The Louvet is a three-passenger, one-door, dual-pedaled, 2 x 5-speed car—meaning both driver and front passenger have their own pedal cranks that operate on separate 5-speed selectors. It was discovered in a remarkable set of French photographs from 1935.
In 1926 brothers Otto and Wilhelm Maisch formed Maisch & Co. to produce small 2-stroke engines of JLO design, plus bicycles and parts. In 1932, the brothers began producing scooters and motorcycles under the Maico name.
In 1926 brothers Otto and Wilhelm Maisch formed Maisch & Co. to produce small 2-stroke engines of JLO design, plus bicycles and parts. In 1932, the brothers began producing scooters and motorcycles under the Maico name.
Ten years prior to the launch of Renault’s Espace people carrier, microcar company Marden debuted their Espace in 1975. By 1979, Marden had dropped the Espace nameplate, now simply known as the 49 or 125 (depending on which engine you chose).
The Martin, despite vigorous promotion, never went beyond three prototypes. Before you is a one-of-a-kind aerodynamic vehicle built by Martin Aircraft Company of Garden City, New York.
At the 1932 National Automobile Show in New York, James V. Martin displayed two experimental rear-engined cars of his own design–the four-wheeled Martin and the three-wheeled Martinette.
James V. Martin was a prolific inventor who spent years designing cars that he hoped someone would be willing to produce. The Stationette in front of you is his last attempt.
René Bonnet continued to make cars under his own name and also became a driver for Renault. To support his competition exploits, Bonnet unveiled three cars at the 1962 Paris Salon. The top range was his pioneering D´jet.
In 1963, Engins Matra, a large airplane and armaments company, took over the assets of a small sports car company run by René Bonnet. Bonnet was at the forefront of French motor racing, and was unfortunately much better at building cars than running a business.
By 1980, the Bagheera had been replaced by Project M551, or the Murena. It was designed by Greek stylist Antonis Volanis, who also worked on both the M530 and the Bagheera.