Rochet-Schneider was a French company, based in

Lyons Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

, that produced

automobiles A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...

between 1894 and 1932. The Rochet-Schneider sales slogan was "strength, simplicity and silence". Like other motorcars of the

Brass Era The Brass Era is an American term for the early period of automotive manufacturing, named for the prominent brass fittings used during this time for such features as lights and radiator (engine cooling), radiators. It is generally considered to ...

, the cars made by Rochet-Schneider were largely intended for wealthy hobbyists and made use of

brass Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...

fittings, pattern

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...

, hand-crafted

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

and other expensive components.

Early period

Edouard Rochet and his father were

bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered transport, human-powered or motorized bicycle, motor-assisted, bicycle pedal, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two bicycle wheel, wheels attached to a ...

manufacturers before entering motorcar production. In 1894 they were joined by Théophile Schneider, a relative of the eponymous armaments family. Between 1895 and 1901, the company built approximately 240 single-cylinder " Benz-type" cars. At the 1901

Paris Salon The Salon (), or rarely Paris Salon (French: ''Salon de Paris'' ), beginning in 1667 was the official art exhibition of the in Paris. Between 1748 and 1890 it was arguably the greatest annual or biennial art event in the Western world. At the ...

, the company introduced a range of two and four-cylinder cars. Around 1903, these were redesigned along similar lines to Mercedes.

Rochet-Schneider Ltd.

By this time, Rochet-Schneider had become one of the most respected car manufacturers in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. In 1904 the company was sold for 4.5 million

francs The franc is any of various units of currency. One franc is typically divided into 100 centimes. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription ''francorum rex'' ( King of the Franks) used on early French coins and until the 18th centur ...

and a

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

-based company called "Rochet-Schneider Ltd." was formed. Production averaged less than 250 cars a year and by late 1907 the company was in liquidation.

Carburateurs Zenith

Théophile Schneider bought the company bearing his name and a subsidiary called " Société du carburateur Zénith" was formed. Schneider produced a range of high-quality cars and commercial vehicles for several years.

Post war

Following

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the company offered 12, 18 and 30 hp cars. By 1923 the whole range was fitted with overhead valve engines of entirely new design and a variety of

coachwork A coachbuilder manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles. The trade of producing coachwork began with bodies for horse-drawn vehicles. Today it includes custom automobiles, buses, motor coaches, and railway carriages. The word ...

styles. Rochet-Schneider took a stand at the 20th Paris Motor Show in October 1926, and exhibited their five model range. Prices quoted below are the manufacturers' prices for cars in "bare chassis" form, leaving the customer to make his own arrangements in respect of a car body: *Rochet-Schneider 12CV 4-cylinder side-valve engine: wheelbase priced at 42,000 francs *Rochet-Schneider 14CV 4-cylinder side-valve engine: wheelbase priced at 55,000 francs *Rochet-Schneider 18CV 4-cylinder side-valve engine: wheelbase priced at 50,000 francs *Rochet-Schneider 20CV 6-cylinder side-valve engine: wheelbase priced at 79,000 francs *Rochet-Schneider 30CV 6-cylinder side-valve engine: wheelbase priced at 67,000 francs From the mid-1920s onwards the company placed growing emphasis on commercial vehicles although passenger cars were still being sold and still being exhibited on the manufacturer's stand at the 25th Paris Motor Show in October 1931, the manufacturer's last new model being the formidable Rochet-Schneider 26CV with a large 6-cylinder engine of approximately 5-litres displacement along with dual ignition and servo brakes. Rochet-Schneider was bought by

Berliet Berliet was a French manufacturer of automobiles, buses, trucks and military vehicles among other vehicles based in Vénissieux, outside of Lyon, France. Founded in 1899, and apart from a five-year period from 1944 to 1949 when it was put into 'a ...

, another

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

based company, by that time known as a manufacturer of

locomotives A locomotive is a rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for longer and heavier freight train ...

and commercial vehicles, following the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Production models

* Rochet-Schneider 30/35

Examples

There is a 1900 Rochet-Schneider on display at Larz Anderson Auto Museum in

Brookline, Massachusetts Brookline () is an affluent town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, and part of the Greater Boston, Boston metropolitan area. An exclave of Norfolk County, Brookline borders six of Boston's neighborhoods: Brighton, Boston, Brighton ...

References

External links

Rochet-Schneider bus in Pori-Karvia-line, Finland, 1925
{{Authority control Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1894 1900s cars 1910s cars 1920s cars Brass Era vehicles Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of France Motor vehicle manufacturers companies based in Lyon Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1932 French companies established in 1894 1932 disestablishments in France Truck manufacturers of France