Decauville

France, 1898 – 1910

Sté Decauville, Corbeil, Seine-et-Oise

The famous Decauville firm of locomotive manufacturers began their series of road vehicles by making the Gyédon small car, which they renamed the Decauville. This first Decauville car would have been called a Decauville voiturette, but for the fact that Léon Bollée had already appropriated the word for his own little machine. Thus it was termed the Decauville Voiturelle. It had four wheels, unlike the Bollée, and was powered by a vertical twin-cylinder air-cooled engine of 3½hp, at first mounted at the rear. There were two forward speeds. However the remarkable feature of the Decauville Voiturelle for sale was its front suspension, which was independent – the first known instance of this on a production petrol car was by Decauville. Suspension was by a transverse spring and sliding pillars. There were no rear springs at all. The water-cooled 5hp model of about 1899 had three forward spees. On the 8hp Decauville model of 1900, the engine was moved to the front, shaft transmission was used, and four speeds were supplied. The 1901 Decauville had a fully-floating axle, and direct rive on top gear. From 1903 onwards Decauville cars were conventional shaft-driven vehicles, with side valves in a T-head, honeycomb radiators, pressed-steel frames, and 3-speed gearboxes. However, the bigger ones had dual ignition, the coil being backed by a high-tension magneto by 1905, and the largest Decauville models were available with side-chain transmission. A Decauville 12/14hp twin was listed until 1905, but thereafter only 4-cylinder machines were catalogued. The Decauville company’s peak year was probably 1904, with 350 units delivered. Five types Decauville cars were catalogued in 1906, with capacities of 2.7, 3.3, 4.8, 6.4, and 9.2 litres, and short strokes were favoured – the Decauville 24hp model was ‘square’ at 115x115mm. These changed little in successive years. Though Decauville models from 12 to 60hp were still being advertised in 1909, the Decauville lasted only another year. Both the rear-engined voiturelles and the later fours were made under licence in Germany and Italy, though different firms handled the two varieties in each country. In 1898 the companies were Warburg (Dixi) and Marchand; in 1906 Ehrhardt and Lux of Turin.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN/ MCS
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