Villard (automobile/cyclecar)

Villard was a French automobile manufacturer between 1925 and 1935.^[1]

Société des Automobiles Villard

Founded	1925
Defunct	1935
Headquarters	Janville , France
Products	Automobiles Cyclecars

Share of the Société des Automobiles Villard, issued 14. February 1930

Beginnings

The first 4HP Villard was constructed in 1923.^[2] It appeared to be a late-comer to the Cyclecar boom that had followed the First World War.^[1] It had only three wheels, with the single wheel, at the front, providing both the traction and the steering.^[2] The wheelbase was of 1,850 mm (72.8 in) and the two-stroke engine of 345cc.^[2]

Launch

The car made its public debut in October 1924 at the 19th Paris Motor Show, priced by the manufacturer at 4,950 francs.^[2] In 1925 the Société des Automobiles Villard was registered.

Middle period

Four years later the vehicle on the show stand at Paris was again a three wheel cycle car with a 1,850 mm (72.8 in) wheelbase and a single cylinder two-stroke engine, but the engine capacity was now given as 350cc.^[3] Many of these little three-wheeler cyclecars used bodies adapted for use as small delivery vans.^[1]

Later years

In 1927 a small number of four wheeled cars were produced: these used a chain drive to deliver power to the front wheels. Now a 500cc V4-cylinder was also available.

Reading list

• Harald Linz, Halwart Schrader: Die Internationale Automobil-Enzyklopädie. United Soft Media Verlag, München 2008, ISBN 978-3-8032-9876-8. (German)
• George Nick Georgano (Chefredakteur): The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. Volume 2: G–O. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Chicago 2001, ISBN 1-57958-293-1. (Englich)
• George Nick Georgano: Autos. Encyclopédie complète. 1885 à nos jours. Courtille, Paris 1975. (French)