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Hhhm, Hispano-Suiza had an own aviation and car production in France. They made Ballot cars too after they had purchased the Ballot factory. They still operate as aviation supply company in France. My only problem would be the engine size which started at 2 ltr. and I´d miss the name Ballot today which is Hispano-Suiza | SAFRAN-Group.

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By scanning a list of “aircraft propeller manufacturers” you will find a company in Figeac, France that “from 1926 until 1930 it built a car with a 746 cc overhead camshaft engine” and later from 1959 until 1962 also motorcycles. Leaving the name open as do not have access to a suitable next picture now. 

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vor 29 Minuten schrieb AZach:

By scanning a list of “aircraft propeller manufacturers” you will find a company in Figeac, France that “from 1926 until 1930 it built a car with a 746 cc overhead camshaft engine” and later from 1959 until 1962 also motorcycles. Leaving the name open as do not have access to a suitable next picture now. 

That´s it. I could only add the model name 6CV Torpedo, who will do the rest?

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vor 8 Stunden schrieb wlaidlaw:

I would not want to propel anyone in the wrong direction. 

Wilson

HAHAHA! Wilson, I really missed that hint but stumbled over a vehicle (won´t call it "car" as it was a killer machine on road) they made in combination with their core business.

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In 1967 I went to Le Mans as a signaller with the Maranello UK Team (Col. Ronnie Hoare). Just before the race, the team manager came in and asked if any of us spoke french. As I had previously spent a year in Switzerland, I volunteered along with another person who was reading French at university. We were asked if we would not mind helping out the Ecurie Francorchamps team as a lot of the team had got food poisoning from eating food from one of the hamburger stalls. During the middle of the night, the team very kindly sent us a full hot meal to our signalling station at the end of the Mulsanne Straight (in contrast to the Maranello folks who were sent dried up sandwiches). A couple of bored French CRS motorcycle  cops, having scented out food, drifted over and asked if we had any to spare, which we did. I got talking to one of them and asked about his Ratier bike. He said it was a total death trap and he hated it in comparison to the Triumph 500 he had had before but De Gaulle had insisted they were replaced by French made bikes. I think they were made earlier than 1959, as they were apparently initially assembled from left over BMW parts from when Ratier had built BMW's for the German army during WW2. 

Ratier started in the late 19th century as a specialist woodworking company. In the early days of aviation, they were asked to make propellors and by the end of WW1, had become quite a large company, being the largest propellor maker in France. They still make propellors and are part of Collins Aerospace. https://www.ratier-figeac.com 

Their 6HP car was substantially better than many other French cyclecars with an overhead cam 746cc engine and the later ones had even front wheel brakes. Rather like the British Austin 7, it was a proper small car rather than a four wheeled motorcycle. They were used for competition quite extensively. A couple of Ratier mounted CRS police below. 

Wilson

 

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A very good puzzle car - my knowledge of obscure early 20C french car manufacturers, cycle-car minutiae, small engine designers and the early aerospace industry has definitely improved!

The many rabbit-holes encountered were very enjoyable and the sheer quantity and breath of small manufacturers / start-ups (in modern parlance) around Paris et les environs, and then in "the rest" of France was very illuminating.

Merci beaucoup pour cette délicieuse énigme!

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Some say Ratier was the first "professional" propeller maker in France. Nowadays working for Airbus (A380, A400M).

I knew the car with the propeller (see my link) but didn´t know the riddle car. Was only checking the plane companies associated with car production I knew.

Ratier´s history of non-aviation products shows the problem for such companies after wars when aviation production fells asleep. Happened to Ratier several times.

They even produced electric bells, telephone equipment, bicycles and a Citroen kid car.

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7 hours ago, wlaidlaw said:

I got talking to one of them and asked about his Ratier bike. He said it was a total death trap and he hated it in comparison to the Triumph 500 he had had before but De Gaulle had insisted they were replaced by French made bikes.

I sold my Citroen SM to a French architect in Paris, who was also a Facel Vega owner and leading light in FV circles. He said that Facel had offered De Gaulle a presidential vehicle but it was declined as having an American engine. At least he was consistent!

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