Delaugère

France, 1901 – 1926

SA des Etablissmeents Delaugère, Clayette, Frères et Cie, Orléans, Loiret

Regional makes are not peculiar to Great Britain and the USA. The cars of Delaugère-Clayette survived for a quarter of a century, little known even in their homeland. Delaugère-Clayette cars were apparently never exported. Initially Delaugère-Clayette tricycles and quads were marketed, as well as conventional single-cylinder runabouts of 475cc and 500cc with 3-speed gearboxes, but by 1903 the Delaugère-Clayette company had progressed to bigger vehicles on Panhard lines with 2- and 4-cylinder automatic inlet valve engines and side chain drive: the bigger Delaugère-Clayette 20hp had four forward speeds. Six Delaugère-Clayette models were listed in 1905, the top of the range being represented by an 8-litre 4-cylinder and an even larger four of about 15 litres. 1906 Delaugère-Clayette models were still chain-driven but gate change was now featured, and a 16hp 4-cylinder could be bought for 13.000 francs. A year later there were shaft-driven Delaugère-Clayette cars as well: all had low-tension magneto ignition, and there were a 1.8-litre twin, and two 4-cylinder cars of 4.4 and 8-litres. Monobloc engines came in with a 10cv 2.1-litre four in 1911. Twin Delaugère-Clayette cars were still catalogued in 1912, along with a 5.2-litre 6-cylinder Delaugère-Clayette Type 6N. At the 1913 Paris Salon the Delaugère-Clayette firm adopted a rear-axle gearbox on some models, while there were fours and sixes with the Fischer slide-valve power unit, also tried by De Bazelaire in France and Palmer-Singer in USA.

After World War 1 there were no more departures from conventional design. In 1920 there were a 2.2-litre 4-cylinder and a 4.8-litre 6-cylinder Delaugère-Clayette, both electrically-equipped: the latter was a big sv machine with fixed cylinder head and an 11ft 6in wheelbase which acquired fwb by 1923. Other Delaugère-Clayette models that year were sv 4-cylinders of 1.7-litres and 3.2-litres, with cone instead of multiplate clutches and rear-wheel brakes only, plus a 2.2-litre ohv Delaugère-Clayette car with detachable head. In 1926, the last year of Delaugère-Clayette manufacture, only 4-cylinder cars were made: they were ordinary to the end and came in 1.7-litre, 2.1-litre, and 4.1-litre sizes.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS

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