nîmes from 1927 to 1936, these motorcycles had engines from Aubier Dunne, Chaise, Train and Stainless, along with imported Villiers and JAP motors. Capacities ranged from 98cc to 490cc.
Source: Wikipedia NL
N.B. Nougier of St. Andiol and this firm were located only 50km apart, active around the same years.
Lamblin
Crankcase transmission motorcycle described in Locomotion No. 15 (1910). Two-speed planetary gear change in the rear hub, with a leather clutch cone.
Bourdache pp329, 342
Lapierre
Gaston Lapierre established his business in 1946 in Dijon to manufacture bicycles, and in the 1950s also built mopeds. His bicycles also appeared under the Orligné marque, and it is believed that the mopeds did too.
The firm became part of the Dutch Accell Group, and continued to build bicycles in Dijon into the 21st century.
Sources: Wikipedia NL, encycloduvelo.fr
Lapize
Manufactured in Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1930 - 1937, the motorcycles had Aubier-Dunne, LMP, JAP and other brands of 2T and 4T engines of 98cc to 498cc. The company was owned by Alcyon.
Source: Wikipedia NL
Lardennais
Built a 4-stroke motorcycle circa 1903
Bourdache p438
Latscha
Built light motorcycles from 1948 to 1953 using Aubier & Dunne 98cc and 123cc engines. They possibly also used larger JAP engines.
Sources: Tragatsch p190, Wikipedia NL
Large
1903
Moto which competed in the Paris-Madrid of 1903, ridden by M Large.
Bourdache p172
Lédonien
An established cycle firm in Lons-le-Saunier, they built mopeds named Debello, Clipper, Clarus and Triomphus
Source: Moped Archive (globalnet.co.uk)
Le Greves
Established by professional cyclist René Le Grevès at St Nicolas de Redon (Loire), the bicycle firm was associated with the Mercier group and produced lightweights in the 1950s.
Source: Motos dans la Loire
L'Elégante
ca. 1904
Under the name of L'Elégante, a 250cc (70x70mm) Monarque engine was sold by Ets J.B. Mercier, 6, rue St-Ferdinand, Paris. An automobile manufacturer, it is not clear whether motorcycles were also produced.
Bourdache p200
Le Sauvage
190 rue de Charonne, Paris
Built motorcycles of 65cc, 125cc and 175cc 1956-1958
La Moto Francaise
Lefol
Manufactured 1954 by Lefol & Cie, Courbevoie, Seine. Jacques Lefol produced car and bicycle accessories from the 1930s.
The Scoot-Air appeared at the Salon of 1954 powered by a two-speed 98cc Comet engine. It may also have been marketed briefly as the Aero-Scoot.
Source: Amis Terriens, Wikipedia NL
Lehaitre
Moto Chenilles (single track motorcycle)
M. Lehaitre created his moto chenille (single track motorcycle) around 1936, powered by a Chaise 500 engine. At least two versions were built, both with outrigger wheels, but on one they could be concealed. It was offered to the French army, who rejected it, and was also displayed at the Foire de Paris.
Source: Bourdache (zhumoriste), et al.
Leloir
H. Leloir, 16 Rue Fremicourt, Paris
175cc twostroke, ca 1922~1927
La Moto Leloir, 3e Annee de Fabrication. Cliche Salon Octobre 1924
Built 247cc two-strokes similar to the Evans, and a 174cc two-stroke boxer twin.
Sources: Period advertising, Wikipedia NL.
Lepoureau
Based in Issy les Moulineaux, Paris, the firm built a motorcycle with a De Dion engine and transmission by chain. They took part in the Paris-Bordeaux-Paris in 1904
Bourdache p438
Lesprillier
1900. Factory and offices at 22 avenue d'Italie, Paris
Built a 1¾ hp detachable engine and a 2½ hp motor bicycle.
Bourdache p146
Letang
One of the entries in Paris-Bordeaux-Paris in 1895
In 1901, Letang, Herbin And Bordes patented a detachable motor for bicycles
Bourdache pp 43, 44
Lepape
28 rue Demours, Paris
1903. Inventor of the 2-stroke engine "Bichrone"
Bourdache writes, "such as Lepape who built a two-stroke piston-pump (deux-temps à piston-pompe) ancestor, a system that was to make the German racing machine famous on the eve of the Second World War."
Bourdache pp 163, 438
Liaudois
1923-1927
Ets. Liaudois, Paris, built lightweights using Train engines of 98cc to 173cc
Source: Tragatsch p221
Libertas
7 rue Mousset Robert, and 149-151 rue Michel Bizot, Paris
Built 1¼ hp and 2¼ hp petroleum bicycles ca 1902. The smaller engine had a water-cooled cylinder head.
Bourdache p438
L'Idole Tricycle
De Dion motor tricycle which participated in la cote de Chanteloup of 1898.
Bourdache p438
Ligez
Manufactured by Pierre Ligé, 118, rue de la Boëtie, Paris.
In 1904 Ligé obtained a patent for a motorcycle gear change mechanism.
The following year a "Pierre Ligez" tricar appeared in the press, consisting of a motorcycle with a 4½ h.p. Buchet V-twin engine, to the front of which was mounted a two-wheeled platform with leaf-spring suspension.
Shortly thereafter he entered the aviation field, producing engines under the name P. Ligez of 3, 5 and 7 cylinders.
Source: lestricars.es.tl
Lobin
Bicyclette with Grillon engine housed in the frame built 1902. Chain drive with friction clutch.
Bourdache p438
Lombard
Ets Cochot 45 rue de Tanger, Paris
Tricycles et voiturettes displayed at the 1898 salon
Bourdache pp 396, 400
Loriot
Manufactured 1927-1930 using mainly JAP engines and Bredier & Charon gearboxes. There was also apparently a shaft-drive model.
Source: Wikipedia NL
Lotz-Huzelstein
44 rue du Louvre, Paris
Motorized bicycle, 1896
Huzelstein could be the German mechanic who
presented the Hildebrand and Wolfmuller in France and bought the company after the
bankruptcy of Duncan and Suberbie
Bourdache p46
Louis Pitard
7, Rue Saint-Martin, Paris (advertising). Also listed as 38 rue du Temple, Paris.
Also referenced as Pitard. and L.Pitard
Louis Pitard began building bicycles shortly after WWI. He built Cucciolo 48cc mopeds under licence from Rocher in the 1940s and 50s, and a bicycle engine mounted in a trailer behind the cycle powered by a VAP engine.
Sources: OTTW, encycloduvelo.fr
Louis Vineis
rue Monteil, St Etienne
Louis Vineis ran a heavy vehicle workshop on rue Coty in Méons, St Etienne.
The Moto 250 was first registerd in March of 1947 and is rather similar to the Lutece in concept. A shaft drive single cylinder two-stroke with square-section steel frame, it has primitive front suspension, rigid rear end and far from adequate brakes. The carburettor is on the right and the exhaust port on the left. To suggest it is unattractive would be a kindness - it is likely winner of the "bog ugly" award. Thankfully only one was built.
Sources: Motos dans la Loire, La Moto Francaise
Loyal
Built a tricar in 1897 with a 2-stroke engine of unusual design which operated like a 4-stroke with automatic valve on intake and exhaust.
Bourdache p438
Lutèce (1895)
Baron F. Blanc of Geneva hired a Lutèce motorcycle for the Paris-Bordeaux-Paris event in 1895.
"Five other motorcycles are engaged in Paris-Bordeaux with dozens of cars, but two will really start: it is once again the Millet and the Wolf ... sorry, the Duncan and Suberbie renamed "Queen-Petrolette". The other three are a Lutèce, engaged by Baron Blanc, of Geneva; a Létang, steam engine due to Marc Létang; Briest gasoline, Briest Company, 109 rue de Rennes, Nantes. That's about all we know about these 3 machines."
Bourdache, page 44.
N.B. For other marques with the name Lutetia or Lutece see Disambiguation
Lutetia engines
Lux by Atelier du Furan
Luxia
Manufactured by Établissements Baud of Doubs (Franche-Comté), 1950~1968
The firm built mopeds under the names Betty, Elfil and Jurasport, as well as Luxia.
Source: OTTW
Lyjack
Manufactured by Eugène Brossard at 48 rue Denis Papin, Blois
Named by the founders for their daughers Lyliane et Jacqueline, the cycle firm had been operating for decades. In the late 40s or early 1950s they built cyclomoteurs.
Source: tontonvelo
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