1925 Lorraine-Dietrich B3-6

Lorraine-Dietrich was founded by Jean de Dietrich. The 'Lorraine' portion of the name was in sourced from Alsace-Lorraine, an Imperial Territory created by the German Empire in 1871. In 1896, the company began production of automobiles under license from French inventor Amédée-Ernest Bollée (Amédée père), Turcat-Mery, and Vivinua.

In 1902, 21-year-old Ettore Bugatti was hired as an engineer. One of his designs included an overhead valve 24 horsepower four-cylinder engine mated to a four-speed transmission. He was also responsible for the 30/35 of 1903 before he left to join Mathis the following year.

During the early years, Lorraine-Dietrich's success was built atop their racing prowess, with impressive accolades that included a third in the 1903 Paris-Madrid Rally and a 1, 2, and 3rd place finish at the 1906 Circuit des Ardennes. Their greatest racing success came in the post-War era, when they became the first manufacturer to earn multiple victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

B3-6
As the 1910s were coming to a close, the new technical director Marius Barbarou introduced a new model available in two wheelbases. They were called the A1-6 and the B2-6. In 1922, Lorraine-Dietrich introduced the B3-6, also available in two-wheelbase lengths. All three models were powered by a six-cylinder engine with a 210.2 cubic-inch displacement. The engine had overhead valves, aluminum pistons, a four-bearing crankshaft, and hemispherical heads. Unlike most cars of the era, the B3-6 had drum brakes at all four corners.

In 1926, a team of three Lorraine-Dietrich B3-6s came in first, second, and third at the 24 Hours of LeMans race. Robert Block & Andre Rossignol drove the winning car with an average speed of over 100 kilometers per hour. In celebration and recognition of this accomplishment, the company built several LeMans-style chassis.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2019