Boitel is a former
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
automaker.
History
The company began business as an automaker at their plant on the
eastern side of
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
in 1946. By 1950 the last car had been produced.
The car
Boitel was an engineer who developed a two-seater small car during the early 1940s, but the single-cylinder engined prototype proved too small to transport two people and the project was abandoned.
The Boitel resurfaced soon after the
Liberation
Liberation or liberate may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War
* "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode
* "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode
Gaming
* '' Liberati ...
, however, when the manufacturer exhibited a small two seater steel bodied cabriolet car at the 1946
Paris Motor Show
The Paris Motor Show () is a biennial auto show in Paris. Held during October, it is one of the most important auto shows, often with many new production automobile and concept car debuts. The show presently takes place in Paris expo Porte de V ...
. The Boitel was now powered by a two-cylinder two-stroke engine of 400 cc for which a maximum 12 hp of power was claimed.
In 1947, Boitel returned to the Pairs Motor Show with another small two seater steel bodied cabriolet car, very similar to the previous year's exhibit but slightly more elegant. Now it was powered by a rear-mounted 589 cc 18 hp engine from
DKW
DKW (''Dampfkraftwagen'', – the same initials later also used for ''Des Knaben Wunsch'', ; ''Das Kleine Wunder'', and ''Deutsche Kinderwagen'', ) was a German car- and motorcycle-marque. DKW was one of the four companies that formed Auto U ...
. The final car, produced in 1949, followed the same format but was powered by a 688 cc engine providing 20 hp. It seems that all three cars sat on a 2000 mm wheelbase and were 3150 mm long overall.
[
It is not clear whether the Boitel ever went into production. At the 1947, motor show there was an understanding that the cars would enter production in 1948, and some orders were taken in anticipation of this. Boitel took some deposits with the orders which subsequently could not be refunded because the business failed.][
]
References
* G.N. Georgano
George Nicolas "Nick" Georgano (29 February 1932 – 22 October 2017[Nick Georgano](_blank)
Alvis Archive Bl ...
: ''Autos. Encyclopédie complète. 1885 à nos jours.'' Courtille, 1975 (in French)
External links
Internet page of the GTÜ
Boitel brochure cover
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boitel
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of France
Car manufacturers of France
Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Paris