Le ZEBRE Type C C1914

No reserve Historical French popular car Recognized for its great robustness Affordable and easy to use for its age No registration title Chassis n° 3795 The first French people’s car is called Le Zèbre! The son of a Cahors café owner and a graduate of the Bordeaux School of Commerce and Industry, Jules Salomon worked with Beau de Rochas, a pioneer of the internal combustion engine, who introduced him to mechanics. He then worked for Georges Richard (which became Unic in 1904), an eclectic car manufacturer, and befriended Jacques Bizet, the brand’s salesman and son of the composer of Carmen, who dreams of inscribing his name in motorcar hall of fame. Together they developed the Type A in 1909. They both left Georges Richard to settle in Suresnes, first under the name Bizet constructions and then, in 1911, as SA des Automobiles Le Zèbre. Becoming a real commercial success, everyone wants to give his name to the car: they finally choose Le Zèbre, a priori the nickname of a clerk at Unic... Two important businessmen, Akar and Joseph Lamy (future founders of Amilcar), became the company’s prime investors, while Baudry de Saunier, editor-in-chief of the influencial magazine Omnia, was chosen as the brand’s godfather. The Le Zèbre cars pursued a brilliant career. At 3,000 francs, the Type A was the cheapest car on the market. The range is extended with the more elegant Type B (4-cylinder 785 cm3, 4-seater) and Type C (torpedo 4-cylinder, 2-seater). They acquire a reputation of robustness and reliability and are adopted by the French army as liaison vehicles during the First World War. The example presented for sale is an interesting Type C 13 which has been beautifully restored. It is presented to us in a nice blue dress, with black fenders with red piping, like the spoked rims. In very nice condition, the car will satisfy the old car lovers, whether they are new to the hobby or well informed, after a very simple start-up.