1900 De Dion Bouton Vis-A-Vis Vis-A-Vis Voiturette

The French firm De Dion, Bouton & Compagnie produced mostly motorized tricycles until 1899, with a few of those being converted into four-wheels with a two-wheel forecar arrangement. 1899 was the same year the Type D Voiturette was introduced. This was a four-wheel car with a tubular chassis frame. Power was from a 402cc single-cylinder engine offering 3.5 horsepower. The engine was positioned at the rear and sent power to the rear wheels via a two-speed constant-mesh transmission. Gear changes were made with clutches. The word Vis-a-Vis is French for 'eye-to-eye,' and the Type D earned this name due to its two passenger seats facing each other.

The De Dion Type E was introduced in March of 1900. It brought with it upgraded wheel bearings, and the shaft brake was replaced with two band brakes, one acting on each rear wheel. Another change was to the gear change, which was now operated by a lever with a neutral position. The three-quarter elliptic leaf-spring suspension and engine were carried over from the Type D.

This particular example is a Paris-built example and wears the dealer medallion of G. Loisel of 17 rue Monsigny, Paris. De Dion vehicles were also being produced in New York in 1900 and 1901, and many of the De Dions residing in the U.S. were often built in New York. This example was built in 1900 and exported to the United States sometime later.

During its life, it has been owned by Robert Gottlieb of Beverly Hills, California, and L.K. Newell of Quapaw, Oklahoma. It was given a restoration by Eric Rosenau of Ramona, California, in burgundy with black accents and fenders. The wire wheels are a brilliant red. The seating is black leather.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2020