1900 Societe Parisienne Victoria Combination

Sold for $56,160 at 2012 Bonhams - Greenwich Concours d'Elegance: Collectors' Motorcars and Automobilia.
The French cycle firm La Société Parisienne, of 10 Avenue de la Grande-Armée, introduced a front-wheel-drive voiturette late in 1898, which it called the Victoria Combination. It was a lightweight two-seater trailer that had a back axle and mechanical components of a motor tricycle. The axle was placed in front of the trailer and steered by a long tiller. Power was originally from a 1.75 horsepower DeDion Bouton engine that was geared directly to the differential. Larger engines were used as they became available. The DeDion Bouton engine was reliable and well-built. They were fed by a Longuemare automatic carburetor. The front driving axles were sourced from Alexandre Darracq's Perfecta works. The Victoria bodies were made by coachbuilder Alfred Belvallette.

In October of 1899, a Victoria Combination competed in the Paris-Rambouillet-Paris event. The two-passenger vehicle covered the hilly 100-kilometer course at an average speed of 16 mph and won its class.

It is believed that around 400 examples of the Victoria Combination were sold, at a price of around 3000 Francs (roughly $600). Less than a dozen are known to survive.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2016