Benjamin was a French manufacturer of

cyclecars A cyclecar was a type of small, lightweight and inexpensive car manufactured in Europe and the United States between 1910 and the early 1920s. The purpose of cyclecars was to fill a gap in the market between the motorcycle and the car. A key c ...

between 1921 and 1927 and based on the north-west edge of

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

. 1927 was a year of changes which included a name change, and between 1927 and 1929 the company operated under a new name, Benova. The firm was established by Maurice Jeanson in Asnières at 139 Boulevard Voltaire.

The cars

The business started out with a range of cycle cars, identified as the Benjamin "Type A", Benjamin "Type B" and Benjamin "Type C", a two-seater coupé. The "Type A" was powered by a 4-cylinder unit of 751cc: it weighed less than 350 kg and therefore enjoyed the favourable tax treatment available to

. The "Type B" used a 2-cylinder 547cc engine, while the "Type C" was a sporty version of the "Type A", the volume of its 4-cylinder engine increased to 817cc. In 1924 the smaller engined Benjamin was replaced by the "Type AR". It sat on a wheelbase and was powered by a rear-mounted 2-stroke twin cylinder 450cc or 525cc engine. Thanks to the success of the early models the manufacturer broadened the range with a "Type P2" and a "Type P3", but these were less successful. The "Type P2" was built on a wheelbase and used a 2-stroke twin cylinder engine, of 550cc, and was produced from 1924. The "Type P3" had a 2-stroke triple cylinder engine. The cylinders were the same size as on the "Type P2", but there were three of them and the engine capacity was given as 817cc. (Other sources quote engine sizes respectively of 750cc and 1125cc for the 2 and 3 cylinder "Type P2" and "Type P3" in 1924.) In October 1924, at the 19th Paris Motor Show the manufacturer's listed prices started at 5,500 francs for a 2-seater "Type AR" cyclecar, while a

Torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, s ...

bodied 2-seater "Type P2" was listed at 8,900 francs.

Restructuring and renaming

Following the construction of a second factory at 39 Rue de Paris in

Gennevilliers Gennevilliers () is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department of Île-de-France. It is located from the centre of Paris. In 2017, it had a population of 46,907. History On 9 April 1929, one-fifth of the ...

the company launched a new range, powered by engines bought in from

Chapuis-Dornier Chapuis-Dornier was a French manufacturer of proprietary engines for automobiles from 1904 to 1928 in Puteaux near Paris. Between 1919 and 1921 it displayed a prototype automobile, but it was never volume produced.Linz, Schrader: ''Die große Automo ...

. The company was now restructured and renamed as Benova. With a rapid rise in consumer incomes during the mid-1920s the cyclecar era was coming to an end, and the manufacturer moved into production of standard-sized motor cars, including even one powered by an 8-cylinder engine - albeit a small one. At the 22nd Paris Motor Show in October 1928 Benova were exhibiting three models: :* The "Benova Type B3" used a

4-cylinder side-valve engine of 0.95-litres and sat on a wheelbase. Standard bodies included a 2-seater

, a 4-seater

and a 2-seater coupé. :* The "Benova Type E2" used a

4-cylinder overhead-valve engine of 1.1-litres and sat on a wheelbase. Standard bodies included a "Torpedo de luxe" and a 4-door "conduite interieure souple" (sedan/saloon). :::Both B3 and E2 were also listed in "commercial" versions with a drop down opening hatch at the back and, according to one picture, a removable back seat. :* The "Benova Type G" used a

S.C.A.P. S.C.A.P. (Société de Construction Automobile Parisienne) was a French manufacturer of cars and proprietary engines, existing between 1912 and 1929. Products S.C.A.P mainly manufactured small four-cylinder engines, with capacities from 894 ...

8-cylinder side-valve engine of 1402 cc (later, if briefly, increased to 1996cc) and sat on a wheelbase. Standard bodies listed included a "Torpedo grand luxe", a 4-door "conduite interieure souple" (sedan/saloon) and a

cabriolet A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving exp ...

Reading list

* Harald Linz, Halwart Schrader: ''Die Internationale Automobil-Enzyklopädie.'' United Soft Media Verlag, München 2008, . (German) * George Nick Georgano (Chefredakteur): ''The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile.'' Volume 1: ''A–F.'' Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Chicago 2001, . (English) * George Nick Georgano: ''Autos. Encyclopédie complète. 1885 à nos jours.'' Courtille, Paris 1975. (French)

External links

GTÜ Gesellschaft für Technische Überwachung mbH zu Benjamin
(retrieved 23 March 2013)
GTÜ Gesellschaft für Technische Überwachung mbH zu Benova
(retrieved 23 March 2013)

Sources and notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benjamin Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of France Cyclecars Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1921 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1929 French companies established in 1921 1929 disestablishments in France